DALLAS (June 7, 2024) – Fine Arts Chamber Players (FACP), now known as Basically Beethoven, is pleased to announce the 2024 Basically Beethoven Festival (BBF) will be performed live on three Sundays, July 14, 21, and 28th starting at 2:30pm at Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora Street, Dallas. Now in its 43rd year, The Basically Beethoven Festival includes 3 free chamber music concerts featuring many of Dallas’ top professional musicians as well as pre-professional rising stars. As always, Basically Beethoven programs are free to enjoy with no ticket required for admission.
The concerts begin at 2:30pm with a short recital by Dallas-area “Rising Stars” – high-level student performers or pre-professionals who are beginning their careers. Basically Beethoven is committed to nurturing these fine and accomplished musicians. Following the Rising Stars, each week’s Featured Performers begin a one hour recital at 3pm.
“As we transition to our new brand Basically Beethoven from Fine Arts Chamber Players, we want to keep the repertoire a standard canon with exciting extras,” Executive Director Morgan Vaughan said. “We were able to collaborate with two amazing groups this summer, Lakeway Chamber Players and Lone Star Wind Orchestra, as well as help promote SMU Meadows School of the Arts’ music department of singers - and their burgeoning Musical Theatre department - with performances of several arias and one song from the classic songbook. We were blessed to get great musicians all around. Our final concert features two extraordinary pianists, including Eldred Marshall as featured performer, who is an astounding recitalist and musician.”
Sunday, July 14 - “Back To Basically”
At 2:30pm, the first Rising Star of the festival on July 14th will be pianist Jack Roueche playing the 1st movement of Beethoven’s Sonata, Opus 7, the 1st movement of Rachmaninoff 2nd Sonata Opus 36, and Ravel's La Valse
July 14th’s Featured Performers are Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends, with Jen Betz and Sari Pearce, violin, Anna Kolotylina, viola; Andrew Pearce, cello; and Daniel Anastasio, piano, performing Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 and Antonín Dvořák's Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major Op. 81.
Sunday, July 21 - “Blow, winds!”
The July 21st program introduces singers as Rising Stars Tenor Diego Roberts Buceta, who will perform two arias from Bellini’s Bianca e Fernando and Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment; and Soprano Alexandra Cook will perform arias from Strauss’ Die Fledermaus and Puccini’s La Bohéme. The pair will also perform a duet from a classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical.
Basically Beethoven is collaborating with Lone Star Wind Orchestra for its featured performance on July 21st. The LSWO Wind Quintet will perform Umoja by Valerie Coleman, Summer Music, op. 31 by Samuel Barber, and more. As a special treat, a musician and painter from the LSWO will be creating a painting live on stage, with the artist’s hands simultaneously shown on a projector screen. The painting will be auctioned off after the performance to benefit Basically Beethoven and Lone Star Wind Orchestra.
Sunday, July 28 - “Grand Pianos”
At 2:30pm, Noah DeGarmo, Rising Star pianist (and Emergency Department physician) will open the July 28th concert with Widmung by Schumann, arr. Liszt, and Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor, op. 19, movements I & II.
Closing the festival at 3pm as Featured Performer, pianist Eldred Marshall will perform Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, op. 120.
The concerts will be available as video online after the festival has concluded, Vaughan said. Since the beginning of the global pandemic in 2020, FACP has been recording all concerts to grow its online presence. Links to the 2024 Basically Beethoven Festival will be available through Basically Beethoven’s website and YouTube channel later in August or September.
The Basically Beethoven Raffle is back in 2024, both in-person at the festival, and online via BasicallyBeethoven.org. Items for raffle to support Basically Beethoven Music Education include the children’s book The Enchanted Symphony, signed especially for this year’s festival by its authors Dame Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, as well as the opportunity to get The Enchanted Symphony or Andrews and Hamilton’s new book, Waiting in the Wings, signed for the raffle winners personally by the authors. Those books will be sent in August after BBF has concluded. Additionally, the artwork painted during the 2nd concert on July 21st onstage will be included in the raffle, as well as other items from local businesses, museums, and restaurants.
This year’s festival is again sponsored in large part by a generous designated gift from Capital One. Additional designated funds and operational funds are thanks to The City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture, The Arts Community Alliance (TACA), Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA), Moody Fund for the Arts, as well as numerous gifts from our individual patrons and collaboration from community partners including DART. FACP/ Basically Beethoven relies solely on grants and donations for its funding, as its mission is to provide absolutely free concerts and music education for all.
###
All event details will be shared on Basically Beethoven’s website and social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Concerts are free and open to the public; no advance registration is required; seating is limited and is first-come, first-served.
Please be patient with us as we change everything over from FACP to Basically Beethoven. Thank you!
SCHEDULE: Basically Beethoven Festival 2024
Sunday, July 14, 2024: “Back to Basically”
2:30pm - Rising Stars: Jack Roueche, piano
3pm - Featured Artists: Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends
Program: 2:30pm - Beethoven and Rachmaninoff; 3pm - Beethoven and Dvořák
Sunday, July 21, 2024: “Blow, winds!”
2:30pm - Rising Stars: Diego Roberts Buceta, tenor; Alexandra Cook, soprano
3pm - Featured Artists: Lone Star Wind Orchestra (LSWO) Wind Quintet
Program: 2:30pm - Bellini, Donizetti, Strauss, Puccini, and Rodgers & Hammerstein 3pm - Barber, Coleman, and others
Sunday, July 28, 2024: “Grand Pianos”
2:30pm - Rising Star: Noah DeGarmo, piano
3pm - Featured Artists: Eldred Marshall, piano
Program: 2:30pm - Schumann/Liszt, Scriabin; 3pm - Beethoven
OVERVIEW: Basically Beethoven Festival 2024
Sunday afternoons in July (after the July 4th weekend): July 14, 21, and 28
2:30pm begins with the “Rising Star” recital; followed by “Featured Performers” at 3pm. Each concert runs about 90 - 120 minutes (2:30 - 4:30ish) with a small break between Rising Stars and Featured Performers
FREE; first-come, first-served
The 2024 Basically Beethoven Festival is presented by Capital One
Essential general funding for FACP/Basically Beethoven, and dedicated funding for BBF24, is from The Arts Community Alliance (TACA), Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA), City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture (OAC), and generous support from its board of directors, donors, and people like you.
FACP/Basically Beethoven is a member of Texans for the Arts
GLOSSARY & OVERVIEW - Fine Arts Chamber Players, now Basically Beethoven
Fine Arts Chamber Players/ Basically Beethoven is in its 43rd season of providing FREE world-class concerts and music education to Dallas residents. It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization 100% funded by grants, foundations, and individual donations. To donate, please visit our website or Zeffy, our donation payments app, and consider FACP/Basically Beethoven when donating on North Texas Giving Day, Sept 19, 2024, or anytime via the Zeffy portal!
Basically Beethoven Hallam Concerts: FREE monthly chamber music concert series on Saturday afternoons at 3pm, October – May (excluding December);
Basically Beethoven Festival: FREE weekly chamber music concerts on Sunday afternoons in July at Moody Performance Hall; 2:30pm; each week opens with a Rising Star Recital highlighting talented young/student musicians from the area, followed by the Feature Performance showcasing top-tier professional musicians from North Texas
Basically Beethoven Music Residencies: FREE education programs including Voice and Piano lessons at David W. Carter High School - Dallas ISD and Violin at Uplift’s Atlas Preparatory Academy (formerly Peak Preparatory), an east Dallas charter school; Basically Beethoven Teaching Artists lead individual and small group lessons in voice, piano, and violin to students with financial need; instruction provided at no cost to students and schools.
Basically Beethoven staff: Producing Executive Director Morgan Vaughan; Production & Education Manager Jeff Tullis. Full bios here: www.basicallybeethoven.org/team
Mission Statement: To enrich and enhance the quality of life for North Texas-area residents, especially families and children, through free concerts of classical music and educational activities
Website: www.basicallybeethoven.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/basicallybeethoven
Instagram: www.instagram.com/basicallyb_dallas/
Twitter:twitter.com/BasicallyBeet
General email queries: music@fineartschamberplayers.org
Media Contact: Morgan Vaughan - morgan@fineartchamberplayers.org
Logo, Promo, and Photos (all available by June 15): Click here - Dropbox link
