Scene & Heard - Music to the Ears: Musicians and patrons kick off Carolina Summer Music Festival

When you live in the City of the Arts and you attend a party celebrating the Carolina Summer Music Festival, you expect to hear quality music.

Wednesday night's pre-festival party certainly delivered.

Together with good food, wine and sprays of Christmas lights dangling from the patio at the Zevely House, it was enough to make the Carolina humidity play second fiddle and push the festival to the front of the stage.

The festival, which will begin Wednesday and run through Aug. 29, is presented by the Carolina Chamber Symphony Players and Old Salem Museums and Gardens. The sponsors are the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, Kilpatrick Stockton, the Zevely House, and the John W. Hanes and Anna H. Hanes Foundation. The festival, in its second year, is being held at various venues throughout Winston-Salem. For more information, visit http://csmf.carolinachambersymphony.org.

Keeping the energy going at the party were Judith Saxton and Ken Wilmot, trumpets; Joe Mount, horn; Chris Ferguson, trombone; and Mike Teague, tuba. They showed what chamber music is all about, playing everything from the classic "Moon River" to the lively "Pink Panther." Joe Mount, one of the artistic directors of the festival, said, "The festival has a great lineup of local artists, a real variety."

Elizabeth Ransom, another artistic director and flute player, was especially excited to announce that "Lanie Pope (of WXII-TV) will be narrating the ‘Carolina Scrapbook.'" Ransom had just been to Jon Kuhn's studio for a rehearsal for "Summer Music," and she said that the festival is "unique because it has all local artists, many with national reputations. Really, only in Winston-Salem can you do something like this."

Jacqui Carrasco, the third artistic director and a violin player, said that chamber music is a great medium because "it is so engaging. You get to see and feel the players make music. It is intimate and a way to communicate. It's nice to get to share what you do." Her son Rafa was showing off his dance moves, clearly enjoying the night.

Phyllis Dunning was mingling, making conversation and sampling the hors d'oeuvres. Nearby, Monika Wilmont, a violinist for the Winston-Salem Symphony and the Greensboro Symphony, said she was there to support her friends.

Matt Kendrick, a jazz bassist and a board member of the Carolina Chamber Symphony Players, or CCSP, said he thought that the night "was a perfect kickoff and great for wine and talking." He said he was excited to be the "jazz element" of the festival with "My Funny Valentine" on Saturday.

Richard Emmett, the chief operating officer of the arts council, and Lee French, the president of Old Salem Museums and Gardens, stood together talking and soaking up the scene. French was adamant about the promise of the festival, even in the face of less-than-desirable economic circumstances: "Despite the festival not having a lot of marketing funds, the quality of the events and music is as good as ever."

Josie Phillips sat just to the side of the main crowd, where she talked about her admiration for all of the musicians. She will be attending all of this year's events: "It's wonderful to have the musicians' talent. They are all so personable, too."

Phillips was sitting with Sharyn Turner, the public-relations specialist at Reynolda House Museum of American Art. Turner spoke to a recurring theme throughout the night -- collaboration.

"This is a festival that appeals to all music lovers. We are thrilled to have ‘American Landscapes,' and to pair it with our current exhibition, ‘Heroes of Horticulture.' It's a perfect mix of visual and musical."

"Collaborations with other organizations are very important, and we are thrilled to be working together," said Paula Locklair, the vice president of education for Old Salem and a member of the CCSP board.

About 6 p.m., Bill Benton, the president of the CCSP board, spoke to the guests. He first congratulated the National Black Theatre Festival on a successful year. He then expressed excitement about the coming festival, and said, "You don't have to be a classical-music aficionado to enjoy this special series."

All three artistic chairmen -- Mount, Ransom and Carrasco -- spoke, giving an overview of the various concerts. Carrasco gave an especially enticing plug for "Tango," asking, "When will you ever get the chance again to hear music that originated from Argentinean brothels being played in Old Salem?"

Milton Rhodes, the president and chief executive of the arts council, spoke about the festival helping the city: "The music adds tremendous quality to the venues. We are grateful to the artists for staying in Winston and making it a city of arts and innovation. Winston-Salem is poised to catapult into a modus operandi and become a vibrant city once again."

The party continued after the speakers. That was when I ran into Bud Baker, the former chief executive of Wachovia, and his wife, Zanne. They were glad to make it to the gathering. "This festival is great," Mr. Baker said. "So many of the arts events are sold out in Winston-Salem. It just shows how much happens here."

Jerry Silber and Alan Keely, both on the CCSP board, emphasized the low-cost of the activities and said that listeners will hear something new each night.

"Carolina Chamber music gives artists another outlet, and lets them enjoy the full gamut of music," said Merritt Vale, a member of the CCSP board and the executive director of the Winston-Salem Symphony.

Sarah Smith, the director of marketing and communications at Reynolda House, and Stephan Dragisic, the director of marketing and communications for Visit Winston-Salem, made an appearance.

"The outdoor space is so great here, and it's nice to see everyone come out," Smith said. "It's a tightknit arts society, so we all support each other."

A sign of a successful gathering is when attendees want to linger a little longer after the end. Madeline Kendrick, daughter of Matt Kendrick, danced happily around while many of the night's guests continued to mingle. If this party is any indication of what's to come, the festival is going to be a great success.

■ Scene & Heard is no longer being written by Leigh Somerville McMillan. She is a freelance writer who recently became editor of Winston-Salem Living, a local magazine that is not affiliated with the Winston-Salem Journal.

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