The 35th annual Sierra summer festival, held every year in Mammoth Lakes, is just around the corner. This classical music festival is scheduled for August 8th through the 10th, and will be located at the Edison Pavilion at Cero Coso College. This year the orchestra, composed of local talent along with professional artists from southern California, will be preforming pieces by Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, and Ginastera. In addition to the Eastern Sierra Symphony orchestra, there will be guest appearances by two exceptionally talented young ladies, Melodi Hess and Geneva Lewis, who have both received the Horton-Kohl Young Artists award. The Sierra Summer festival promises to be an invigorating and spirited addition to your stay in Mammoth Lakes.

The Sierra Summer Festival, like most festivals held in Mammoth, had a humble beginning. The music started in the summer of 1978 when Maestro Bogidar Avramov, head of the Loyola Marymont Music department, and a few other musicians realized that the Eastern Sierra was lacking the culture that classical music had to offer. Avromov soon became the Festival’s music Director and began stirring up interest with local musicians. After a few seasons the Festival had generated so much notice that professional musicians began jumping at the opportunity to preform in such a beautiful location. The Sierra Summer Festival, which started out on picnic blankets, has become a distinguished part of the summer in Mammoth lakes.

This much anticipated venue draws visitors from around the world who share a common love for classical music. Besides lively music the festival also includes lectures and work shops put on by the many professional classical artists preforming on this years stage.

Starting off the Festivities on Thursday Night August 8th at 7:30 will be the young artists concert featuring this year’s Horton-Kohl Young Artists Award winner Melodi Hess. Bogidar Avromov will be conducting the ensembles performance of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major. Other featured concerts in this years Festival include performances by Young artist Geneva Lewis and conductor Matilda Hofman. Performances will be held Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night at 7:30. For a complete schedule and tickets to this year’s event please click here.

Written by “Your Local Insider”