Winchendon Music Festival returns with international musicians
The Winchendon Music Festival returns for seven concerts from Aug. 16 to 27 featuring performances by international artists from a variety of musical genres including classical, folk, jazz, historical performance, and world music. All performances are free with open seating.
The festival was founded by musician Andrew Arceci and debuted in 2016. It quickly made a name for itself as a world class event in the small north Worcester County town of about 10,000 people.
Arceci, who performs on colascione, viola da gamba, and double bass, is also currently artistic director of the Northampton-based Arcadia Players.
The festival's schedule is as follows:
7 p.m. Aug. 16. Hideki Yamaya & William Simms, Renaissance lutes, Murdock-Whitney House ,151 Front St., Winchendon. Yamaya and Simms have selected several popular 16th century lute duets by John Johnson (c.1545-1594), Thomas Robinson (c.1560c.1610), John Dowland (c.1563-1626), and John Danyel (1564-c.1626).
6 p.m. Aug. 18. Andrew Arceci & WMF Artists, Winchendon Amphitheater, 85 Ingleside Drive, Winchendon. This program will feature various contemporary classical pieces, including works by the iconoclast John Cage, the minimalist Terry Riley, and others.
7 p.m. Aug. 20. Arcadia Players, Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St., Winchendon. Italianate vocal and instrumental renditions of British folk tunes, performed by soprano Hailey Fuqua and a string ensemble led by Arceci. The material is culled from works by two late 17th/early18th century musicians from Lucca, Italy, Francesco Geminiani and Francesco Barsanti who, as was popular among Italian composers of the time, immigrated to London.
7 p.m. Aug. 21. John Arcaro & Band, Beals Memorial Library. Berklee College of Music professor Arcaro leads a program of works from the “Great American Songbook,” complemented by contemporary jazz compositions. Arcaro has been a popular regular viistor to the festival.
7 p.m. Aug. 25. George Lykogiannis, piano, Murdock-Whitney House. Greek-American pianist and accordionist George Lykogiannis, will perform works by his compatriot Manos Hatzidakis, 20th century Catalan composer Federico Mompou, and Spanish composer/pianist Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909). Lykogiannis will also play a composition of his own.
7 p.m. Aug. 26, Floyds Row, Murdock-Whitney House. Folk collective Floyds Row explores the connections among early, classical, folk, newgrass, and world genres. The ensemble has performed throughout the Unitd Kingdom and United States.
2 p.m. Aug. 27. Worcester Jazz Orchestra, Winchendon Amphitheater. The big band plays works by Glenn Miller, Buddy Rich, and others.
For more information, visit the Winchendon Music Festival Facebook page.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Winchendon Music Festival returns with seven free concerts
