Look forward to another summer of beautiful music in beautiful spaces with the upcoming Rural Musicians Forum concert series. From amazing percussion to gorgeous chamber music, on to cool jazz, lilting Irish folk, and hot Brazilian beats, this promises to be a season you won’t want to miss. Concerts will be held in three different and wonderful Spring Green area venues this year: Frank Lloyd Wright’s acoustically perfect Hillside Theater, the simple but elegant Lloyd-Jones family Unity Chapel, and the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center.
The season opens June 18 at Hillside Theater with the awesome percussionist Matthew Coley accompanied by the Heartland Marimba Ensemble. Matthew is master of hammered cimbalom/dulcimer, and as Linda Shapiro from Chicago Press Review states, he “rips across the strings of the hammered dulcimer with abandon bordering on delirium!” There will also be a guest appearance by singer Meredith Anding, the winner of last year’s RMF high school music award.
The July 2 concert will be held at Unity Chapel with the delightful New Muse Chamber Music Ensemble. This group of young professionals is known for performing music celebrating both the past and present, and the RMF concert will include a world premiere of a commissioned work.
Back to Hillside Theater for the July 16 concert featuring the Ben Ferris Jazz Trio. Ben is a well-known bassist on the Madison and Midwest jazz scene and will be performing with his group plus special guests. Expect to enjoy both standards and original jazz works at this inspiring concert.
On July 30 at Unity Chapel we will be treated to the traditional Irish music of Shannon and Matt Heaton. Boston-based musicians with Irish roots and ties to Wisconsin, Shannon and Matt create an intimate and heartwarming experience with rich instrumentation and Shannon’s gorgeous lilting voice.
The Ancora String Quartet will return to RMF with the Aug. 13 concert at Unity Chapel. This acclaimed and well-established Madison-based ensemble of fine professional musicians brings beloved classical string quartet literature to vibrant life.
Lastly, the spectacular season finale on Sept. 2 will be the “get up and dance” inspiring Brazilian Grupo Balança. Performing in the playful and danceable Samba de Pagode style popularized in Rio, this is a party you won’t want to miss. The outdoor fun-filled evening will be held at the Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center and will include a mouth-watering unique Brazilian supper.
All concerts will be at 7:30 p.m. The June, July and August concerts will be free-will donation. The Sept. 2 Grupo Balança concert will be a ticketed event.
For ticket information, venue addresses and additional information, see RuralMusiciansForum.org.