Laguna Beach Music Festival captivates audiences in opening show, concerts continue through the weekend
The 2019 Laguna Beach Music Festival kicked off on Wednesday, Feb 6 at Laguna Art Museum with a captivating opening performance by Festival Director and Grammy-nominated pianist Joyce Yang, accompanied by multimedia artist Tripp Derrick Barnes, who created a masterpiece to Yang’s performance.
The remaining concerts, sponsored by Laguna Beach Live! and the Philharmonic Society, will feature Festival Artistic Director and Grammy-nominated pianist Joyce Yang, Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Conrad Tao, and Grammy-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich.
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Photo by Drew A. Kelley
Audiences were captivated by Wednesday’s opening event
The world-renowned Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Peter Jay Sharp Prize winner cellist Efe Baltacigil, and violinist/violist Yura Lee, who was the only first prizewinner across four categories at the prestigious ARD Competition in Germany, will also be performing at the festival.
Remaining events include this morning’s talk at Susi Q by cellist Efe Balticigil at 10 a.m. at the Susi Q. Space is limited.
Tonight’s Opening Night Concert starts at 8 p.m. at the Laguna Playhouse and features Joyce Yang and cellist Efe Baltacigil in a program of dance-inspired musical works. The second half features Aspen Santa Fe Ballet in “Dream Play,” a work by acclaimed choreographer Fernando Melo. (This performance is co-presented and in collaboration with Laguna Dance Festival.)
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Photo by Drew A. Kelley
Festival Director Joyce Yang is a Grammy-nominated pianist
“When I went to the Joyce Theater and saw the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet dance for the first time, I knew I had found my partners for this project. They danced to three genres of music and I was astounded by their versatility – excelling in both classical ballet and modern dance,” said Yang.
“The things that…the dancers found interesting about the music were sometimes things that I had never considered. Musicians tend to get stuck on the literal interpretation of the score, but [they] did an amazing job of interpreting the energy and mood of the music,” she continued. “Together, we tried to find the right balance between music and movement – building on a constantly changing landscape.”
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Photo by KT Kim
Festival Director Joyce Yang presents her collaboration with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet at tonight’s Opening Night Concert
On Saturday, Feb 9 at 8 p.m. at the Laguna Playhouse, Grammy Award-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich and Yang showcase dance-inspired pieces from various cultures influenced by tango, jazz, and folk melodies, in a duo recital built around André Previn’s “Tango, Song, and Dance.”
The Laguna Beach Music Festival ends on Sunday, Feb 10 at 3 p.m. with a Finale Concert: Romantic Masterworks at the Laguna Playhouse. The Festival culminates in a passionate musical exploration of romance-themed masterworks by Ravel, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev. In this pre-Valentine’s Day concert, violinist/violist Yura Lee, pianist Conrad Tao, and cellist Efe Baltacigil join Joyce Yang.
For tickets to this weekend’s Laguna Beach Music Festival concerts, go to https://philharmonicsociety.org/LBMF.