The University of Idaho Auditorium Chamber Music Series has one goal: to enrich the Palouse community with classical music.
Leonard Garrison, co-director of the ACMS, said the goal of the music series is not only to bring classical music to the Palouse, but also to strengthen collaborative efforts between UI, Washington State University and the rest of the regional community.
“We have a different group every year that comes to Moscow on tour,” Garrison said. “For instance the one coming up that I like is a really interesting group called Heinavanker.”
Heinavanker will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Administration Building Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for students, $19 for seniors and $22 for the general public.
Garrison said Heinavanker is an a cappella group that sings Estonian runic songs from the late Middle Ages.
Garrison said he enjoys the wide variety of performers who come to Moscow through the ACMS.
“We get the type of groups that would be going to New York, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angles,” Garrison said. “The great thing about this is we are able to convince them to come to Moscow, Idaho.”
The ACMS hosts five events each year and Garrison said the best part of managing and arranging performances is being able to expose community members to a diverse range of music.
Garrison said everyone is welcome to attend an ACMS concert and the audience usually includes members from the local community, retirement communities and UI music students and honors students.
Leonard Garrison | Courtesy
Heinavanker is an Estonian a capella group that will perform at the university Tuesday as part of the Chamber Music Series.
Garrison said ACMS is sponsored by a number of different organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Idaho Commission of the Arts, the Moscow Food Co-op, the Best Western Plus University Inn and other contributors.
When it comes to hosting concerts for such prominent performers, Garrison said the ACMS” sponsors allow for them to host additional community events.
“In classical music, ticket sales account for less than half of any budget – the rest of the budget comes from grants and donations,” Garrison said. “Other contributions include student art fees, ticket sales, workshops and business contributions.”
As a way to make performances more inclusive, Garrison said ACMS will bring performers, like Heinavanker, to schools and local establishments through the area.
Garrison said ACMS also coordinates the Palouse Chamber Music Workshop and Young Peoples concert, to which all 5th graders and local community are invited.
“We not only bring these groups to perform a concert but, they [also] do a lot out outreach,” Garrison said. “Heinavanker will be presenting a workshop for our choral students at the University.”
Following Heinavanker, Garrison said the next artists featured by ACMS will be the Enso Quartet in January and the Gryphon Trio in March.
Megan Gospe can be reached at [email protected]