Now in its sixth year, the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival marks the start of summer on the island with a collection of performances by some favorite friends along with some new, fresh faces.

This year might be called "The Year of the Chamber Music Spectacular" as nearly half the scheduled concerts will include eight or more musicians. In a series called "Pieces of Eight," four concerts will feature at least one magnificent work with eight instruments.

The first of these events will be June 8 with the Grammy Award-winning collaboration of the Turtle Island String Quartet, known for its improvisatory jazz-influenced performances, and the Ying String Quartet, heralded for its consummate classical interpretations. Festival favorite Robert McDuffie returns on June 12 with a violin spectacular that will culminate with the ever-popular Octet in E-flat major by Mendelssohn. The greatest solo clarinetist of this generation, Richard Stoltzman, will be joined by Festival friends, old and new, to perform the dynamic Octet in F Major by Schubert on June 15. And to complete the series on June 20, the debut of the extraordinary Amelia Island Cello Ensemble consisting of eight of the greatest cellists today.

Composer, author and NPR star Rob Kapilow and some of his Festival  
friends help answer the question, "What makes classical music great?"
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New to the festival this year is the famous NPR star, author, composer and music commentator Rob Kapilow with his fun and insightful "What Makes It Great?" programs. His enthusiastic demonstration and elucidation of great masterworks is infectious and you will find that you can listen, understand and thus enjoy these works as you never have before!

Another new item to the festival schedule this year is a partnership with the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. On June 21, in a marriage of art and music, the great Russian pianist Vladimir Feltsman will perform Mussorgsky's tour de force "Pictures at an Exhibition," highlighted by a multi-media art presentation and an elegant pre-concert reception in one of the galleries.

Richard Stoltzman
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Other newcomers to the 2007 Festival are violinist Jennifer Koh and pianist Reiko Uchida.

Along with the new additions, many Festival favorites will return this year, including the Guarneri String Quartet, Valentina Lisitsa, Lynn Harrell, Beth Newdome, Helen Nightengale, James Dunham, Charles Rex, Victoria Chiang, Suzanne Lefevre, Jun Iwasaki, Philip Pan, Will Ransom, Laura Ardan and Alison Buchanan.

Lynn Harrell
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To top it all off, Festival favorites will team up with the Ritz Chamber Players for a Gala at The Ritz-Carlton featuring the original version of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" for soloist and big band (over 20 musicians!) plus other chamber works with jazz influences. This is sure to be a true spectacular!

For all the latest information regarding concert times, places and ticket availability, please call (904) 261-1779 or visit the official festival website at www. aicmf.com.