lakemusic festival begins august 22

Now in its fourth season, the Canandaigua LakeMusic Festival concerts begin on Friday, August 22nd. The Zion Fellowship venue on Bristol Street is superb - comfortable seating, air conditioning and excellent acoustics. There is a feeling of intimacy between the artists and the audience, as if the concert is being played in someone's living room. And the artists are some of the best in their field.

Larry and I had the pleasure of hearing Jon Nakamatsu play "All Gershwin" with the RPO at the Eastman Theater this spring. We were able to get last-minute tickets in the second row, just left of center. It was almost as if we were sitting right next to Jon, watching his hands fly across the keyboard. His technical skill and emotional passion for the music combined into a performance that we will remember for a long time to come...and now we get to hear and see him play again in Canandaigua.

Another of our favorites is Juliana Athayde, concertmaster of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. A highly skilled musician, Juliana is equally at home playing with the full orchestra or with only two or three other musicians. She can also do a spot-on impersonation of Christopher Seaman, the RPO's British conductor. Juliana has a zest for life that comes through to her audience and it is a pleasure to see her perform.

Jon, Juliana, co-Artistic Directors of the festival, Edward Klorman and Amy Sue Barston and other talented musicians will bring traditional, contemporary and even improvised music to their Canandaigua audiences. Check out the festival website for the performance schedule and for ticket information. We'll see you there!