Music festivals to get you in the groove.
This year, several festivals in the Shenandoah Valley will celebrate gospel, roots, and classical music, in addition to other genres. Here are some of the ones we’re most excited about.
Wintergreen Summer Music Festival and Academy July 8 – Aug. 26, Wintergreen Resort
Throughout July and August, professional artists and faculty from the Wintergreen Summer Music Academy will team up for the 20th consecutive year to teach aspiring student musicians. The Academy began in 1997 as the American Sinfonietta Performance Academy and evolved into six programs held annually at Wintergreen Resort. This year, The Academy includes string, conducting and vocal masterclasses in addition to seminars and more. This season celebrates “The Fountain of Youth” by delving into the music of child prodigies such as Mozart, Mendelssohn and Rota, as well as art by Charlie Chaplin and Christopher O’Riley. Represented styles of music include folk, pop, classical, jazz and scores from Broadway. In addition to the music, festival activities include cooking classes, and seminars at local wineries, cideries and breweries. WintergreenPerformingArts.org
Red Wing Roots Music Festival July 14 – 16, Mount Solon
Hosted by the Steel Wheels—a roots and Americana group of Folk musicians from the Blue Ridge Mountains who is also performing at the festival—the fifth annual Red Wings Roots Music Festival will return July 14 – 16 at Natural Chimneys Park and Campground in Mt. Solon. This year’s lineup includes 40 bands, such as The Cactus Blossoms, Liz Vice, Jon Stickley Trio, The Lil’ Smokies, The Lonely Heartstring Band, Laney Jones and The Judy Chops. Additional activities include crafts and entertainment for kids, camping, swimming, and organized bike rides and hiking. RedWingRoots.com
Staunton Music Festival Aug. 11 – 20, Staunton
Celebrating its 20th year, the Staunton Music Festival features a selection of chamber music performed in multiple concerts each day. The 30-event slate begins Friday, Aug. 11 with Northern Exposure, a free concert with music by three Scandinavian masters and Handel Extravaganza, a celebration of George Frederick Handel, a baroque composer who wrote a thousand scores. Other performers include Mary Boodell, principal flutist of the Richmond Symphony; bassoonist Stephanie Corwin; and Martin Davids, founder and director of the Callipygian Players in Chicago and concertmaster of Brandywine Baroque. StauntonMusicFestival.org
Sing Me High Music Festival II Aug. 25 – 26, Harrisonburg
The second annual Sing Me High music festival returns to Harrisonburg this summer, celebrating the relationship between music and faith. Organized by the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center and the Walking Roots Band, an acoustic-Americana, folk, bluegrass and roots group from Harrisonburg. The lineup includes Shenandoah Valley-based Southern Grace, East Los Angeles group Bittersweet Gospel Band, Lightning Lucas (who got his stage name after being directly struck by lightning in July 2013) and husband and wife folk duo Brother Chicory. The alcohol-free event is family-friendly with children’s activities, a pie auction, local food trucks serving up pork barbecue, coleslaw, popcorn and ice cream, a cornhole tournament and more. SingMeHigh.com
