Welcome to the 2021 Digital Program Book! This is your guide to the exciting concerts, seminars, and special events that we present from July 7 through August 1. This summer, the Digital Program Book will be updated as the Festival progresses and you are welcome to flip through on your device or print a copy to keep with you! We are very pleased to offer countless live events through a Festival that maximizes your experience and your safety! Download our mobile app! Just go to your phone’s app store, search for “Wintergreen Music” or “WM On the Move,” and you’ll have instant access to the entire schedule of events. Remember – once you’ve downloaded the app, you don’t need internet service to access all of its helpful information. Welcome! Dear Friends, Welcome at long last to the 2021 Summer Music Festival! What a treat it is to be able to write those words. To say that it’s been a long and interesting road since our last in-person Music Festival would be an understatement. This has been a challenging year for everyone. Wintergreen Music is no exception. That we have emerged “on the other side” of the worst of COVID (though I realize the pandemic is not yet over) is a testament to the efforts of many. It was not a foregone conclusion that we would be a strong and vibrant organization post-pandemic. First and foremost, we could not have finer leaders of this organization than Erin Freeman and Julianne Akins Smith. We are all so fortunate that they were at the helm of this organization this past year. Last Spring they immediately pivoted from planning a traditional Festival and Academy to conceiving of and then producing amazing and creative virtual offerings. Their efforts inspired and lifted the Wintergreen Music community during a very difficult time. And then these past six months they have labored mightily to produce this summer’s Festival without really knowing if we would even be able to stage a live Festival, and if so, under what parameters and restrictions. Throughout this entire year-plus, Erin and Julianne have remained upbeat, steadfast, resilient, nimble, resourceful, and creative. Over the years, Erin and Julianne have also assembled a first-rate support team, and every single team member rose to the occasion. Our Board of Directors offered critically needed guidance and support throughout this past year. As always, we enjoyed a strong partnership with Wintergreen Resort over the past year. That partnership has never been stronger. Finally, all of you – our patrons and donors – rallied to support Wintergreen Music by attending our virtual programs and providing critically needed financial support. So please join me in thanking all who carried us through. Looking ahead, I hope you enjoy this wonderful month of music, learning, and community in the Blue Ridge Mountains. And please, if you like what we are doing and want to help assure that this organization remains in strong shape, please give generously to Wintergreen Music. Ticket sales pay only a fraction of our costs. Thank you. Sincerely, Peter Winik President & Board Chair Welcome! Dear Wintergreen Music Community, We are here! I’ll be honest, as I’m writing this letter of welcome, I’m getting a bit emotional. I’m thinking back to 2018, when we performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for a packed tent, or 2019 when we crammed into the Dunlop to hear Joseph Conyers and the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra amaze us with the music of Tan Dun. I’m also remembering last summer, when thousands of us met online to learn about music history, celebrate the connection of wine and music, and enjoy multiple digital and pop-up performances. I’m recalling the hundreds of kind emails, phone calls, and snail-mail letters from you, sending love and encouragement. And, I’m thinking of the determination and fortitude of our musicians and staff who figured out how to keep the music going, how to embrace our community in a different way, and how to make sure that Wintergreen Music, alive for 25 years stays alive for another 25 (and more!). And now, we are gathering in person! To make music – with people and for people. What a joy! This year, we have an inspiring Festival planned for you, featuring our incredible Festival Artists. The music is uplifting, whimsical, sentimental, and at times funny! We have a new version of Charlie Chaplin’s hilarious The Tramp, we’ll present Mendelssohn’s youthful and impressive Octet, we’ll perform music by Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Stacy Garrop, and we’ll conclude with a fiery, festive, and soul-filled orchestral finale! And, we’ll have a few surprises from musicians who weren’t able to join us in person this summer. It will be full and magical! In other news, this year we took the time to take care of some important institutional structures. One of the most impactful projects we undertook was our work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and awareness, which we’re shortening to DEIA. As an institution that fosters a welcoming and excellent environment, it was important to us that we clarify our commitment to DEIA and act on it! We created a task force to define our efforts and create a list of trackable initiatives. Some basic information is on our website, but I’m pleased to tell you that we have already addressed several of the points, including training, investing in a library of music by under-represented composers, and connecting with multiple organizations who support inclusive efforts in the performing arts. Last year, when we pivoted online, I spoke of the silver lining we had discovered during the pandemic: YOU – our community of patrons, musicians, donors, students, alumni, friends, and volunteers. That silver lining became a lifeline for me, for our artists and staff, and for our organization, and now that lifeline is the road that leads to our 2021 Festival, filled with incredible live, in-person performances, seminars, and celebrations. I’m filled with gratitude for all of you and for the music we are about to hear! Sincerely, Erin Freeman Artistic Director Welcome! Dear Wintergreen Music Community, As I sat down to write this letter, I realized that I have yet to meet so many of you – the wonderful people that make Wintergreen Music such a warm and welcoming community. Since I started the position of Academy Manager in January of 2020, my communications have been entirely virtual. While the last 15 months have driven us all to a place surrounded by “Zoom fatigue”, I would like to take a moment to share all of the unexpected opportunities it has provided. Reinventing the wheel comes with its challenges, but oftentimes that reinvention leads to fresh ideas with a clearer vision of purpose. In 2020, we quickly pivoted to offer virtual private lessons, masterclasses and special interest sessions to stay connected while physically apart. We showed up for one another (with a smile!), supported one another, and helped each other to navigate the new virtual landscape we found ourselves in. When planning for summer 2021, we knew that we would again be faced with the challenges of a global pandemic. In order to keep our students safe and given the information we had earlier this year, we made the decision to move the bulk of the 2021 Academy to a virtual platform. We wanted to provide a curriculum unlike students’ collegiate courses, with an eye toward open conversation and collaboration. Therefore, we reached out to students this spring to ask how we could learn, experience and grow in the face of a new hybrid landscape. We listened, and together with the support of our staff, faculty and board, introduced the 2021 Wintergreen Music Academy: Embracing the Virtual Landscape. This summer, we offer programs in String and Wind Chamber Music, Voice, Collaborative Piano, Composition, Conducting, and Arts Administration. Most programs have their own week devoted to discipline-specific content such as technique classes, masterclasses, private instruction and special interest sessions, all with an emphasis on leadership. We are introducing crossover weeks in which students from all programs attend masterclasses, build a portfolio appropriate for their discipline, and participate in the guided creation of a flexible project that defines the future of our industry. While participation levels in our wind and string programs were not as we hoped, those students who were accepted have chosen to join us with a collaborative spirit and participate in our crossover weeks. In many ways, this virtual Wintergreen Music Academy is as inspiring as pre-pandemic summers: it is a high level, focused training experience. In others, students will be equipped to build upon the entrepreneurial spirit of the virtual landscape, even once live music-making resumes. Shifting to a virtual platform has offered increased flexibility and the capability to accommodate multiple time zones. As a result, students have more opportunities to collaborate with fellow musicians from around the world. I am so excited to embark on this hybrid journey – to stay connected virtually with our students around the globe and to meet many of you in person. Cheers to an unforgettable summer! Sincerely, Corinne Horvath Academy Manager Welcome! Dear Wintergreen Music Guests, I can hardly believe we are back in person, filling the mountain and the valley with live music and the community connections we have missed so very much! Like many organizations, we have been through a challenging year. But thanks to our incredibly supportive board, our talented and creative musicians, our hardworking and innovative staff, and you – the patrons and donors who have brought us to this point – we are able to gather as a community once more.