{"id":47271,"date":"2019-05-01T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-01T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/33rd-annual-festival-is-bach-in-juneau\/"},"modified":"2019-05-01T11:45:10","modified_gmt":"2019-05-01T19:45:10","slug":"33rd-annual-festival-is-bach-in-juneau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/33rd-annual-festival-is-bach-in-juneau\/","title":{"rendered":"33rd annual festival is Bach in Juneau"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t

In its 33rd year, Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival is still trying new things.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Old favorites like the free lunch-hour Brown Bag Concerts at the State Office Building are still on the schedule for the <\/a>festival<\/a> that runs May 3 through May 18, but so are new venues and new types of performances.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

“For the first time we’re going to be doing something called Bach Under the Stars,” said Reggie Schapp, Executive Director for Juneau Jazz & Classics.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

That event will feature the classical guitar work of Grammy-award nominee Eliot Fisk, who will play the music of Johan Sebastian Bach<\/a> in Marie Drake Planetarium, 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 9.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

“It just fits so well,” Schapp said.<\/p>\n

\"Eliot<\/a>

Eliot Fisk, a Grammy Award-nominated classical guitarist, will perform several times around Juneau during the 33rd Annual (Courtesy Photo | Juneau Jazz & Classics)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t

Fans of woodwinds will have two new places to enjoy performances by Volante Wind Quintet.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

They’ll perform at the Shuká Hít clan house in the Walter Soboleff Building as well as at the Chapel at the Shrine of St. Therese.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

[Flute concert brings classical, Armenian and indigenous music to clan house<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

“It’s our first time doing winds at the shrine,” Schapp said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

The event is a twist on the long-time festival event Strings at the Shrine.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

This year’s versions of that performance will happen at 4 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 12 and feature the Argus String Quartet.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

The quartet will also perform twice in the clan house 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 15.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

[Juneau Jazz and Classics brings Rhonda Ross and other headliners<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Both spaces are smaller venues, Schapp said, and intimate spaces are a recurring theme through this year’s schedule of events.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

There’s a couple of reasons for that.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

“We plan our year about 18 months out,” Schapp said. “When we were planning this year, we didn’t think the JACC would be here. That’s part of the reason, but honestly, I think the music is going to sound fantastic.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Demolition of the current Juneau Arts & Culture Center was at one point expected to begin in spring of 2019 <\/a>to make way for a a proposed New JACC project. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

She said the close quarters should make for great sounds as well as sights.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

“For some people that’s so important,” Schapp said. “They really like to be able to see the performer playing the music on the instrument.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Small venues may lead to fast sell-outs, Schapp said, but there are also a number of free performances during the festival by just about every artist in the lineup. Accessibility was a goal for the event.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Even the Grammy-winning Mark <\/a>O’Connor<\/a>, who is playing the festival’s finale at Centennial Hall 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 18 with the Mark O’Connor Band, will play a free-to-attend event.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Grammy Award-winning Mark O’Connor Band will be the festival finale during the 33rd annual Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival. O’Connor will also visit with local music students and be part of a free jam event. (Courtesy Photo | Juneau Jazz & Classics)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t

The day before the finale, O’Connor will be part of a free jam session at TK Maguires’ lounge. Schapp said organizers are pleased to have a musician of O’Connor’s caliber in the lineup.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

“Oh my gosh, we’re so excited,” Schapp said. “He’s an amazing fiddler and violinist.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

He’s also the person behind books and videos Juneau Alaska Music Matters<\/a> students use to learn to play string instruments. JAMM is a tuition-free music program for Juneau School District students.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Schapp said O’Connor will be visiting the students, and he will be someone they recognize.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

“It’s going to be so much fun,” Schapp said. “We’re so excited to have that happening. It should just be a wonderful experience.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t