The 13th season of the Geneva Music Festival came to a close, showcasing how exceptional music can create and build community with ten performances, 32 artists, and over a thousand attendees.
Geneva Music Festival’s Theme
Each season of the Geneva Music Festival has a theme, and this year’s was Gods, Myths, and the Divine. A rather capacious theme, it lent itself to a truly fascinating lineup of concerts in a variety of styles. From modern myths to Taiwanese legends to Christian and Jewish religious music, the season spanned cultures and belief systems.
Concert attendees commented not only on the quality of the musicianship but on the music’s ability to form connections. The breadth of repertoire from the Jason Clayborn Band impressed Charles McCadd, a Geneva resident. “The actual diversity of how much music they fit in of everything was amazing,” McCadd said. “Being able to go from all these different generations of music and then collide them all together to make everyone in the audience happy was just amazing.”
It’s easy when listening to music, especially classical music, to forget the interpersonal connections that underpin it. The intimate setting of chamber music reminds the audience of the connection between artists. They also orchestrate chamber music together, rather than training their focus on a conductor. One of the really striking themes of the Geneva Music Festival is the camaraderie the artists share. The audience member feels like they are being let in on an inner world.
Artistic Director Geoffrey Herd wrapped up the season by concluding, “Many thanks to our dedicated patrons and supporters who helped make our 2023 season sensational. The GMF musicians were honored, as always, to perform for our community and explore the diverse repertoire inspired by our theme, Gods, Myths, and the Divine. I wish all of you a peaceful and happy summer, and I look forward to sharing details about our next season soon.”
Livestreams of all performances are available to be purchased here until July 31.
The Geneva Music Festival was back in full swing on Sunday, May 21, with a performance from the Iris Trio at Hobart & William Smith Colleges. In addition, three more concerts took place in the month of May, as ATLYS will take the stage on the 25th at Ravine’s Wine Cellars and Legends and Fairy Tales on the 26th and 27th at Hobart & William Smith.
For the past several weeks, The Geneva Music Festival has been delighting audiences with concerts performed by world-class talent from the chamber music scene and beyond. The season concludes this coming Sunday, June 11 following daily concerts starting June 8.
June 8 at 7:30pm, come hear the Jason Clayborn Band perform at the Cracker Factory for an ebullient night of R&B and Soul. The Grammy-nominated singer will be joined by soprano Kimberly Salter, alto Tiera Dunn, and tenor Walter Malone III, and band members Gabriel Hatcher II, main keyboard and musical director; Willie Robinson, bass; and Lacy Comer, drums. The band will perform selections from their repertoire of hits, and audience members will be welcomed to sing along.
On June 9 and 10, GMF artists-in-residence will perform “In Concordia”, the final chamber music concert of the season. Clive Greensmith, cello; Anna Petrova, piano; Geoffrey Herd, violin; Hannah Collins, cello; Clara Lyon, violin; and Tanner Menees, viola will perform works by Bach, Haydn, Elgar, and Kodaly. In keeping with this year’s festival theme, the concert will be focused on musical and spiritual harmony, featuring works that showcase transpositions of hymns and chorales. Greensmith shared his interpretation of how the festival theme of “Gods, Myths, and the Divine” connects to the concert experience: “A concert for me is an offering, a communion between composer, performer and the audience. There should be a sense of ritual, a reverence for the music, and a sense of heightened sensitivity as we listen and respond to the voice of the composer. Each performance will be different, but in every case, one is hoping to get as close as possible to the deeper meaning behind each work. In the same way that a religious experience can speak to us, to inspire, provoke or enlighten us, a concert can do something similar. Music can also heal us, it can console us and the act of listening together, focused solely on one idea, this can bring a community together in a very meaningful way.”
And finally, the Festival will conclude with a matinee concert at Geneva on the Lake by Finger Lakes-based trio The Brothers Blue. At 2pm on Sunday June 11, Matthew Sperber, guitar, bass; Benny Haravitch, banjo, bass, guitar; and Charlie Coughlin, fiddle, mandolin will perform original compositions that draw influence and inspiration from country, bluegrass, Cajun, and Irish music. Come join us in celebrating the end of an action-packed season!
The Geneva Music Festival was founded in 2011 by Geneva, New York violinist Geoffrey Herd and fellow local musicians violinist Eliot Heaton and cellist Hannah Collins as a weekend of chamber music in their hometown. Now in its 13th season, the festival has grown to a nearly month-long event that draws thousands of attendees from across the Finger Lakes region. Each year, the Festival continues its mission of inspiring people with world-class chamber music and engaging diverse audiences in its outreach programs. The theme this year is “Gods, Myths and the Divine”. To learn more, and to purchase tickets for the festival concerts, visit: https://genevamusicfestival.com/
Heading into its 13th campaign, the four-week event looks to bring together some of the region’s top musicians and connect the community through musical expression, and from May 21 to June 11, many different groups and artists will come through Upstate New York to do just that.
Every year, the concert series announces its own theme to circulate around it, with this year being titled “God, Myths, and the Divine.” This unique 2023 theme centers around human connection and interaction with the divine, maintaining a diverse set of musical styles and cultures.
With that being said, “God, Myths, and the Divine” hones in on traditions of older classical music. A majority of Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schuman’s works are incorporated into ATLYS and other bands performing throughout the festival.
The Performers On The Theme
Exploring the present and past of music is something, violinist Max Geissler, a member of the program, prepares to welcome those who will be in attendance and praises the program’s thematic choices.
“This season really gives us the opportunity to not only learn of these cultural backgrounds, but to experiment with the unique ways in which music can convey narrative and spirituality. These programs contain so many different approaches to expressing a story, and it’s interesting to consider how music as a medium has the ability to make these legends and philosophies much more vivid.”
– Max Geissler
Opening headliner the Iris Trio also looks forward to being a part of the Geneva Music Festival. Their performance for the concert titled “Project Earth” focuses on raising awareness about the environment, an important focal point in today’s society.
“Project Earth” is the Iris Trio’s response to the enormous crisis currently facing our planet,” the Trio said. Through chamber music and poetry, the project strives to illuminate the impact of human behavior on the environment, addressing issues of climate change, pollution, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss.”
The Iris Trio will perform at the Geneva Music Festival Sunday, May 21, 2023
With Iris Trio getting ready to kick things off on May 21, tickets will be selling fast. All tickets to each in-person concert or live stream option are $35 for adults, $10 for college students with IDs, and free for Grade 12 and under. The adult season passes for all eight concerts in the GMF are $240.
As a bonus, ATLYS will also be performing at a free pop-up concert Tuesday, May 23 at 7:00 pm at Geneva LakeFront Gazebo, in addition to their performance on May 25.
Geneva Music Festival May Shows
Iris Trio: Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 5:30 pm – Gearan Center for the Theater Arts click here for tickets
ATLYS: Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 7:00 pm – Geneva LakeFront Gazebo
Legends and Fairy Tales: May 26, 27
Ticket Information
Visit the GMF website to learn more and purchase tickets before they are all gone! If you have already purchased tickets and plan to watch the festival through our Digital Concert Hall, please email zion@genevamusicfestival.com to let them know.
Known as the Finger Lakes premiere summer kick-off event, the Geneva Music Festival has announced their 2023 season theme and dates.
The festival was founded in 2011 by Geneva native and violinist Geoffrey Herd with fellow Genevans violinist Eliot Heaton and cellist Hannah Collins. Originally a weekend of chamber music for their hometown, the festival has grown over the years. Now in its 13th season, the festival attracts audiences of all regions to hear outstanding musicians from the world’s stages.
While still rooted in the chamber music repertoire, performances now include jazz, contemporary, and bluegrass music. Festival musicians include leading classical soloists, multiple Grammy Award-winning artists, members of the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, and faculty from Yale, Juilliard, the Colburn School, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
This years theme will be “Gods, Myths and the Divine” from May 21 to June 11. GMF artists-in-residence and visiting artists will explore the connection between music and experiences of uplifting our spirit, seeking something larger in the universe, or contemplating anew our place here on earth. This 8-concert series explores composers throughout history who have been inspired by their religious beliefs or by the universal themes embedded in cultural myths to create music of rich meaning and beauty.
“I’m excited to share our 2023 theme, Gods, Myths, and the Divine, through which we will explore musical masterpieces inspired by composers’ religious and spiritual beliefs. Walking through Milan last summer, I was struck by the inimitable architecture of the Duomo di Milano and found myself pondering how many of the world’s greatest pieces of art grow naturally out of their creator’s religious beliefs.
Festival Director Geoffrey Herd
The Geneva Music Festival’s mission is to entertain, inspire, and nurture a lifelong appreciation of chamber and other musical genres in Finger Lakes communities. They strive to present world-class artists that engage audiences of all ages, including populations with little exposure to music of this caliber. Purposeful engagement with young people is an integral part of the Festival’s programming and children 18 years and younger are admitted free to all public concerts.
A full lineup and schedule will be availible in the coming weeks. Please visit the festivals website for more information.
