Birch Creek Announces 2024 Season Concerts
EGG HARBOR, Wis. (March 1, 2024) – Birch Creek Music Performance Center is thrilled to present the highly anticipated 2024 summer concert season, featuring captivating performances by advanced student musicians and world-class faculty performing artists who study and teach by day and perform at night in the historic Dutton Concert Barn. Secure your tickets now at BirchCreek.org/Tickets and immerse yourself in the world of music at the picturesque Birch Creek campus, just three miles east of Egg Harbor.
Opening night takes place on Thursday, June 20. The inaugural performance promises a spectacular Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music concert titled "Percussion at the Disco: I Just Want to Celebrate the 70s!". Following this, from June 21 to June 29, six more Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music concerts await, highlighting the talents of faculty percussionists and students. Program Director Dan Moore, Professor of Music and Director of Percussion at the University of Iowa, will lead these performances.
The Percussion series at Birch Creek offers a diverse range of styles, featuring Caribbean grooves with Scott McConnell, Chicago Youth Symphony Percussion Director, as well as percussive jazz, authentic world music, original compositions, and more. Anthony Di Sanza, a highly acclaimed performer and educator from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will guide concertgoers through the vibrant sounds of Brazil, Cuba, and the Middle East. Notably, renowned steelpan virtuoso Victor Provost, hailing from St. John, US Virgin Islands, is set to be the Special Guest Artist. With a dazzling improvisational style, he is recognized globally for seamlessly blending Bebop, contemporary flair, and Caribbean roots. Having collaborated with jazz luminaries like Wynton Marsalis and Paquito D’Rivera, he is a rarity in the jazz ecosystem, as noted by Downbeat Magazine and the NY Times.
Symphony session concerts, featuring an 85+ piece full symphony orchestra led by Program Director Ricardo Castañeda, Principal Oboist of Lake Forest Symphony and Chicago Sinfonietta, along with Conductor Taka Matsunaga, will take place July 4-6, and July 11-13. 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 emotive melodies of Bernstein and Gershwin to the intricate harmonies of Rachmaninoff, Verdi, Beethoven, and more, the performances are set to enthrall classical and contemporary orchestral enthusiasts alike. The July 5 concert will feature the talented winners of Birch Creek’s annual Clampitt Concerto Competition, returning to display their exceptional musical prowess. Additionally, distinguished faculty soloists Jodie DeSalvo, piano, will fascinate audiences with Gershwin’s "Piano Concerto in F” on July 6, while Elizabeth York, violin, will play Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending” on July 12. This summer, “A Birch Creek Symphonic Fourth” will take place on Thursday, 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 17-20, July 24-27, July 31-August 3, and August 7-10. 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 showcase internationally acclaimed musicians and faculty performers from across the country delivering the best and most authentic big band jazz experience. Over 16 nights, Birch Creek will transport concertgoers back to the golden age of jazz, featuring the timeless sounds of legends such as Ellington, Basie, Miller, and more.
Audiences can expect to be swept away by the talented musicians, who will bring popular and newly found pieces in the Blues, Swing, and The American Songbook genre to life. Immerse yourself in the captivating sounds of horns, the rhythmic beats of the drums, and the soulful melodies of the trumpet, promising an evening of swinging, swaying, and pure musical delight. Students will be featured in pre-concert combo performances and big band numbers.
Afternoon matinee concerts are held on Saturday, June 22 and Friday, June 28 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 as follows: $33 for adults, $10 for students, and $6 for children. Premium seating is available for $40. Take advantage of our "3/4 Time" promotion – purchase three concert tickets and receive a fourth ticket free. Group rates are available for parties of 10 or more. 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.