The hills of Mt. Gretna will soon be alive with lots and lots of music, according to Gretna Music‘s new 2019 summer performance schedule.
Kicking off the season will be the Ahn Trio in tandem with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, performing music and dance based on the works of artists like David Bowie and Prince, among others. A program for children and families will be offered by the Ahn Trio on June 22, followed by the complete performance the following day.
The month of June will end with a Free Jazz Worship Service, with vocalist Alicia Olatuja, who performed at President Obama’s second Inauguration.
July’s first program will be on July 6: the North American debut of “The Nutcracker and I,” a performance created by pianist Alexandra Dariescu, which has received rave reviews in other parts of the world. Violinist Francisco Fullana, performing an assortment of classical pieces, follows on July 7.
The second half of the month will see a number of unique performances. Following a George Cables Trio jazz concert on July 13 and a classical selection performed by Julian Bliss, Bradley Moore, and the Wister Quartet the following day, the Yamato Drummers of Japan, an ensemble playing traditional taiko drums, will perform on the July 24. That weekend, on July 28, sarod virtuoso Amjad Ali Khan and his sons will perform Hindustani classical music.
August’s first concert on August 11 belongs to James “Blood” Ulmer, whose impressive and far-ranging contributions to the world of guitar have made him one of the most respected guitarists still working today. On August 12 the Fischoff Gold Medal-winning Akropolis Reed Quintet will play. The final August concert will be on August 25; singers Jennifer Johnson Cano and John Matthew Myers and pianist Christopher Cano will perform the one-of-a-kind “Song of the Earth.”
The last two performances of the season will be held in September. On September 1, MacArthur Genius Grant pianist Jeremy Denk will hold a classical recital, and on September 7, the season will conclude with another Fischoff Medal winner, the Telegraph Quartet, playing an all-Czech selection of music, including an unpublished Antonín Dvořák composition.
The full list of performances is below, including links to more info.
- Saturday, June 22 at 11:00am – Ahn Trio performance as part of the Gretna Music For Kids program
- Sunday, June 23 at 7:30pm – Ahn Trio & Nai-Ni Chen Dance Co. performance “A Quest For Freedom”
- Sunday, June 30 at 7:30pm – Presidential Inauguration Free Jazz Worship Service with Alicia Olatuja
- Saturday, July 6 at 7:30pm – Pianist and artist Alexandra Dariescu’s “Nutcracker and I” performance (including dance and animation) makes its North American debut
- Sunday, July 7 at 7:30pm – Francisco Fullana performing violin works
- Saturday, July 13 at 11:00am – Havana Hop! as part of the Gretna Music For Kids program
- Saturday, July 13 at 7:30pm – George Cables Trio with Victor Lewis and Ed Harris
- Sunday, July 14 at 7:30pm – Julian Bliss and Bradely Moore with the Wister Quartet
- Wednesday, July 24 at 7:30pm – Yamato: The Drummers of Japan
- Sunday, July 28 at 7:30pm – Amjad Ali Khan and Sons, playing sarod and tabla
- Saturday, August 10 at 11:00am – Akropolis Reed Quintet as part of the Gretna Music For Kids program
- Saturday, August 10 at 7:30pm – Guitarist James “Blood” Ulmer
- Sunday, August 11 at 7:30pm – Award-winning Akropolis Reed Quintet
- Sunday, August 25 at 7:30pm – Mahler’s “Song of the Earth” performed by singers Jennifer Johnson Cano and John Matthew Myers along with pianist Christopher Cano
- Sunday, September 1 at 7:30pm – Jeremy Denk plays a selection of piano music from Bach, Liszt, and Schumann
- Saturday, September 7 at 7:30pm – All-Czech program performed by the Telegraph Quartet, with Carl Ellenberger and Alex Shaw
Ticket prices vary depending on program. Admission for attendees 18 years and under is $1 and adults that bring young people will have a reduced price of $5. To purchase tickets or get more information on the artists and admission, visit the Gretna Music website, Facebook page, or call 717-361-1508.
See the full 2019 Gretna Music program below.
Photos courtesy of Gretna Music and the artists.