Editor's pick: Summer Chamber Music Festival

Music festival makes merry with Mozart

Sunday, July 9 through Saturday, July 22; information 845/932-8527.

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY - In the news from Salzburg to San Francisco, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 250th birthday celebration has gone global. Weekend of Chamber Music (WCM) joins the international revelry with a Mozart festival of its own July 9 to 22.

On July 9, the non-profit organization’s Mozart celebration, christened “Summer Festival 2006¾In the Company of Mozart” will kick off with Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther presenting a Resolution to Judith Pearce, artistic director, at 2:00 p.m. on the Main Street lawn between the Presbyterian Church and the Post Office. A free all-Mozart concert follows immediately, with treats for children from Mozart himself, a Meet-the-Artists reception, wine tasting and other special events along Main Street.

WCM’s annual summer festival continues with eight chamber music events, with a variety of composers keeping Mozart company.

At Work and Play Behind the Notes, WCM’s popular and free interactive open rehearsals, are on Thursday evenings, and four concerts (dubbed Fabulous Fridays and Sophisticated Saturdays), will be held at the Eddie Adams Workshop barn, also in Jeffersonville. On Tuesdays, WCM presents Café Concerts with Panache at the Dead End Café in Parksville on July 11, and at Hills Country Inn in Callicoon Center on July 18. Both restaurants offer a light summer supper and WCM artists perform an early one-hour program followed by dessert.

Artistic director Judith Pearce brings critically acclaimed artists to the Catskills festival each summer, and her 13th season is no exception. This season, she includes music for ‘dueling keyboards,” glass harmonica ‘reinterpreted’ and ensembles ranging from duos to a rarely performed wind octet. She aims to give audiences a diverse mix of sound, contrast and color, with programs ranging from lush and romantic to classical and contemporary.

Festival tickets are free on Sundays and Thursdays; $40, which includes a light supper and dessert, on Tuesday; $20 on Friday; and $25 on Saturday, which includes a gala reception. Admission is free for students under 18.

Tickets can be ordered online at WCMConcerts.org" target=_blank>WCMConcerts.org or by calling 845/887-5803. For information, visit WCMConcerts.org" target=_blank>WCMConcerts.org, call 845-932-8527 or email info@WCMConcerts.org" target=_blank>WCMConcerts.org.