The [Shenandoah] Hills Are Alive...With the Sound of the Heifetz Institute Summer Festival

“Made of Magic,” declares Staunton, Virginia’s website. Recognized as one of the USA’s most beautiful small towns, it boasts a historic downtown, charming boutiques, a Shakespeare theater, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, and what concerns us here, a massive summer music festival. This year the Heifetz Institute celebrates its 30^th anniversary coinciding with America’s 250^th, and the music is brilliant. The Heifetz International Music Institute was founded by violinist Daniel Heifetz and is housed in nearby Mary Baldwin University. The Institute provides a rich source of musicians, who perform over 50 concerts throughout the region in various ensembles. 

I recently spoke to the Institute’s Artistic Director, Nicholas Kitchen, about the most fun way to navigate the multitude of musical delights offered by the festival. He suggests spending a long weekend in Staunton, from a Thursday to a Sunday, taking in Stars of Tomorrow, Chamber Music Matinee and a Celebrity Series concert, a Junior Division Showcase featuring stunning young talent, and a Sunday Matinee concert. There are even special performances, including a July 4^th celebration at Monroe’s Highland in Charlottesville, and a PianoPalooza. don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a great [musical] escape!  Staunton is two and half hours from DC and a world apart. 

For Festival details, visit HeifetzInstitute.org.