One of summer’s highlights in San Miguel de Allende is the prestigious Chamber Music Festival, the leading chamber music festival in Latin America, ranked among the finest of its kind in the world. What began over thirty years ago as a brief series of concerts by a single group is now an eighteen-day celebration of classical chamber music that has brought over 100 ensembles and soloists, from three continents, to San Miguel de Allende.

The thirty-second International Festival of Chamber Music San Miguel de Allende will run from July 29 to August 15. The festival’s mission is to present leading contemporary chamber music groups in San Miguel at prices that are affordable, to make chamber music accessible to all by proving free public concerts and to offer young and promising musicians from across Mexico, and the world, an opportunity to study with professional musicians and benefit from playing to the appreciative audiences of San Miguel. This year, the bicentennial anniversary of Mexico will be honored with the theme “It’s revolutionary,” and the festival promises some new and exciting additions to the program, in keeping with their theme.

The 32nd Festival will feature the acclaimed Endellion, St. Petersburg, Escher, Carlos Chavez and Miro String Quartets, the Poulenc Trio and Synergy Brass Quintet, and the soloists, Nina Beilina, violin and Nancy Stagnitta, flute. These renowned artists, who have performed in venues worldwide, will appear in concert Thursdays through Saturdays, in the “jewel-box setting’ of the Theater Angela Peralta.

From Monday to Wednesday, the theater will be the venue for free performances by the ‘Rising Stars’ of the San Miguel Festival. This exciting program brings back a number of groups who were awarded first place in previous Young Performers Programs. This years attendees are the Cuyos Quartet (2009), Quetzal Trio (2008), Carmen Eloisa Sanchez (2007), Xalapa Quartet (2003), and Kayros Quartet (who took 2nd place in 2009), in addition to the piano duo Inspicere, the best group in the Festival de Música de Aguascalientes.
But the formal concerts are just a small part of this year’s offerings. 2010, has seen the Young Performers Program alsmost doubled with both a National (led by the Carlos Chavez String Quartet) and International (led by Vladimir Lande and the Poulenc Trio) segment. Not only do these advanced students attend master classes and receive individual and ensemble instruction from the visiting artists, but they perform throughout San Miguel for the enjoyment of all. During the program students will offfer free daily recitals at Bellas Artes and performances in other notable historic locations.

nd this year will see the inauguration of a one day Violin Workshop for children (held in the patio of Museo Allende/free of charge) and an exhibition of award winning, handmade instruments at Bellas Artes along with a small market for their purchase or repair.

he 32nd Chamber Music Festival, replete with accomplished artists, exciting new talent and community involvement, will no doubt fill the streets with music and certainly promises to be, once again, a highlight of the summer season.

For more information/Par mas Informacion: www.festivalsanmiguel.com