Midsummer’s Music Resumes

Jacob Beranek. Submitted.

After a brief break, Midsummer’s Music 2018 summer season resumes with “A Czech Life” program, featuring music by Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, and Midsummer’s own composer-in-residence, Jacob Beranek.

Though few in number, Smetana’s chamber music compositions play an important role in his musical output. The piece Midsummer’s ensemble will play is a string quartet titled “Z mého života é (From My Life),” which was written in 1876.

In 1892, Dvořák moved to the United States and was named Conductor and Director of the New York National Conservatory. During his stay he vacationed to Spillville, Iowa where he composed “Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97.”

Beranek was named Midsummer’s Music composer-in-residence in 2017, and he continues his role this season with a new composition. While he wrote this piece with an English horn in mind he “intended to rightly highlight every fantastic Midsummer’s musician that would be performing in the piece.”

“A Czech Life” concerts are at 3 pm on Aug. 26 at the Kress Pavillion; 7 pm on Aug. 27 at a private home salon concert in Sturgeon cBay; 7 pm on Aug. 28 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church; and 7 pm on Aug. 29 at Woodwalk Gallery. Most concerts are $29 for adults, $10 for students, and free for children 12 and under. Salon concerts at private homes are $60 for adults and $40 for students. For more information and to purchase tickets visit midsummersmusic.com.