Birch Creek 2023 Season Concert Announcement
EGG HARBOR, Wis. – Birch Creek Music Performance Center is excited to present the 2023 season of summer concerts, with tickets on sale now at BirchCreek.org/Tickets. All concerts will take place inside the Dutton Concert Barn at the beautiful Birch Creek campus three miles east of Egg Harbor.
Opening night will take place on Thursday, June 22 with a Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music concert, “Percussion at the Movies.” Six more Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music concerts will follow on June 23-24 and June 29-July 1, showcasing performances by faculty percussionists and students led by Program Director Dan Moore, Professor of Music and Director of Percussion at the University of Iowa. Birch Creek’s Percussion performances feature a diverse range of styles from Caribbean grooves with internationally known Steel Pan virtuoso Liam Teague, Professor of Music and Head of Steelpan Studies at Northern Illinois University, to percussive jazz, authentic world music, original compositions, and more. Highly acclaimed performer and educator Anthony Di Sanza, Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and known for his expertise in contemporary classical and world percussion, invites concertgoers on a journey through the vibrant and diverse sounds of Brazil, Cuba and the Middle East. On Friday, June 30 and Saturday, July 1, Birch Creek welcomes Swedish mallet percussionist and composer, Anders Åstrand. Åstrand is one of Europe’s top musicians who performs his unique musical stylings throughout the world.
Symphony session concerts, featuring an 80+ piece full symphony orchestra under Program Director Ricardo Castañeda, Principal Oboist, Lake Forest Symphony and Chicago Sinfonietta; with Conductor Taka Matsunaga, will take place July 4, 6-8, and July 13-15. Get ready to experience a breathtaking musical journey as our symphony orchestra brings together the works of some of the most celebrated composers of all time. From the stirring melodies of Wagner and Respighi to the intricate harmonies of Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Dvorak, and many others, the music will captivate classical and contemporary orchestral enthusiasts alike. The winners of Birch Creek’s annual Clampitt Concerto Competition return to perform for the July 6 concert. Faculty soloists Alan Snow, violin, will perform Piazzolla’s “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” on July 13 and Jeremy Attanaseo, string bass, will perform Koussevitzky’s “Bass Concerto” on July 14. Special events include Birch Creek’s annual Fourth of July concert with patriotic music and classical favorites. This summer, “A Birch Creek Symphonic Fourth” will take place on Tuesday, July 4 at 3:00 PM.
The powerful and mesmerizing sounds of Big Band Jazz classics will be performed in concert during two sessions from July 19-22, July 26-29, August 2-5, and August 9-12. Program Director Jeff Campbell, Professor and Chair of Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and the Birch Creek Jazz Faculty Orchestras, bring their chemistry, charisma, and exceptional musicianship to Birch Creek audiences. Performances feature internationally acclaimed musicians and faculty performers from across the country playing the best, most authentic big band Jazz around. Birch Creek offers sixteen nights of big band Jazz performances that will transport concertgoers back to the golden age of Jazz, with the sounds of the greats like Ellington, Basie, Miller and more. Talented musicians will showcase the best of Blues, Swing, and The American Songbook. Get ready to swing, sway and be mesmerized by the sound of the horns, the rhythm of the drums and the soulful melody of the trumpet. Students will be featured in pre-concert combo performances and big band numbers.
Afternoon matinee concerts are held on Saturday, June 24 and Thursday, June 29 at 3:00 PM. All evening concerts begin inside the Dutton Concert Barn at 7:00 PM with pre-concert music from the Kane Gazebo at 6:30 PM unless otherwise noted. Ticket Prices are $32 adults, $10 students, and $6 children, with premium seating available for $38. “3/4 Time” promotion—buy three concert tickets and get a fourth ticket free. Group rates available for parties of 10 or more. Student prelude music is held 30 minutes before every performance in the courtyard’s Kane Gazebo. For a full concert schedule and online ticket purchases, visit BirchCreek.org/Tickets. Tickets can also be ordered by calling the box office at 920-868-3763, between Monday–Thursday, 9 AM – 4 PM, and Friday, 9 AM – 2 PM.
Birch Creek Music Performance Center celebrates its 48th year as Door County’s Residential Summer Music Academy in Egg Harbor, WI, for advanced student musicians. With a performance emphasis, students are taught by nationally known performers and educators during the day and perform alongside them in concerts at night. Four sessions focus on Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music; Symphony, and Big Band Jazz. Proceeds from all Birch Creek events and concerts provide support for Birch Creek students.
