LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — The Shandelee Music Festival (SMF) will kick off its 29th season with concerts by the Gramercy Brass Orchestra and by violinist Midori.

It all begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 6 with “An Evening of Chamber Music,” featuring a performance by the New York City-based Gramercy Brass Orchestra. The concert will take place at SMF’s fully accessible, climate-controlled Sunset Concert Pavilion.

The concert will showcase the music of Sir Arthur Sullivan (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame), Meredith Willson (composer of “The Music Man”), John Williams (composer for “Star Wars,” “Superman,” “E.T.,” “Jurassic Park,” etc.) and others.

The orchestra is led by John Henry Lambert, who founded it in 1982. He has guest-conducted and consulted with bands and orchestras, and currently serves as the director of bands and trumpet instructor for the United Nations International School in New York City.  

Accompanying Mr. Lambert will be Max Morden on trumpet; Lee Ann Newland on French horn; Mike Fahie—who brought his Mike Fahie Jazz Orchestra to the SMF last year; and over 15 other musicians on cornet, flugelhorn, trombone, piano, tuba, euphonium and percussion.

On Tuesday, August 9 and Wednesday, August 10, the violinist Midori will perform “An Evening of Violin.” Her concerts both begin at 8 p.m. and will be held at the pavilion.

The performance will feature the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, John Zorn, Thierry Escaich, Jessie Montgomery and Annie Gosfield.

The violinist Midori will perform at the Shandelee Music Festival on August 9 and 10.

Midori made her concert debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11, under conductor Zubin Mehta, and four years later performed at the Tanglewood Music Festival, with Leonard Bernstein conducting. Her Carnegie Hall orchestral debut occurred on her 18th birthday.  

Midori holds an honorary doctorate in music from Yale, Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year award, the Kennedy Center Gold Medal in the Arts and the Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum. Midori was named artist of the year by the Japanese government in 1988.

She is a professor of music at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music.

Tickets for the August 9 concert cost $35 for non-SMF members, $30 for members and $10 for students aged 17 and under. The Wednesday, August 10 concert will be free for all students aged 12 to 18, and the students will be able to meet Midori after the performance.  Other tickets for the August 10 concert cost $35 for non-SMF members and $30 for members.

The pavilion is located at 442 J. Young Rd.

Advance reservations for all concerts are requested; call 845/439-3277, or purchase your tickets online at www.shandelee.org.

For more information on the SMF, visit www.shandelee.org.