Galaxy of internationally acclaimed stars will perform at Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival

Galaxy of internationally acclaimed stars will perform at Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival

FERNANDINA BEACH, FL - Internationally acclaimed violinist Robert McDuffie will kick off the 2008 season of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival May 30, and a grand gala 

Robert McDuffie

featuring the renowned American String Quartet will bring the Festival to a resounding conclusion on June 15 at the Ritz Carlton-Amelia Island. In between, area residents and visitors will delight to the music of such Amelia Island favorites as cellist Lynn Harrell, pianist Valentina Lisista and violinist Jennifer Koh.

Christopher Rex, the Festival’s general and artistic director, said, "This promises to be our finest season yet. The musical stars at our upcoming festival also include acknowledged masters like violinist Rachel Barton Pine and piano virtuosos Claude Frank and Andreas Haefliger. The 2008 Festival also will mark one of the last times you will be able to hear the Guarneri String Quartet, one of the world’s greatest chamber ensembles that will retire after the 2008-2009 season. These and other world-class musicians will perform American, Russian, German, Czech and French music in a wide range of styles, from Classical, Romantic and Modern to light and just plain fun."

He added, "Our line-up of musical greats clearly demonstrates that music lovers need not travel to Europe, New York, Chicago or Los Angeles to hear classical music at the very highest level. All of this wonderful music can be enjoyed here on Amelia Island at a variety of beautiful and intimate settings, including churches, the historic Nassau County Courthouse, the Amelia Island Plantation and the Ritz Carlton. We have even scheduled a performance at historic St. Andrew’s Church in downtown Jacksonville."

Early ticket sales indicate that the Palace concerts, the Guarneri String Quartet concert and the Rachel Barton Pine concert at St. Peter's, Bobbie McDuffie at Prince of Peace and Jon Kimura Parker at the Amelia Plantation Chapel might sell out.

The Festival strives to meet a wide range of musical tastes, including: traditional chamber music string quartets and composers such as Haydn and Mozart; chamber music ensembles, including voice, guitar and wind instruments and composers such as Schoenberg and Stravinsky; and more modern and non-traditional chamber music that explores ethnic and folk traditions as well as twentieth century composers and arrangers.

Tickets can be purchased via credit card on-line at the Festival’s website www.aicmf.com, or by calling the Festival office at 904/261-1779. Ticket prices range from $5 to $50. In addition, two free concerts are scheduled, including Chamber Music in the Park on June 1 in Fernandina Beach’s downtown Central Park. A detailed program, biographies of featured artists and on-line ticket purchasing are available on the Festival’s website.