29th Season
SIERRA SUMMER FESTIVAL 2006
August 7 - August 12
Mammoth, California

For its 29th season the Sierra Summer Festival presents "Festa Italiana", combining the always popular Eastern Sierra Symphony Orchestra concerts conducted by Bogidar Avramov, with a Spotlight Series of concerts and activities featuring Italian food, wine, and music.

The Spotlight Series will start on Monday, August 7, with the exciting vocal ensemble LEGACY. Some of the finest vocal music, from the Sistine to Sicily, from Palestrina to Pisa, hails from the country that wrote the book on love found, love lost, and tragic endings! Let LEGACY take you on a musical adventure from the religious to the irreverent, and from darkened monastery chapels to the Grand Canal of Venice, with even a nod to Sinatra and friends. A presto!

CELEBRAZIONE! A new special feature this year will happen on Tuesday, August 8. Enhance the week's musical experience and entertain your senses! Symphony conductor Bogidar Avramov and James Drollinger, professional voice coach and vocal performer, will discuss Italy and its music followed by a tasty review of Italian regional food and wines. Reservations limited. CELEBRAZIONE! Catered by ANYTHING GOES and High Sierra Wines. This event will be by invitation only. Please request your invitation on your ticket order form.

Thursday, August 10, will feature an exciting Italian musical performance "Vivaldi Virtuoso and Gruppi Orchestrali". Violin virtuoso and Eastern Sierra Concertmistress, Maria Newman, will play the "Spring" and "Summer" movements from Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" under the direction of internationally acclaimed violist and conductor Scott Hosfeld. Specially selected music by Italian composers will be performed by ensembles from the orchestra.

Friday, August 11, and Saturday, August 12, the Eastern Sierra Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Bogidar Avramov presents three masterpieces inspired by the incomparable beauty, charm, and majesty of Italy. The concert opens with the intensely romantic "Symphony No. 4 (Italian)" by Felix Mendelssohn followed by two pieces of immense driving power: Hector Berlioz's "Roman Carnival" and Ottorino Respighi's "Pini di Roma (Pines of Rome)".

Music Director and Conductor Bogidar Avramov is well known to all music lovers in the Eastern Sierra, having founded the Eastern Sierra Symphony Orchestra 29 years ago and since then bringing professional symphonic music to our area. "Bogidar", as he is known to everyone here, was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. He is Professor Emeritus at Loyola Marymont and conducts the Beverly Hills Symphony. His outstanding contributions to instrumental music are widely recognized and respected by composers, musicians, critics, and audiences in southern California.

The concerts on August 7 and 10 will be at St. Joseph's Catholic Church at 7:30 pm, while the symphony concerts on August 11 and 12 will take place at the Mountainside Conference Center at the Main Lodge at Mammoth Mountain. Following the 7 pm concert on Friday, August 11, there will be a "Meet The Musicians" reception. The 8 pm symphony concert on Saturday, August 12, will be preceded by the "Festivita Di Gala".

This year's annual Gala goes Italian! Mammoth's Mountainside Grill chef will be preparing a superb dinner accompanied by a selection of Italian wines. Meet in Dry Creek Bar at 5 pm for antipasti and no-host cocktails. Dinner is at 6 pm. Gala guests have reserved seats for the symphony concert at 8 pm in the Main Lodge. Reservations limited to 100 guests.

For information, contact Sierra Summer Festival