V‹nsk‹ also leads a program of Ravel favorites, Visconti's Black Bend and the U.S. premiere of Haydn's Concerto for Two Pianos with Amy and Sara Hamann as soloists, plus a jazz concert with trumpeter Charles Lazarus. The maestro will also pick up his clarinet and play chamber music, including Crusell's Clarinet Quartet and Brahms's Clarinet Quintet, with members of the orchestra.
Artistic director Andrew Litton celebrates his fifth season at the helm of Sommerfest, conducting Watts in Grieg's Piano Concerto, Leila Josefowicz in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, and Daniel M‹ller-Schott in Dvoršk's Cello Concerto. He also conducts a program of Strauss walzes and Bottesini's Grand Duo for Violin and Bass. Litton will play an instrument in concert as well, sitting down to the keyboard for Elgar's Piano Quintet.
Sommerfest's jazz highlights include trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis leading an all-star lineup in salutes to Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Special presentations include Anonymous 4 performing works from their album American Angels with fiddler Darol Anger and guitarist Scott Nygaard.
Sommerfest closes on August 4 with a semi-staged production of Puccini's La Bohme, conducted by Litton and starring Maureen O'Flynn as MimÐ and James Valenti as Rodolfo.
