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Yo-Yo Ma. Photo by Brantley Gutierrez<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cYo-Yo Ma\u2019s return to BMC will certainly be one of the defining moments of the festival,\u201d says Tzavaras. \u201cThis will be his fourth appearance at BMC and his first in this role, and his season finale performance promises to be an extraordinary celebration of artistry, community and the spirit of BMC.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nation\u2019s birthday presented an opportunity to present the wide range of American musical traditions, from classical music and bluegrass to Motown and Americana. Some major headliner appearances throughout the season include Branford Marsalis (June 11), Nathan Chester and The Old Souls Motown Revival (June 27), Shannon Whitworth and Woody Platt with Orchestra (June 30), The Buena Vista Orchestra (July 11), Jason Isbell (July 19), B\u00e9la Fleck (August 15), and Fiddle Forward with Casey Driessen (August 22), alongside a series of free community concerts featuring the Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition Finals (July 2), Just Brass (July 7), Brevard Symphonic Winds (July 21) and Supersonic | Percussion (July 26).<\/p>\n
The Center also, as always, prioritized access between students and visiting artists through rehearsals, coaching sessions, masterclasses, conversations and side-by-side collaborations. \u201cDistinguished artists including the Shanghai Quartet, Imani Winds, the Horszowski Piano Trio and BMC Principal Guest Conductor JoAnn Falletta will mentor students in both formal and informal settings throughout the summer, while our visiting composers will engage directly with students as they explore contemporary chamber and orchestral repertoire,\u201d says Tzavaras. \u201cEspecially during an anniversary season, it is important that students feel fully connected to the artistic life of the institution and understand that they are part of a larger tradition that continues to evolve with each generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGenerations of families have spent their summers at BMC, and thousands of young musicians have come through Brevard and gone on to shape the cultural landscape far beyond Western North Carolina,\u201d says BMC president and CEO Jason Posnock. \u201cThat kind of sustained impact speaks to a community that values and supports the arts. So the 90th anniversary is really a shared milestone. It\u2019s a chance to recognize what\u2019s been built together\u2014and to look ahead to how BMC continues to serve as a place where artists develop and the community connects through music.\u201d<\/p>\n