Staunton, Virginia is quickly garnering attention as a performing arts and cultural hot spot, and here are two more reasons why: Heifietz International Music Institute and Staunton Music Festival.
Cellist Ralph Kirshbaum. Heifetz International Music Institute.
Heifetz International Music Institute is a unique program found only in Virginia. The Institute brings 62 advanced students of the violin, viola and cello to Staunton for six weeks of intensive lessons, practicing and performances. The students learn from the best musicians from around the world, including founder Daniel Heifetz, who converge on Staunton to share their skills and perform as well.
Music lovers can enjoy student performances at the free Stars of Tomorrow Concerts. Take your seat at Mary Baldwin College’s Francis Auditorium July 28 at 3 p.m., August 1 at 7:30 p.m., August 4 at 3 p.m. or August 8 at 7:30 p.m.
In addition, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library will host free lunchtime concerts. Bring your lunch and listen to performances July 30 and August 6 at noon.
Finally, the world-renowned faculty of the Heifetz Institute take the stage August 2 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse, bringing Carnegie Hall to Staunton. Tickets are $25/adult and $20/senior and student. Buy Tickets
Staunton Music Festival Artistic Director Carsten Schmidt conducting Handel's Semele at Blackfriars Playhouse in 2007. Photo by Tommy Thompson.
When Heifetz wraps up, the Staunton Music Festival kicks off its 15th year, beginning August 17 and running through August 25. It’s a nine-day celebration of chamber music performed by 50 world-class performers in intimate settings — just the way chamber music was written to heard. Festival goers can expect works by the master composers, lesser known composers and perhaps new, challenging pieces.
Special Events:
- August 17: Gala Dinner and Concert at the President’s House on Mary Baldwin Campus. $75 per seat.
Buy Tickets - August 18: A Day in Staunton: Free Concert, Shakespeare Performance, Evening Concert at Trinity Episcopal Church
- August 25 Finale: Versailles at Blackfriars. $26/adult, $22/senior, $10/student. Buy Tickets
- See the Schedule | Buy Tickets
Visitors to Staunton will quickly see why the National Trust for Historic Preservation named it “One of a Dozen Distinctive Destinations in the United States”. Plan your trip:
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