Festival debuts in Sedona on Labor Day weekend

LEISAH NAMM
Assistant Editor

In addition to its vortexes and red rocks, a group of musicians wants Sedona to be recognized for its music.

The Red Rocks Music Festival premieres this Labor Day weekend, bringing professional musicians from around Arizona, as well as international guest artists, to Sedona for concerts and master classes.

Complementing the concert performances are programs designed to bring "the music to life," says Steve Wininger, vice president of the festival's board of directors.

For instance, violinist David Ehrlich of Virginia, formerly a concertmaster of the Tel Aviv Chamber Orchestra and the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, will narrate, explain and discuss the works performed at the Saturday evening chamber concert. Artistic director Shlomo Mintz will do the same at the Sunday morning family concert.

At Monday's master classes, five of "the finest students in the state on their way to become professionals" will perform for Mintz in front of an audience, says Moshe Bukshpan, festival executive director. Mintz, a world-renowned conductor and violinist, will offer the students constructive criticism from which members of the audience can learn.

"You can be sure my 8-year-old will be sitting there because she's taken three years of Suzuki and I want her to hear where she's going," says Wininger.

The Red Rocks Music Festival was conceived about a year and a half ago by Israel-born Phoenix violinist Bukshpan, who is also artistic director of the Mosaic Music Ensemble and works closely with Desert Chamber Musicians.

Initial planning started with discussions about a weeklong festival with daily classes and guest artists. "As we really started to get a business plan and to see what we could actually really do, it became tailored down to a three-day festival," Wininger says.

But an expanded festival is the goal. "This is the seed," he says. "We're envisioning something that's really going to grow into a major festival that will rival any of the major festivals that are on today."

The festival begins with a Saturday evening chamber music concert themed "Gypsy Spirit." The concert features three works that have "at least one movement to them that has a Gypsy-type melody and music," says Bukshpan.

Featured festival musicians include Ehrlich and Mintz, both fellow music students of Bukshpan's in Israel. Guest soloist is pianist Gustavo Romero. The chamber concert also features cellist Jan Simiz, violinist Magdalena Martinic-Jercic and violist Peter Rosato.

The Sunday morning family concert, a preview of the evening's gala concert, features a 56-piece orchestra - made up of Arizona musicians and New York clarinetist Guy Hadash, who used to play with the Israel Philharmonic.

The family and gala concerts take place in the outdoor Georgia Frontiere Arts Pavilion, under the stars and surrounded by the festival's namesake - the red rocks of Sedona.

The chamber music concert and master classes take place at West Sedona Elementary School.

The largest challenge of planning the festival was fund raising, Bukshpan says. "Being it's our first year, it's been a challenge," he says.

However, festival planners have received support from both the Phoenix and Sedona business communities, says Wininger. In addition, members of the Jewish Community of Sedona are hosting some of the musicians in their homes.

"Another challenge was being able to be flexible with the format," Wininger adds. "To go for something a little bit smaller so that we could at least plant a good solid foundation from which we could grow."

Details

Chamber Music Concert

8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, West Sedona Elementary School, 570 Posse Ground Road $20 adults, $10 children

Family Concert
10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 1 Sedona Cultural Park $8-$18 adults, $4-$9 children

Gala Concert
7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1, Sedona Cultural Park $18-$45 adults, $5-$45 children

Master classes
10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 2, West Sedona Elementary School, 570 Posse Ground Road $10 adults, $5 children

For tickets, call (800) 780-2787 or visit www.redrocksmusicfestival.com.

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