Bellingham Festival of Music
Encyclopedia
The Bellingham Festival of Music is a classical music festival held annually in Bellingham, Washington
, USA
, over several weeks during the summer. It was established in 1993, with American orchestral conductor Michael Palmer
as its artistic director
.
The festival's programming features orchestral and chamber music
concerts among its events, which over the years have been held at a handful of local venues including Western Washington University
, the Mount Baker Theatre
, McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon
, and the White Salmon Lodge on the slopes of nearby Mount Baker
.
The resident 40-member Bellingham Festival Orchestra is composed of musicians from major European and North American orchestras. There is also a Bellingham Festival Chorus which performs with the orchestra on occasion, composed of singers from surrounding Whatcom
, Snohomish
and Skagit
counties who are selected by audition each year.
In an article dated January 13, 2007 the Bellingham Herald reported that there would not be a festival in 2007 due to cash shortfalls, according to Festival officials. However, 9 months later, in an article published on October 17, 2007 the Herald reported that the Bellingham Festival of Music had successfully reorganized its fiscal affairs and that its concerts would take place again in July 2008, with its board of directors promising a leaner fiscal approach that would be less administratively top-heavy but would maintain high artistic quality, and that Michael Palmer
, one of the Festival's founders, would continue in his role as artistic director
.
The 2008 and 2009 Festivals were successful artistically and financially. The 2010 Festival was equally successful, according to Board Chair Mary Pat Thuma.
The 2011 Bellingham Festival of Music is scheduled to take place July 1 through 17, according to the Festival's website.
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, over several weeks during the summer. It was established in 1993, with American orchestral conductor Michael Palmer
Michael Palmer (conductor)
Michael Palmer is an American orchestral conductor. Since 1993 he has served as Artistic Director of the annual Bellingham Festival of Music...
as its artistic director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
.
The festival's programming features orchestral and chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
concerts among its events, which over the years have been held at a handful of local venues including Western Washington University
Western Washington University
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...
, the Mount Baker Theatre
Mount Baker Theatre
The Mount Baker Theatre is a 1,509-seat performing arts venue and national historic landmark in Bellingham, Washington. The theater hosts professional productions and concerts as well as community performances from the north of Puget Sound...
, McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Washington
Mount Vernon is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,743 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the county seat of Skagit County...
, and the White Salmon Lodge on the slopes of nearby Mount Baker
Mount Baker
Mount Baker , also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. It is the second-most active volcano in the range after Mount Saint Helens...
.
The resident 40-member Bellingham Festival Orchestra is composed of musicians from major European and North American orchestras. There is also a Bellingham Festival Chorus which performs with the orchestra on occasion, composed of singers from surrounding Whatcom
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...
, Snohomish
Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
and Skagit
Skagit County, Washington
Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Skagit Indian tribe. As of 2010, the population was 116,901. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
counties who are selected by audition each year.
In an article dated January 13, 2007 the Bellingham Herald reported that there would not be a festival in 2007 due to cash shortfalls, according to Festival officials. However, 9 months later, in an article published on October 17, 2007 the Herald reported that the Bellingham Festival of Music had successfully reorganized its fiscal affairs and that its concerts would take place again in July 2008, with its board of directors promising a leaner fiscal approach that would be less administratively top-heavy but would maintain high artistic quality, and that Michael Palmer
Michael Palmer (conductor)
Michael Palmer is an American orchestral conductor. Since 1993 he has served as Artistic Director of the annual Bellingham Festival of Music...
, one of the Festival's founders, would continue in his role as artistic director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
.
The 2008 and 2009 Festivals were successful artistically and financially. The 2010 Festival was equally successful, according to Board Chair Mary Pat Thuma.
The 2011 Bellingham Festival of Music is scheduled to take place July 1 through 17, according to the Festival's website.