A Second Season for The Hamptons Festival of Music

Get ready for musical magic at this year’s The Hamptons Festival of Music (TH·FM), where enchanting melodies, exhilarating rhythms and captivating harmonies will come to life. From September 3 to September 10, the festival will present performances spanning centuries and cultures, showcasing the brilliance of renowned classical composers and their masterpieces, all performed by Maestro Michael Palmer and The New American Sinfonietta in the unique setting of LTV Studio 3 in Wainscott.

On Sunday, September 3, at 4 p.m., the festival opens with a mesmerizing revival of Joseph Haydn’s long-lost “Overture to La Fedeltà Premiata.” The program then takes an exciting turn with the world premiere of David Leisner’s “Wayfaring,” a concerto for guitar and orchestra featuring the legendary Pepe Romero as a soloist, elegantly weaving the beloved folk song “Wayfaring Stranger” into an emotional tapestry of symphonic scale. Leisner is not only a composer, but also a classical guitarist. So he knows the instrument intimately. He also teaches at the Manhattan School of Music and previously taught at the New England Conservatory.

“The opportunity to write a guitar concerto on commission for Pepe Romero has been one of the highlights of my life,” says Leisner, who teaches at the Manhattan School of Music. “Pepe is my favorite living guitarist, and he may be yours as well. I have known Pepe for many years, both as an older colleague in the guitar world and as the brilliant teacher of master classes I have hosted.”

Richard Wagner’s enchantingly beautiful “Siegfried Idyll” follows, a musical gem that springs from the pastoral passages of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, transporting listeners to a world of romance and nature, where the genius of the composer is on full display. The evening concludes with Felix Mendelssohn’s sunny “Symphony No. 4” (“Italian”), inspired by Italy’s vivid colors and atmosphere. It is one of Palmer’s signature works, displaying the incredible virtuosity of the orchestra, hearkening back to The American Sinfonietta, which for 10 years toured Europe, playing the great concert halls in of Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, including the Musikverein in Vienna, home of the Vienna Philharmonic.

For the second concert on Friday, September 8, at 8 p.m., experience the quintessential French charm in George Bizet’s orchestral suite, “Jeux d’Enfants” (“Children’s Games”), an exploration of childhood nuances comes to life. Then Aaron Copland’s iconic “Appalachian Spring” captures the essence of pioneering spirits in the Pennsylvania hills, sweeping the audience into the heart of the American experience.

The evening crescendos to a musical apex with Mozart’s “Symphony No. 41” (“Jupiter”), a masterpiece showcasing the Austrian composer’s unmatched compositional technique — his last and longest symphony.

The festival’s unforgettable finale on Sunday, September 10, at 4 p.m. opens with Antonín Dvořák’s “Serenade for Winds,” a masterpiece by the famous Czech composer, that offers a captivating journey through intricate rhythms and heartfelt melodies.

And finally, the Hamptons Festival of Music finale will be Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” which takes center stage to finish the festival. Witness the momentous shift in symphonic form in this work that shaped the course of music history, reflecting Beethoven’s heroic spirit, his pursuit of newness, and his defiance of conventions.

Join in celebrating the indomitable spirit of music at The Hamptons Festival of Music, revel in the rediscovery of rediscovered treasures, embrace the power of innovation, and enjoy timeless masterpieces that have left an indelible mark on the world. Concerts are Sunday, September 3, Friday, September 8, and Sunday September 10.

For tickets and more details, visit thehamptonsfestivalofmusic.com. LTV Studios is at 75 Industrial Road, Wainscott.