Staunton Music Foundation To Hold McDowell Concert

In a press release on April 27th, the Staunton Music Festival announced that on May 6th at 7:00 pm, three professional musicians featured at the annual Festival will perform a free chamber-music concert at McDowell Presbyterian Church. Violinist Fiona Hughes, cellist James Wilson and harpsichordist Carsten Schmidt will present a one-hour program of mainly Baroque works—with a touch of something more contemporary. All three performers are acclaimed experts in historical performance traditions. McDowell Presbyterian was chosen for its superior acoustics, intimacy, and historic significance. SMF musicians have performed at McDowell for several seasons, and the venue is ideally suited to 17th- and 18th-century chamber music.

The concert, offered as part of the Staunton Music Festival’s Outreach Concert Series, is supported in part by a Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. It is one of the Festival’s efforts to bring world-class music to remote and underserved populations. The event is free and open to all; donations will be accepted. A reception will take place immediately following the concert.

According to the press release, the Staunton Music Festival’s mission is to offer exceptional chamber music performed by international caliber musicians at historic venues throughout Staunton in a way that is accessible to all. Concert programs are innovative and seek a balance between old and new music. SMF musicians include local, national, and international artists, many of whom are acclaimed for their knowledge of historical performance traditions. “We believe in the power of live classical music to transform the region and all of its residents.”