As I write this, we have just completed the final weekend of the 2014 Classical Festival. Wow! I do believe Teddy saved the best for last. On closing night, Mahler’s piece was simply breathtaking. I mean that literally; I had to remind myself to breath as I sat mesmerized by the powerfully-moving music.

What a whirlwind it has been. There has been a palpable excitement in the air over the past few weeks. This year’s Classical Festival attendance is the highest it’s been in several years, and it’s been a joy to see such large, enthusiastic crowds celebrate our world-class Britt Orchestra. The Time for Three Pops concert was the first Classical concert to sell-out in 10 years! Thank you for continuing to embrace the Classical Festival, and for welcoming our Music Director Teddy Abrams into the community. Teddy is proving to be an energetic, inspiring, artistic leader, and we are already planning exciting things for the Classical Festival for next year and beyond.

It is with great pride and gratitude that I thank Angela Warren, Director of Performing Arts and her support team as well as the Britt Festivals Board of Directors. This magnificent Season would not have been possible without their hard work and steadfast support.

With September comes the last stretch of concerts for the summer season, and we have something for all music lovers. First up is The Head and the Heart, a current darling of the indie folk-rock music scene. The band members met and formed through a series of open mic nights in Seattle, and five years later, the six-piece band has won-over critics and loyal fans with their multi-instrument melodies and three-part harmonies. Come see them at Britt on Tuesday, September 2.

On September 4, we’re proud to present a “Mariachi Brittfest” at the Britt Performance Garden. We’ll welcome the Rogue Valley’s own Mariachi Centella, and the L.A.-based Las Colibri, or “The Hummingbirds.” Las Colibri is an all-female mariachi band, which you may remember from the 2011 Oregon Shakespeare Festival production of Measure for Measure. Also included in the evening will be the dancers of Ballet Folklórico Ritmo Alegre. We’ll welcome the El Gallo taco truck for delicious food as well. Come join us for this fun celebration of all things mariachi!

Another show we’re excited about this month is the wonderful singer Jennifer Nettles. If the name isn’t familiar to you, her voice likely is. The voice behind the country superstar duo act Sugarland, Jennifer Nettles appears at Britt in support of her solo album That Girl. Come out to hear Jennifer’s big, beautiful voice on September 6.

Also check out our other shows this month, including the outrageous antics of comic Rodney Carrington (for mature audiences only), and the classic sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revisited to close-up the summer season on September 11. Check out brittfest.org for all the details.

Enjoy these concerts on the Britt hill, before summer comes to an end! Hope to see you on the hill soon.

Featured image is of The Head and the Heart