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With their debut recording “Souvenirs” recently named BBC Music Magazine ‘Recording of the Year,’ Rolston String Quartet will play for the Guelph Musicfest’s second show of the year on July 24, 2021. CREDIT: KEN GEE
Guelph Musicfest enters its 15th season Classical festival wants to share live music with audience whether online or in-person ALLAN SLOAN
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ive concerts have been few and far between lately with the restrictions placed on events and indoor gatherings. However, Guelph Musicfest is entering its 15th season with in-person shows scheduled for July and November. The shows will run live if Ontario’s stay-at-home order is lifted, however, people may still enjoy them online if not. Ken Gee, artistic director of Guelph Musicfest told The Ontarion that after the 2020 lockdown, there was such a need for live music that listeners of their online performances were “moved to tears.” Gee has been running Guelph Musicfest for 15 years and says the festival was born out of the Guelph Spring Festival, “a big music festival that featured a lot of choral things, sometimes operettas and recitals.” The Guelph Spring Festival
declared bankruptcy after 38 years of annual events, and the Guelph Musicfest was created in order to continue offering people the music they had grown to love. “There were no classical concerts and I just thought, here’s an opportunity. Why don’t I just start something?” Gee said.
People were crying, they started hearing the music and they were literally moved to tears. — Ken Gee
The festival has seen success over the years, but like many concerts and events planned for 2020, those running it were worried about not being able to
hold shows. However, Gee said the public was so eager for music that the cancelling of their 2020 live performances and move to online was met with positivity. “I had pre-sold a lot of subscriptions for the whole series then,” Gee said. “All the people who had paid full price, [and signed up for] free subscriptions too, said ‘oh it’s fine, I don’t want my money back, I’ll just watch it online.’” Gee says he takes pride in Guelph Musicfest’s online shows. “In 2020, it was about the only classical music festival in the country that managed to present all the concerts in front of a live audience,” Gee said. This year, with five performances scheduled between July and November, Gee has geared up to offer them online or — if the stay-at-home order is lifted — in person.
“I turned it into a hybrid series right away,” Gee said, “we’re adhering to the normal red zone rules or orange zone rules, a maximum of 50 people. So, everybody’s spread out and they’re grouped according to families or couples with six feet between them.” Gee went on to say that masks are a requirement throughout the entire building, and if anyone is experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19, they are encouraged to stay home and watch online. Gee is optimistic that by November indoor gatherings will go back to upwards of 100 occupants. He believes that if the reactions to last year’s shows are any indication, there is a great need for music in the public eye, whether it’s live, prerecorded, or through streaming.
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CREDIT: PIXABAY
“[They were] so thirsty for music that at the first concert in July 2020, which had been the first live-streamed concert since March 2020, people were crying, they started hearing the music and they were literally moved to tears,” Gee said. Guelph Musicfest’s first show of the season is July 9 at 7:30 p.m. As of April 28, in-person tickets are still available for purchase, however, Gee said that online live stream tickets will remain open, and pre-recording of the show will be online shortly after.
Further information about Guelph Musicfest can be found at guelphmusicfest.ca.
Canadian Cellist Arlen Hlusko plays for Guelph Musicfest alongside Artistic Director Ken Gee on piano for the first show of the season on July 9, 2021. CREDIT: KEN GEE
