Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Celebrates Its 30th Year In The Hamptons

The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival will celebrate its 30th year with eleven concerts from July 24 to August 18, 2013. The Festival, Long Island’s longest running classical music event of its kind, was founded by flutist Marya Martin and her husband, businessman Ken Davidson, in 1984. The first edition featured just five artists performing in two concerts. The event has expanded considerably over the past 30 years, currently featuring over 40 artists and 11 concerts, and prompting the New Yorker to recognize it as “a firmly established series, which combines an easygoing spirit with an ethic of polished professionalism.”

“It seems like yesterday that we dreamed of creating a festival where good friends make good music together, and in the blink of an eye three decades have passed,” said founder and participating musician Marya Martin. “This 30th anniversary is all about celebrating our musicians, our composers, and our community, which together have made something more meaningful than I could ever have imagined.”

Martin will be joined by a long list of fellow classical musicians, including violinists Ani Kavafian, Jennifer Frautschi, and Stefan Jackiw; cellists Colin Carr and Clive Greensmith; pianists Alessio Bax, Pedja Muzijevic, and Shai Wosner; and many others.

In 2010, the New York Times described the program, saying “this impressive festival balances the tried and true with the adventurous and mixes established performers with rising talent.” In keeping with this tradition, this year’s festival will feature famous historical works by Bach and Mozart alongside more modern works by composers like Robert Beaser and Avner Dorman.

The festival will begin on Wednesday, July 24 with a free concert at the Bridgehampton Historical Society from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This will be followed by performances at the Atlantic Golf Club, Channing Sculpture Garden, and Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church. The Season Farewell will be held at the Church on Sunday, August 18 at 6:30 p.m.

A full listing and details of the upcoming concerts can be found at www.bcmf.org. Tickets can also be purchased there or by calling 631-537-6368.