Pacific Crest Music Festival celebrates its 5th season

Pacific Crest Music Festival returned to Dunsmuir for its 5th anniversary year, featuring 13 talented artists from around California. Community was the focus of the season, which included collaborations with the local Eurythmy school, a free outdoor performance at Dunsmuir Brewery Works, and a student-led outreach program for the Boys and Girls Club of Mt. Shasta.

Eight of the thirteen students this year came from the acclaimed music program Harmony Project, which gives instruments, music lessons, and ensemble experience to 2,350 youth from low-income communities across Los Angeles County. They performed an octet version of Beethoven's 4th string quartet at the final concert.

All thirteen students performed in two chamber groups - one with a faculty member playing and guiding the rehearsals, and one student group, in which the young musicians were able to apply what they learned from the faculty, and to learn to work as a team.

The highly anticipated young artists performance was held in POPS Performing Arts and Cultural Center, which enthusiastic audiences filled to capacity. Students performed chamber music by Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Dohnanyi, Dvorak, and Mendelssohn. In addition, they performed a Corelli Concerto Grosso as an unconducted chamber orchestra.

One student, violinist Phalaen Chang, wrote an article for the LA Times about her experience at PCMF. You can read the article here.