Belleayre Summer Music Festival Press Page

Press Contact:

Brian Sweeney,
Locust Grove Enterprises
Phone: (845) 586-4655
Fax: (845) 586-4460
E-mail: locustgrove@catskill.net

Belleayre Music Festival
Highmount Road, Box 198
Highmount, NY 12441
(800) 942-6904
www.belleayremusic.org

2008 PRESS RELEASES:

2008 Concerts

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July 5

Belleayre Festival Orchestra

concert page: plus special guest
Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan
with Fireworks

artist website: www.ronantynan.net

The BFO welcomes Ronan Tynan a true modern day “Renaissance Man:” A world renowned singer, a Physician and a Paralympic athlete who has amassed eighteen gold medals and fourteen world records. As a member of the Three Irish Tenors, Tynan quickly became known for his unique voice and irresistible appeal.

Ronan, as part of our annual Independence Day Concert, will solo with the Belleayre Festival Orchestra under the direction of Maestro John Covelli. His renditions of traditional vocal classics, Irish melodies, Broadway and Pop favorites will highlight the evening.

N.Y. Yankee fans will recognize Ronan as the voice of “God Bless America,” sung during the seventh-inning stretch at Yankee Stadium and we all remember his soaring voice at the 9/11 tributes at Ground Zero.

The evening will conclude with a gala fireworks display.

This concert was made possible in part by a generous grant from the Kathleen and Edward J. Scheider Foundation

Ronan Tynan sings God Bless America

July 12

BRIAN WILSON

concert page: Beach Boys Founder

artist website: www.brianwilson.com

Brian Wilson is one of rock’s most deeply revered figures, a writer, producer, arranger and performer of some of the most cherished music in rock history. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to call Brian Wilson one of the most influential pop composers and performers of the last 50 years.

During his illustrious career with The Beach Boys, he penned hits such as “Surfin’ USA,” “I Get Around,” “Fun, Fun Fun,” and his frequently hailed best single of all time, “Good Vibrations.” His legendary Pet Sounds album was acclaimed as one of the most influential recordings in the history of rock-n-roll.

Music critics and fans alike agree that Brian Wilson has truly cast an indelible mark on the rock music scene. Don’t miss this historic event.

July 18

John Covelli Unplugged

concert page: John Covelli Unplugged

artist website: www.johncovelli.com

From the podium to the piano, Belleayre’s favorite Maestro, John Covelli, exchanges the baton for 88 keys to perform an exciting solo concert evening of “Beethoven to the Blues.”

“John Covelli Unplugged” presents a special spectrum of piano classics: from the monumental intensity of Beethoven; the glorious romance and drama of Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff; to a swinging finale of Gershwin’s original piano version of “Rhapsody in Blue.”

Whether maestro of an orchestra or master of the keyboard, a John Covelli concert inspires standing ovations and rave reviews: As one critic said simply: “Covelli is the Best!”

July 19

The Bacon Brothers Band

concert page: featuring Bacon Brothers

artist website: www.baconbros.com

Perhaps no other band has gotten more mileage out of the element of surprise than the Bacon Brothers.

Kevin Bacon is well known in the acting world, but he is equally dedicated to his musical craft. What most people don’t realize is that guitarist/vocalist Kevin and his older brother Michael are lifelong musicians, which is part of the reason why they’ve become so good at turning heads and tweaking ears, harvesting an ever-growing fan-base along the way.

Long before Kevin became a household name with such hit films as Mystic River, Footloose and A Few Good Men, he was writing songs on his own and playing percussion in Philadelphia coffeehouses with his brother and other groups.

At each tour stop, the Bacon Brothers prove that they are a group of guys who can really play and actually tear it up!

July 25

The Post-Neo Trio

concert page: Featuring Belleayre's own Justin Kolb with Abby Newton and Mikhail Horowitz

artist website: www.justinkolb.com

Belleayre’s own Justin Kolb has invited two close friends and collaborators, Mikhail Horowitz and Abby Newton, for his eighth appearance at the summer festival. The Post-Neo Trio’s stunning first performance in 2000 at the Woodstock Guild’s Kleinert-James Arts Center made sparkling use of each of its members’ special gifts. Kolb is acclaimed internationally as a piano virtuoso; Horowitz, an audience favorite, is a provocative poet and performance artist; and Newton enjoys a stellar career as a Celtic and symphonic cellist.

July 26

Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith)

concert page: Broadway’s star of “Chicago”

artist website:

Bebe Neuwirth is among a handful of actors/singers who has achieved smashing success on the Broadway stage and on television. Her concert appearances for which she has received rave reviews are legendary.

Bebe made her Broadway debut in the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line in 1980. She has been featured in revivals of Damn Yankees and Sweet Charity, for which she received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Bebe then originated the starring role of Velma Kelly in the Tony Award-winning musical, Chicago, for which she received a best actress Tony as well as the NY Drama Critics Award.

Bebe may be best known for her work on television, where she had a recurring role as Dr. Lilith Sternin, the conservatively dressed and emotionally repressed psychiatrist who married Dr. Frasier Crane on the hit comedy series Cheers and Frasier. She won two Emmy Awards for the role.

August 2

Belleayre Festival Opera

concert page: 10th Anniversary Gala
Donald Westwood, Producer & Stage Director
Community Chorale of the Catskills,
Richard Tucker, Director
Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci”
Preceded by Famous Opera Choruses

artist website: www.operamgt.com

A company of sixty performers and musicians, including stars of the New York City Opera and other international companies, performs this all-new staging of Leoncavallo’s most famous and popular work in the original Italian with simultaneous translation via SuperTitles. The story, set in Southern Italy, is based on actual events. With music and libretto by the composer, Pagliacci (Clowns) is a music drama of jealousy and murder that might have been ripped from today’s headlines.

The musical centerpiece of Pagliacci is Canio’s “Vesti la giubba,” the world’s most famous operatic aria, and the opera’s Prologue is an audience favorite worldwide.

In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Belleayre Festival Opera, the Community Chorale of the Catskills will join the company to perform great opera choruses from the past decade.

August 3

Children's Opera Theatre

concert page: Children’s Opera Theater - FREE
“Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
Donald Westwood, Artistic Director

artist website: www.operamgt.com

Will the mystery of the missing porridge be solved? We all know it will. But that’s just the beginning of the adventure when Goldilocks meets Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Bubba Bear at their Catskill’s woodland vacation retreat.

Famous operatic music by composers such as Mozart, Rossini, and Verdi, plus a new script and lyrics by Donald Westwood, draws the young audience into the action. Children ages three to ten will delight in this new interactive introduction to opera.

The Belleayre opera programs are made possible in part by a generous grant from the Eleanor Naylor Dana Charitable Trust

August 8

KJ Denhert Quintet
Brilliant Songstress

concert page: Belleayre Jazz Club

artist website: www.motema.com

KJ Denhert is a unique jazz artist. Her eclectic yet unified performances reach out to many different types of audiences. “With a girl like me, you know you won’t get bored,” sings KJ Denhert on the title track of her CD, Girl Like Me. Those who have experienced KJ live would certainly agree. Her sense of joy onstage is infectious, bringing honesty and charisma to her talents as a songwriter, singer and guitarist.

KJ calls her music Urban Folk and Jazz, though it is rooted in Funk and R & B. “The jazz,” she explains, “comes from my guitar, the urban reflects my growing up in NYC and it puts the pulse in my tempos.”

KJ is the “midnight jazz voice of Greenwich Village” performing at the 55 Bar almost every Saturday night for the past three years.

CATSKILL MOUNTAIN JAZZ SERIES, AUGUST 8 – 16
This series is sponsored in part by a grant from The A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation

August 9

Ramsey Lewis - Jazz Great

concert page: Ramsey Lewis

artist website: www.ramseylewis.com

Composer, pianist, and jazz legend Ramsey Lewis has been referred to as “the great performer,” a title reflecting his performance style and musical selections which display his early gospel playing and classical training along with his love of jazz and other musical forms.

By the mid 1960s, he was considered one of the most successful jazz pianists and he topped the pop charts with “The In Crowd,” “Hang On Sloopy” and “Wade in the Water.” He has three Grammy Awards and seven gold records to his name as well as many distinguished awards. Ramsey is one of Jazz’s busiest artists. He hosts a weekday morning FM radio show out of Chicago, his Legends of Jazz series, is syndicated nationwide in 75 cities and he is the artistic director of jazz for the world famous Ravina Music Festival.

CATSKILL MOUNTAIN JAZZ SERIES, AUGUST 8 – 16
This series is sponsored in part by a grant from The A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation

August 15

Ken Peplowski Quartet
#1 Jazz Clarinetist

concert page: Belleayre Jazz Club

artist website: www.kenpeplowski.com

The late Mel Tormé said, “Since the advent of Benny Goodman, there have been too few clarinetists to fill the void that Goodman left. Ken Peplowski is most certainly one of those few. The man is magic.” The New York Times pronounced a concert of Ken’s “Goodman Straight Up, With A Twist Of Lightning.” These quotes only hint at Ken Peplowski’s virtuosity—not only is he an outstanding clarinetist and saxophone player, but he’s also a charismatic entertainer who has been delighting audiences for over 30 years with his warmth, wit, and musicianship.

CATSKILL MOUNTAIN JAZZ SERIES, AUGUST 8 – 16
This series is sponsored in part by a grant from The A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation

August 16

Two Jazz Diamonds
75th Birthday All Star Celebration

concert page: for
David “Fathead” Newman
& Curtis Fuller with Cedar Walton,
Rufus Reid, Jimmy Cobb,
plus surprise guests

Born in 1933 Free Admission
DIRECTORS PICK!

artist website: davidfatheadnewman.com
artist website: www.jazzprofessional.com

I was truly honored when Karen Newman, David’s wife, called me last fall to say that David and Curtis would like to celebrate their 75th birthdays with an all star concert at the Belleayre Music Festival. The result will be this historic night of music honoring two of jazz’s greatest players Saxophonist David “Fathead” Newman started his illustrious jazz career when he left college and went on the road full time. It was on this tour that he met and began a long and volatile relationship with Ray Charles. Those stormy times were recalled so vividly in the Academy Award-winning film Ray.

Curtis Fuller, a legend in his own right, began playing the trombone at age 16 in Detroit. His career skyrocketed when he moved to New York City in the early 1950s. There, he played with Cannonball Adderley, The Benny Golson/Art Farmer Jazztet and later joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and helped create one of the most exciting and distinctive bands in the history of hard bop.

CATSKILL MOUNTAIN JAZZ SERIES, AUGUST 8 – 16
This series is sponsored in part by a grant from The A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation

August 23

Vince Gill

concert page: 2008 Best Country Album Grammy Winner

artist website: www.vincegill.com

Country music superstar Vince Gill has enjoyed a brilliant career that has generated several platinum albums, a record 18 Country Music Awards, 19 Grammys including the 2008 Country Album of the Year, and an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

His numerous hit albums include Let’s Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye with wife, Amy Grant. The album celebrated his new relationship and featured the hit “Feels Like Love.” He has recorded duets with Dolly Parton on “I Will Always Love You, ” with Patt Loveless on “My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man,” and “If You Ever Leave Me” with Barbra Streisand.

Gill’s 1989 album, When I Call Your Name, sold one million copies. The breakthrough title track that featured Patty Loveless on guest vocals went on to win single of the year honors at the CMA Awards. Gill’s subsequent albums in the '90s were huge hits, too, providing a string of No. 1 singles including “I Still Believe in You,” “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” “The Heart Won’t Lie” (with Reba McEntire), “One More Last Chance” and “Tryin’ to Get Over You.”

Gill stands as one of the most successful artists in the history of country music. In addition to his work as a singer, songwriter, producer and musician, Gill has also been one of country music’s primary ambassadors as host of the nationally televised CMA Awards for many years.

August 24

Kaleidoscope

concert page: The Teaching Artists Ensemble of the New York Philharmonic

artist website: www.nyphil.org

The New York Philharmonic has been presenting children’s concerts for 83 years. For many of us, Leonard Bernstein’s Saturday afternoon youth concerts in the 50’s and 60’s were our first introduction to classical music.

When the City of New York followed the rest of the country in cutting back music education in the public schools, the Philharmonic’s Teaching Artists Ensemble came to the rescue. Now working with over 5,000 students in elementary schools throughout the city, the Ensemble focuses on Listening, Playing and Composing. Bring your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews to participate in this exciting and interactive musical experience.

August 30

Chris Isaak

concert page: Singer Songwriter
Movie and TV Star

artist website: www.ChrisIsaak.com

In the course of his career, Chris Isaak has released nine extraordinary albums, charted 12 hit singles, and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. His legendary live shows, with his longtime band Silvertone, have entertained tens of thousands of people for over two decades. His unique voice and haircut have made Isaak a cult hero.

His recorded hits include “Dancin’,” “Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing,” the theme from Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut, “Speak Of The Devil,” “Somebody’s Crying,” the breezy acoustic storytelling in “San Francisco Days” and “Two Hearts,” and the broken hearted crooner’s “Wicked Game.” The stylish music video for “Wicked Game,” directed by Herb Ritts was a big MTV and VH1 hit.

Isaak has acted in numerous films including Little Buddha, Silence of the Lambs, and A Dirty Shame. He also starred in his own critically acclaimed television series The Chris Isaak Show.

And to what does he attribute the longevity of his career? “You know, I’ve never tried to jump on a trend, and I’ve never had to jump off of one,” he says. “I try to do what feels right for each song. So I never have to go, ‘Well, no more disco for me.’”