One important fact was left out of your wonderful Lagniappe article on the eighth annual Crescent City Chamber Music Festival: The unique feature of the CCCMF compared to the other high-quality chamber music performances in New Orleans is its extraordinary community outreach schedule between its concerts. This year the festival presented over 30 such performances in schools, nursing homes, hospitals, etc.
I will never forget how touched I was by one of these outreach performances at Poydras Home, where my mother resided several years ago. She loved the music, as did I, and I was very impressed by the heartfelt enthusiasm of the young artists. The festival’s director, Luke Fleming, told me he specifically chooses musicians for the CCCMF — both local and from out of town — for their dedication to such performances on top of this active public concert schedule.
The opening concert, an inventive and energetic pairing of Vivaldi’s and Astor Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons,” was a knockout performance! I feel as if I never really understood that familiar Vivaldi work before — and the Piazzolla added to the fun.
Good jazz features virtuoso performers on each of their instruments, able to shine in solos as well as play tightly together. This is the essence of good chamber music, too. And in October every year, during the annual Crescent City Chamber Music Festival as well as with other excellent chamber music performances, New Orleans is a great place to hear chamber music at its best.
JULIANNE NICE
New Orleans
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Written by: Soft FM Radio Staff
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