Seattle Symphony Chorale—"Summer Sings" is another do-it-yourself music festival, readings of choral masterworks sung by whoever shows up. The repertory's TBA, but the dates have been set: five Wednesdays, 7/14, 21, 28; 8/11, 18. All readings are at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1245 10th E, 7-9. $7 each, $30 for series. Call 215-4752.
Vancouver Chamber Music Festival—Six concerts at the Crofton House School, with a really young crowd of performers: the Borromeo String Quartet, pianist Anton Nel, violinist Scott St. John, violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama, and clarinetist Todd Palmer among them. Shostakovich is the featured composer, with a work of his on five of the six concerts—the Piano Quintet, the two Piano Trios, the Cello Sonata, and the Quartet no. 12. From acclaimed young composer Melissa Hui, the VCMF commissioned Rush for Chinese pi-pa and string quartet; other program highlights include Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time and Weber's Clarinet Quintet. Vancouver Recital Society, 304-873 Beatty, Vancouver, BC, 604-602-0363. www.vanrecital.org. $22-$36. Mon, Wed, Fri 7/26-8/6.
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Beethoven in Bellingham—Chamber and orchestral music (the American Sinfonietta is the orchestra-in-residence) and some big classical names. Cellist Janos Starker plays concertos by Boccherini, Haydn, and Vivaldi and takes the spotlight for a recital of unaccompanied works (two by Bach, one by Gaspar Cassado). Pianist Garrick Ohlsson plays Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, and Pepe Romero plays a Giuliani concerto. Chamber offerings include Ligeti's M鴡morphoses nocturnes for string quartet and Mozart's Gran partita; composer-in-residence Eric Ewazen is on hand for the premiere of his Oboe Concerto; and as for Beethoven, the festival's climax is a concert performance of Fidelio. 1300 N State, Suite 202, Bellingham, 360-676-5997. www.bellinghamfestival.org. $9-$21. 7/30-8/14.
Seattle Opera—Next up on its schedule is my all-time favorite opera, Weber's Der Freischtz. This 1821 setting of a German folktale helped give the decisive blow to the gods-and-goddesses opera plots of the 18th century; from then on, local color and gothic thrills and chills became the rage in German opera. Without Weber, no Wagner, it's that simple. Seattle Opera, of course, is known for its Wagner, so this should be right up its alley. Gary Lakes sings Max, a huntsman who needs to win the hand of his beloved in a shooting contest, so he makes a deal with the devil to get seven magic bullets that never miss their marks (hence Seattle Opera's chosen English rendering of the title, The Devil's Bullet). Deborah Voigt plays his girlfriend, Agathe, and Gerard Schwarz conducts. 389-7676. www.seattleopera.org. $33-$99. 8/5-21.
Marrowstone Music Festival—The summer home of the Seattle Youth Symphony brings kids and guest faculty together for a busy lineup of concerts. The two youth orchestras, led by Jonathan Shames and Huw Edwards, play on Sundays at 2; their repertory includes decidedly adult music like Bart� Viola Concerto and Elgar's Enigma Variations. The faculty includes New York Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Dicterow; Alex Klein and Dale Clevenger, principal oboe and horn of the Chicago Symphony; and Seattle Symphony trumpeter Charles Butler. Faculty chamber music concerts are Thursdays at 8 and Saturdays at 2. All this takes place at Fort Worden State Park near Port Townsend. 11065 Fifth, Suite E, 362-2300. www.syso.org. $10-$14. 8/5-22.
Methow Music Festival—This is its fourth season, and it's scheduled six recitals, plus open rehearsals and lectures for you to sample. There's an American Night, with Gershwin, Copland, and Bernstein; a Baroque Night with Bach, Monteverdi, and Michael Haydn; and lots of 19th-century favorites. 16 Lost River Rd, Mazama, 509-996-3251. $7-$15. Weekends 8/6-15.
