Paris, Fa: IRCAM’s ManiFeste switches on to music’s latest currents

This year’s Gilmore offers 84 musical events with more than 100 musicians participating. The festival draws an audience of thousands to the arts-friendly university city from around the globe. Though no new Gilmore Artist is the focus for this year’s festival, Yefim Bronfman is highlighted in a recital of works by Prokofiev on April 29. He will share the spotlight with three past Gilmore Artists — Gerstein (with the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra), Fliter (solo and with Gerstein), and Blechacz (with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra). Also taking a prominent role in the 2016 Gilmore is the versatile French composer Michel Legrand, who is to perform his own piano concerto in a world premiere with the Kalamazoo Symphony. Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham is to present a recital of Schumann songs. And two Gilmore Young Artists for 2016 will have essential parts to play: San Francisco native Daniel Hsu, 18, is scheduled to perform in Lansing with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, and Charleston, S.C., nativeMicah McLaurin, 21,  is to join the Battle Creek Symphony for a concerto performance. Both are veteran prize winners and students of the Curtis Institute. Solo recitals happen all day, each day, at the festival. Among prominently featured pianists this year are Dick Hyman, Bruce Hornsby, Jeremy Denk, Imogen Cooper, Lori Sims, Llŷr Williams, Nelson Freire, Richard Goode, Till Fellner, and Dejan Lazic. Chamber music events will feature the Morgenstern Trio, Mantra (using electronic music), Gilmore Festival Chamber Orchestra, Siskind-Rathbun Duo, and Anderson & Roe Piano Duo.Go here for the full schedule. Jazz and pop music are well represented in the 2016 program, and Tony Bennett will find a huge audience awaiting his songs. More options? Twelve of the performers are to lead free morning master classes, always popular. Lectures are offered by experts on such topics as Stockhausen and German song cycles. Five films addressing musicians and musical subjects are scattered throughout the festival. And ten performances of Murder For Two, a 90-minute musical comedy for two actors who both play the piano, will be staged in conjunction with Farmers Alley Theatre. An ancillary dimension of the Gilmore has been its Rising Stars series. Gifted newcomers under 30 are invited to Kalamazoo each year for solo recitals that are spread throughout the fall and winter season, outside the festival calendar. Although the names of the young artists are not yet well known (this year’s roster included newcomers from China, France, Israel, Russia, Germany and the U.S.), the list of previous rising stars includes many who went on to important solo careers, among them Lang Lang, Jonathan Biss, Yuja Wang, Orion Weiss, Adam Neiman, Natasha Paremski, and Christopher Taylor. A bonus delight for those who attend these Rising Stars programs is watching the pianists gain increasing international prominence as time goes by. For more information about the Gilmore and the 2016 festival, go here.

LOS ANGELES- Often dubbed CelloFest, the biggest names in the cello world — from Zuill Bailey and Truls Mørk toSol Gabetta and Yo-Yo Ma — will gather with students and fans on the West Coast to share their insatiable appetite for all things cello. The immersion festival involves the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Emerson and Calder Quartets, and the LA Chamber Orchestra under the auspices of USC.

A typical program, on May 17 at Walt Disney Concert Hall, features “dozens and dozens” of virtuoso cellists from around the world along with a new work called Threads & Tracesfor mass cello ensemble. It was commissioned by the LA Phil from British-born composer Anna Clyne, who is drawn to unique collaborative challenges. She is composer-in-residence for the Orchestre National d’Ile de France and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra after similar appointments with the Cabrillo Festival and the Chicago Symphony. The festival involves significant student opportunities; its name honors the great mid-20th century Russian-born cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, who often performed with pianist Arthur Rubinstein and violinist Jascha Heifetz, and who taught for many years at USC. (Some events are free.)

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May 16-June 5: Full details  DALLAS- The Dallas Symphony Orchestra and two of classical music’s youngest breakout stars will play a central role in the city’s second annual Soluna International Music & Arts Festival, which sprawls throughout the performing and installation spaces of Dallas’ downtown arts district. The 23-year-old composer and pianist Conrad Tao — who was first commissioned by the DSO to write a work observing the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy — will be back to perform a solo recital. And then, in festival-capping final concerts June 3-5, Tao’s latest orchestral work, Alice, will receive its world premiere led by DSO music director Jaap van Zweden. Meanwhile, DSO assistant conductor Karina Canellakis, who has been making the rounds with major orchestra debuts, will conduct a novel program called “Remix: Orchestral Myth and Legend” (May 20-21). It involves the world premiere of a multimedia component — Turo, a film by New York-based artist Anton Ginzburg. The film is designed to coordinate with live performances of Sibelius’s Pohjola’s Daughter and Wagner’s Forest Murmurs. The festival crosses freely into art and science; the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is offering a seminar, “Music and the Brain.”

May 20-28: Full details

Music director James Conlon brings his extraordinary 37-year tenure as music director of the Queen City’s choral festival to an end this season, after which the gloriously eccentricred-brick Victorian Gothic revival hall that was built to house it (along with historic civic functions and wrestling matches) will be closed for extensive renovation. For his final fling, Conlon has chosen to revisit favorite achievements from past seasons, including a concert performance of Verdi’s Otello on May 21 (with Gregory Kunde in the title role, Tamara Wilson as Desdemona, and Egils Silins as Iago). On May 27, Conlon will lead Dvořák’s cantata Stabat Mater, which he led the first time he conducted it at the festival, in 1978, as an up-and-coming maestro of 28. New works by American composers Julia Adolphe and Alvin Singleton, both of whom Conlon has long championed, have been commissioned for the festival, which extends as usual over two long weekends. The 145-member chorus is led by Robert Porco.

May 23-June 11: Full details

Going even bigger — and more social — after last year’s city-wide celebration of new music, the 2016 NY Phil Biennial will last three weeks and spread to eight locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn with 12 presenting partners including Yale, Aspen, and Interlochen. Expect post-concert meet-ups with many of the composers and artists and a #biennialist social media contest. Music director Alan Gilbert and composer-in-residence Esa-Pekka Salonen have planned the event to feature many world and U.S. premieres of symphonic, solo, and mixed-media works, as well as electroacoustic and opera. Among the first-ever offerings: Gin, Jazz and Dreams by composer and clarinetist Derek Bermel (JACK Quartet at the 92^nd St. Y);Shared Madness, consisting of very short works by more than 30 contemporary composers (violinist Jennifer Koh at National Sawdust); and the new Trombone Concerto by William Bolcom (principal trombone Joseph Alessi, conducted by Gilbert with the NY Phil at Geffen Hall.)

June 18-26: Musique & Vin au Clos Vougeot – Full details

Away from Provence and on a different scale, two choice, intimate festivals exemplify a more typical French approach to summer music festivals. Rather than grand international events drawing crowds of international visitors, these are small gatherings on a local level that enhance the music in combination with the other senses. From June 18-26, enjoy fine Burgundy wine and chamber music at Musique et Vin au Clos Vougeot, founded in 2008 by Met Opera concertmasterDavid Chan. For nine days the storied chateau (no longer in active production) becomes headquarters for wine tastings and concerts. Most evenings begin with an optional wine tasting at 5 p.m.; the concerts begin at 6:30 and end well before sunset, in time for dinner. The festival opener is a free performance at the Halles de Beaune, Burgundy’s main wine auction house, with the Orchestre des climats introducing the winner of a Young Artist prize, this year soprano Hyesang Park (June 18). Chamber music played by Met Opera Orchestra members and friends fills the week, and the closing orchestral concert, conducted by Charles Dutoit, with soloists Ildar Abdrazakov andGautier Capuçon, will be followed by a gala dinner and wine auction at the chateau. As a happy local journalist put it: “It’s pleasant to apply oneself to the understanding of these two forms of creativity in the company of musicians, winemakers, and our companions.”

June 18-Aug. 21: Full details

Overlooking the mighty St. Lawrence River, Domaine Forget (pronounced “For-zhay”) is located on a 150-acre park in St-Irenée, a two-hour drive northeast of Quebec City. Here, the International Music Festival offers about three dozen concerts, mostly on weekends, spread out over the summer months. This summer’s featured artists include the Quebec Symphony Orchestra (July 23), the chamber orchestras I Musici de Montréal (August 6) and Les Violons du Roy(August 21), guitarist Pepe Romero (July 9) and pianistsMarc-André Hamelin (August 13) and Jan Lisiecki (July 16) – all performing in the 600-seat Françoys-Bernier Hall. There’s also a Sunday brunch concert series on the terrace of Joseph-Rouleau Pavillion, as well as masterclasses and a sculpture garden. On-site accommodation is available at Les Studios du Domaine. And in the vicinity, there are plenty of hotels, inns, B&Bs, and restaurants. Domaine Forget is located in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, rich in French-Canadian history and culture. But don’t worry if your French is a little rusty: people in Quebec’s hospitality industry usually speak some English.

June 30-July 20: Festival d’Aix – Full details

Situated half an hour north of Marseille, the ancient Roman spa town of Aix is host to the most prestigious of France’s summer festivals. Opera, orchestral and choral concerts, chamber music, and recitals comprise a very busy schedule, with over 60 events in five venues. High-profile opera offerings include Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, directed by Katie Mitchell (who directed Written on Skin in 2013). Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts thePhilharmonia Orchestra and a dream cast headed by Stéphane Degout and Barbara Hannigan. (July 2-16). This year’s Mozart opera is Così fan tutte, in a new production byChristophe Honoré and the resident Freiburg Baroque Orchestra conducted by Louis Langrée or Jérémie Rhorer (Jun 30-July 19). Handel’s Il Trionfo del tempo e del disingannounites conductor Emmanuelle Haïm and her ensemble, Le Concert d’Astrée, with the provocative Polish director Krzysztof Warlikowski (July 1-14). The world premiere ofMoneim Adwan’s Kalila wa Dimna, based on a fourth-century collection of didactic fables considered a classic in the Arab world, will widen the musical vocabulary beyond Europe (July 1-17). And Peter Sellarscontinues his association with the Festival with a staging of Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex and Symphony of Psalms, with Salonen conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra (all productions provide surtitles in French and English). Plenty of chamber music and recitals by well-known artists and Academy students fill out a very busy month. Just be sure to leave time to enjoy a cool beverage in a cafe on the tree-lined Cours Mirabeau, with Roman fountains along its way, or an excursion into the lavender-and-herb-scented countryside.

July 4-17: Music & Beyond – Full details

July 21-Aug. 3: Ottawa Chamberfest – Full details

Ottawa isn’t just the national capital of Canada, it’s also a musical capital. With two major classical music festivals, summertime in Ottawa offers more concerts than you can shake a stick at. Music & Beyond is first out of the gate, with an eclectic mix of programming. The Vienna Piano Trio plays three programs (July 7, 8, and 9). The vocal ensembleChanticleer also makes an appearance (July 16). And the province of Quebec is well represented this summer, with the Montreal-based vocal ensemble Studio de musique ancienne (July 7), Les Violons du Roy (July 9) and I Musici de Montréal (July 12) For many years, the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival – or “Chamberfest,” as it’s come to be called – was billed as the largest such event in the world. It’s an intense festival, with multiple concerts daily, spread over a two-week period, in churches and concert halls all over Ottawa. Full details of this summer’s Chamberfest have yet to be announced. But, as in past years, Canadians will be well represented in solo recitals and small ensembles. Highlights for the 2016 event include Haitian-born Canadian soprano Marie-Josée Lord’s festival-opening production called Femmes, embodying the spirits of Delilah, Musetta, even Piaf (July 21); the Gryphon Piano Trio with baritone Russell Braun (July 22); a Chopin recital by pianist Janina Fialkowska (July 29); and Bach’sMass in B Minor, in a small-scale performance by Arion Baroque Orchestra (August 3). In addition to all these concerts, there’s more to recommend Ottawa as a cultural destination. Museums are plentiful – including the National Gallery of Canadaand the Canadian Museum of History. Canada’s Parliament Buildings are open daily for tours – and every morning on Parliament Hill there’s a British-style “Changing of the Guard.”

July 16-Aug. 19: Full details

Located on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, Music Niagara is an easy destination for anyone in the Niagara Falls area. This festival is located in the picture-postcard town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, well known to theater-lovers as the home of the Shaw Festival, where George Bernard Shaw’s plays are staged. Programming isn’t exclusively classical (there’s also some jazz, country, and world music) – but there’s a handful of classical artists, most of them Canadian. Look for thePenderecki String Quartet (July 18), the piano duo ofAnagnoson & Kinton (July 24), pianist Janina Fialkowska (August 2), and a recital by the rising soprano Ambur Braid (August 6). And in between concerts and plays, why not take a tour of the region’s wineries? Yes, Canada produces wine – and even wins international awards for it.

August 2-12: Full details

Every summer, the city of Vancouver is host to an international gathering of historically informed performers. This year’s event focuses on the music of J.S. Bach – and just about every concert features works by the Leipzig Kapellmeister. The festival opens with French-American jazz pianist and composer Dan Tepfer playing his own unique version of the Goldberg Variations (August 2). Other artists include harpsichordist Davitt Moroney (August 3), Arion Baroque Orchestra (August 5), cellist Beiliang Zhu (August 11), and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra (August 12). All concerts take place either in Vancouver’s Gothic Revival Christ Church Anglican (Episcopal) Cathedral or at the modern Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia. Vancouver is a vibrant city, flanked on one side by mountains and on the other by the ocean. Its many attractions include the Vancouver Art Gallery and UBC’s Museum of Anthropology, with its stunning collection of West Coast Native totem poles. If you’d care to step outdoors, Stanley Park offers a wilderness experience right in the city – a vast rainforest circled by the Seawall Trail.

Aug. 20-27: Dans les jardins de William Christie – Full details (available June 2)

If you’re very lucky – perhaps while visiting the châteaux de la Loire, or if you’re willing to drive a bit – in the out-of-the-way hamlet of Thiré, midway between the Loire valley and the Atlantic coast, you can join guests enjoying music and la vie douce “In the Gardens of William Christie.” The American-born harpsichordist and conductor, who spearheaded the revival of French Baroque repertoire, has been creating a dream landscape on the grounds of a 16th-century chateau he acquired some 30 years ago. In 2012 he opened his property for performances by the musicians of Les Arts Florissants, along with ensemble interns and students from the Juilliard School as well as the art of of the garden. Informal open-air concerts take place afternoons throughout the property (no chairs, the audience stands or sits on the grass), along with guided tours of the gardens. Evenings there are candlelight concerts by the reflecting pool, followed by a short walk to the Thiré village church for a 30-minute musical meditation to end the evening in peaceful contemplation. For the second year, winners of a competition for young landscape designers will construct a temporary performance space on the grounds. Unlike the intense and glitzy festival scenes at Salzburg or Bayreuth, Christie’s week invokes more Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, an experience of nature enhanced by the gardener’s art, by exquisite music, and by their enjoyment in good company. It’s akin to the original delights of Versailles, smaller in scale but more relaxed and inclusive. And isn’t that the most restorative kind of vacation?

Aug. 29 – Sept. 5: Full details

For outdoor scenery, Banff, Alberta, can’t be beat. Located within a large national park, the town is surrounded by the spectacular Canadian Rockies. Not surprisingly, it’s a popular destination for outdoor sports, year round. The town is also home to the triennial Banff International String Quartet Competition. Strictly speaking, the BISQC isn’t a music festival; like most music competitions, its core purpose is to compare, judge, and reward upcoming musicians through prizes awarded by a jury of experts. But the competition doesn’t just attract some of the best young quartets in the world. It has also become a destination for chamber-music enthusiasts. Indeed, the audience is an intrinsic aspect of the BISQC. There aren’t many string quartet competitions in the world, and the BISQC is one of the most prominent, with a good track record of picking young ensembles that go on to impressive careers. Since 1983, winners have included the Miró Quartet, the St. Lawrence Quartet, and the Jupiter Quartet. At the last BISQC, in 2013, the Dover Quartet became the first ensemble to make a clean sweep of the prizes. This year’s competing quartettistes come from the USA, the UK, Japan, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Canada. The 2016 competition takes place from August 29 to September 5, and attendees can purchase a “passport” for the full week or just for the final weekend. Packages include tickets to all events – lectures, concerts, and competition rounds – along with meals and accommodation at the Banff Centre (in a respectable on-campus hotel facility, atop Tunnel Mountain). There’s also a final weekend accommodation package and tickets for individual events.