The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary this season, reflecting on its early years and the Amelia Island community’s dedication to creating a world-class chamber music festival.
In 2001, Eileen Shannon Moore, a Centre Street shop owner, invited a group of friends and community leaders to meet Christopher Rex, the principal cellist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, to hear his ideas and learn about his dream of establishing an Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. Rex treated the first volunteers to concerts in Moore’s shop.
The first years were challenging – finding musicians, venues, volunteers, and promoting an art form that was new to many people. The early musicians who came to the island were enchanted with the small community that welcomed them. They stayed with families and enjoyed the beach and historic district. They delivered world-class chamber music, and early fundraising efforts paid off.
“We all pitched in, entertaining, financing, chauffeuring, and feeding the musicians,” shares Anne Coonrod, a board member from the first year. “We fell in love with them, and they fell in love with the community. We started with one week of events, and now we have 14 performances throughout the year.”
A UNIQUE AND DYNAMIC CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
The festival in its early years was not just any festival; it took advantage of a variety of unique venues, from luxurious The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island to the historic Palace Saloon. One memorable candlelit event, staged at historic Fort Clinch, featured a string quartet and ballads from the Civil War.
A generous supporter of the arts on Amelia Island, including Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, ARIAS, and Amelia Island Opera, Paul Bosland recently shared his love of music and why he thinks supporting these organizations is so important. “I have always loved music – played in my high school orchestra and bands. I sang in high school chorus, university chapel choir, and, more recently, the Amelia Plantation Chapel choir. We are blessed in our community to have so many opportunities to enjoy world-class performances so close to home.”
The tradition of hosting events at various venues continues. This year’s performances will be held at some of Amelia’s beautiful churches, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, the Omni Amelia Island Resort, the Amelia River Club, and the historic Nassau County Courthouse.
William Ransom joined the festival team as Artistic Director after the passing of Rex in 2022, carrying on the tradition of bringing the finest musicians in the world to Northeast Florida. A pianist, artistic director, master teacher, editor, and judge for international competitions, Ransom regularly appears in recital as a soloist with orchestras around the world.
Robyn Marie Lamp, executive director of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, is a professionally trained classical operatic soprano who brings her extensive background in the arts and administration to the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. Based in Florida, she has enjoyed a successful career performing in venues across the country. Lamp is a co-founder of Amelia Opera, an island-based opera company offering performances and community outreach.
Throughout the festival’s 25-year history, a diverse range of internationally acclaimed artists have performed. They include Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Hilary Hahn, Pinchas Zukerman, Joshua Bell, Chick Corea, Bela Fleck, Chris Thile, Emanuel Ax, Valentina Lisitsa, and Wynton Marsalis. Headline performers have included artists such as Grammy-winning violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, bluegrass performer Ricky Skaggs, and the renowned soprano Renee Fleming. This year’s featured performer will be Emmylou Harris.
MASTERCLASSES AND “MEET THE MUSICIANS” EVENTS
The season opened on October 12 with the Silver Soirée, a celebration of the festival’s first 25 years. The second floor of the Story & Songs Center for Arts & Culture came alive with music, memories, and anticipation for the upcoming season. Guests were entertained by a piano performance from the festival’s Artistic Director, Will Ransom, and a short documentary film created by local photographer and filmmaker Bob Eberle. Guests mingled and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres while learning about this year’s exciting variety of performances.
Music education for concert audiences, students, and aspiring young musicians has been a core mission of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival since its founding, which includes the Beth Newdome Fellowship, Masterclasses, and the Christopher Rex String Seminar. The four master classes scheduled for the coming year are: a winds masterclass with Imani Winds and the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra on January 27; a cello masterclass with David Finckel at the University of North Florida Fine Arts Center on February 11; and a string quartet masterclass with the Viano Quartet at the University of North Florida Fine Arts Center on March 12. For more information, visit www.aicmf.org/programs.
A new program debuting at this year’s festival is called “Meet the Musicians,” with three events scheduled at Amelia Island’s popular Story & Song Center for Arts & Culture. Enjoy a drink from the cash bar and take in engaging interviews with featured festival artists Anne Akiko Meyers, violin, and Jason Vieau, guitar, on Saturday January 17 at 5 p.m.; David Finckel, cello, and Wu Han, piano, on Wednesday, February 11 at 5 p.m.; and cellist Zuill Bailey on Thursday, March 12 at 5 p.m.
“SOUNDS OF THE SEASON” AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, AMELIA ISLAND ON JANUARY 17
Time For Three, a Grammy and Emmy-winning ensemble, offers unique instrumentation that blends eras, styles, and traditions from classical to Americana at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island on Saturday, January 17 at 7 p.m. Charles Yang, Nicolas Kendall, and Ranaan Meyer push creative boundaries to entertain their audiences. This event is part of the “Meet the Musicians” series.
On Sunday, January 18, Anne Akiko Meyers, violin, and Jason Vieaux, guitar, will perform a concert at the Amelia River Club at 5 p.m. Akiko Meyers, a Grammy winner, is a world-renowned and celebrated violinist. She has collaborated with many of today’s leading composers and, since her teenage years, has performed around the world as a soloist with leading orchestras. Vieaux is regarded as one of the elite classical guitarists playing today. He won the 2014 Best Instrumental Classical Solo Grammy Award. Vieaux is credited with revitalizing interest in the classical guitar.
IMANI WINDS AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, AMELIA ISLAND ON JANUARY 27
The Grammy-nominated Imani Winds performs at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island on Tuesday, January 27 at 7 p.m. Imani Winds is a celebrated wind quintet that has been together for 27 years and continues to inspire with its dynamic playing, adventurous programming, and imaginative collaborations. The group includes Brandon Patrick George on the flute, Toyin Spellman Diaz on the oboe, Mark Dover on the clarinet, Kevin Newton on the French horn, and Monical Ellis on the bassoon.
Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, Musical America’s “Musicians of the Year,” bring their visionary artistry to Amelia Plantation Chapel on Thursday, February 12 at 7 p.m. Their careers include world-class performances, acclaimed recordings, and visionary artistic direction. Dedicated to music education, the pair currently serves as Artistic Directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The two founded ArtistLed, an internet-based, artist-controlled classical recording label. This concert is part of the “Meet the Musicians” series.
“FLORIDA’S FINEST” WITH THE AMERNET STRING QUARTET AT PRINCE OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH ON FEBRUARY 22
Enjoy a superlative showcase of Florida’s finest classical talent with the Amernet String Quartet on Sunday, February 22 at 5 p.m. The Amernet String Quartet has been recognized as an exceptional string quartet and is an ensemble in residence at Florida International University in Miami. The quartet members are Misha Vitenson, Avi Nagin, Michael Klotz, and Jason Calloway.
Also performing will be the Lawsen Ensemble, formed in 2015 to provide consistent and high-quality chamber music to Jacksonville and the surrounding community. Founding members are violinist Aurica Duca, violinist/violist Clinton Dewing, and cellist Nick Curry. The group is in residence at the University of North Florida. Duca and Dewing are full-time members of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.
In addition, performers Jasmin Arakawa, piano, and Kevin Kenner, piano, will join in providing inspiring performances.
ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WITH PIANIST MARC-ANDRE HAMELIN AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH ON MARCH 3
In what promises to be a highlight of the festival’s season, the world-famous Orpheus Chamber Music Orchestra comes to First Baptist Church of Fernandina Beach on Tuesday, March 3 at 7 pm. The orchestra is known for its radical experiment in musical democracy. Formed in 1972, the group innovated by playing an orchestral repertoire in a new form, as if it were chamber music. Within its first decade, the orchestra made Carnegie Hall their home and became a global sensation. They perform a variety of music, including Hayden symphonies, Mozart concertos, and twentieth-century gems by Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Ravel, and Bartok.
Orpheus is committed to giving back by collaborating with 1,500 New York public schools annually through coaching, school visits, and easy access to rehearsals and concerts at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, they have established the Orpheus Leadership Institute, collaborating with global organizations and businesses.
Guest performers have been crucial in the group’s success. Joining Orpheus in their Amelia Island performance is Marc-Andre Hamelin, a pianist of international fame. He travels the world performing in a variety of venues. When in North America, Hamelin appears with major orchestras and at chamber music events in Philadelphia, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C.
VIANO QUARTET WITH ZUILL BAILEY AT AMELIA PLANTATION CHAPEL ON MARCH 13
The award-winning Viano Quartet joins festival favorite and Grammy-winning cellist Zuill Bailey for a night of chamber music synergy at Amelia Plantation Chapel on Friday, March 13 at 7p.m. The Quartet has captivated audiences since they were awarded first prize in the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition.
Zuill Bailey, considered one of the premier cellists in the world, is a Grammy winner and noted artistic director and teacher. This concert is part of the “Meet the Musicians” series.
THE LEGENDARY EMMYLOU HARRIS AT THE OMNI AMELIA ISLAND RESORT ON MARCH 28
Legendary artist Emmylou Harris takes the stage in a concert benefiting the Nassau Humane Society at the Omni Amelia Island Resort on Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m. With her timeless voice and storytelling, Harris will be joining two extraordinary friends: Irish singer Maura O’Connell and Tammy Rogers King, co-founder of the Fernandina Beach Songwriters Festival. The evening promised to be an unforgettable evening of song, harmony, and heart.
FAMILY CONCERT AT MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST AND PIANIST KHATIA BUNIATISHVILI AT THE AMELIA RIVER CLUB
In this season’s family concert called “Just Jazzin’ Around,” the Gary Motley Trio makes music fun for the whole family in Maxwell Hall at Memorial United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 18 at 3 p.m. Admission is free. This mini-concert will introduce the audience to the vibrant world of jazz. The audience will learn about legendary jazz figures, including Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. The performing musicians are Gary Motely, Emrah Kotan, and Andu Eulau.
Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili, an electrifying virtuoso and one of the most prominent classical pianists today, performs an exciting program Schubert and Liszt at the Amelia River Club on Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. She discovered the piano at the age of three and performed her first concert with the Chamber Orchestra of Tbilisi at age six. Known for her charisma and passionate commitment to her craft, her talent will be a treat for younger audiences and those new to classical music.
Dedicated to Dr. Joe Marasco, a former Executive Director of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Marasco Young Artists’ Concert at Memorial United Methodist Church on Saturday, May 9 at 5 p.m. features the next generation of young musicians. The inaugural concert pays tribute to Dr. Joe’s lasting legacy of leadership, mentorship, and deep commitment to the arts. The concert is the first of what will be a continuing series.
This free event features performances by outstanding local and regional student musicians and ensembles. The festival is dedicated to the next generation of performers, and this concert provides them with an opportunity to perform in a professional setting in front of an audience.
“BEETHOVEN & BEER” AT MOCAMA BEER COMPANY AND THE FESTIVAL FINALE AT NASSAU COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Raise a glass with the renowned Miro Quartet at the festival’s annual casual “Beethoven & Beer” concert on Wednesday, June 10 with two shows at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Enjoying Beethoven in a popular local brewery offers a unique experience. The popular Miro Quartet, praised as “furiously committed” by The New Yorker magazine, takes its name from the Spanish artist Joan Miró, known for his colorful, imaginative artwork.
From its earliest days, the Amelia Chamber Music Festival has recognized its vital role in music education. It began as Master Classes in the Young Resident Artists program. Each year, the annual Christopher Rex String Seminar brings exceptional string students from across the nation’s top conservatories and universities to participate as Beth Newdome Fellowship Artists.
The Fellowship Artists will spend an intensive week on Amelia Island being mentored by the world-class Miro Quartet. The students gain experience performing in outreach concerts and the much-anticipated Festival Finale concert on Saturday, June 13 at 3 p.m. at the historic Nassau County Courthouse in downtown Fernandina Beach.
For concert tickets, or to learn more about becoming a volunteer or supporter, visit www.aicmf.org or call (904) 261-1779. Follow the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival on Facebook and Instagram. The office is located at 1405 Park Avenue, Suite 101, in Fernandina Beach.