Musician's Friend and Fender donated an American Standard Stratocaster to Britt, which Britt had signed by members of The Black Crowes, and then gave away to a lucky Britt patron at The Black Crowes concert on July 2. That lucky patron was Alex Benavides of Medford. Here's a photo of the guitar, with a rare purple finish:
Britt Festivals presents “Growing Up Brubeck,” a talk with Chris and Dan Brubeck, on Thursday, June 24 at Artistic Piano Gallery in Medford. The brothers, sons of living legend Dave Brubeck, will talk about their experience growing up in one of America’s most accomplished musical families.
The first Britt 2010 performance took place this morning (May 27), when Jacksonville Elementary performed the musical Mulan Junior for about 1600 school kids from all over the valley. Don't miss the encore performance of Mulan Junior tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $3 per person, or $8 per family. It's a fun night for all ages!
This Monday, April 6, Britt partnered with Southern Oregon Public Television on their pledge drive. SOPTV aired two specials that featured upcoming Britt artists – Tommy Emmanuel's Center Stage special, and the Rounder Records special that featured Steve Martin, Béla Fleck and many others. Britt's Executive Director Jim Fredericks encouraged viewer support of the station, and Britt staff took pledge calls from viewers. It was a great night in support of two community non-profits! Here are a few behind-the-scene shots:
We had an enthusiastic crowd of media, sponsors, board, staff and Benefactor, Gold Circle and Leadership members at last week's Season Announcment Party on the Britt stage last week. Take a look at a few highlights:
Britt volunteers rock! About 20 volunteers donated their Tuesday evenings to call Britt patrons and encourage them to renew their memberships, or become new members. The cheerful crew was able to secure several memberships last night, and calls continue tonight. Thanks to all!
CALLING ALL ARTISTS...Britt Festivals is giving aspiring artists (professional, amateur and
student) the opportunity to leave a mark on the 2010 Festival by
designing this season's t-shirt.
Several members of the Britt staff took to the Britt hill last week to shape up the hill. With rakes and leaf blowers in hand, we cleaned up leaves and pine needles, filling the biggest dumpster we'd ever seen. Here are a few before/after photos, along with shots of the hard-working crew:
Britt's new Executive Director Jim Fredericks was announced today in a press conference at the Britt office today. Read about Jim in the press release and take a look at his message on our web site: http://www.brittfest.org/meetjimfredericks
Take a look at these photos from the press conference today:
If you've been reading Britt communications through the last several
months, or tuned in to local media, you know that we're facing a time
of change and adaptation, and there are many questions about what the
organization needs to do to succeed. The just-released Britt Backstage newsletter features a Q&A with Britt Interim Executive Director Angela Warren, tackling such questions as:
What aspects of the business is Britt evaluating?
How does Britt need to change in order to succeed?
Britt's hard-working volunteers were honored at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Party last Sunday, September 27, on the Britt hill. Dinner was provided, followed by an awards ceremony, and a performance by the Hamazons. Several volunteers were honored:
Photos by Mike Sturgill.
Britt Society President Brian McCormick presents a check for $34,000 to Britt's Interim Executive Director Angela Warren:
George Relles has been managing the sound at Britt since 1981. In this article in the Medford Mail Tribune, Relles talks about the nature of managing sound at the outdoor amphitheater, how he first entered the fine art of sound engineering and some of his favorite moments at Britt over the years:
The winning ticket for the 2009 Britt raffle was drawn last Saturday, September 12, right before the Gov't Mule concert on the Britt hill. Will Larson of Eugene won a pair of reserved tickets and reserved parking for every concert in the 2010 Britt season. More than 11,000 raffle tickets were sold this summer, with all proceeds benefitting Britt programs.
Britt Assistant House Manager Megan Burr announces the winning entry, with House Manager Cil Stengel and Director of Programming & Production Mike Sturgill looking on. Photo by Scott Cole.
A brief description of the film All Together Now: The Making of "Love", that will be featured at our Britt Movie Night on August 27th, as well a link to trailers of the film.
Taken by our very own Mike Sturgill (our production director), these
pictures feature some behind-the-scene looks of the stage and amazing live
photographs of our featured artist, Trace Adkins!
A sudden downpour made for a memorable night on the Britt hill this past Saturday. Soloist Anton Nel and the Britt Orchestra were in the early moments of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25 when the rain started falling hard. This YouTube video shows the story.
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This week two of the Britt Institute's summer programs are happening simultaneously: the Saxophone Workshop and the String Quartet Academy. Students are learning from top-notch faculty, performing in small quartets and larger ensembles. Both students and faculty will perform throughout the valley. Take a look at our list of recitals for a full schedule.
To see the inside scoop of the Sax Workshop, take a look at the blog of Dr. Rhett Bender, the Camp Director.
Also, see what the String Quartet Academy students are up to on the Britt Institute blog.
The Britt Institute Jazz Camp students had a special opportunity this summer. Before Chris Botti's concert at Britt on Friday, June 26th, the students were able to sit down and learn from the jazz trumpeter in a master class. Jazz Camp student Kai Sandoval played for Botti, and following Bott's feedback, the students were able to ask questions. The photos below...
Sharon Johnson's column in today's Medford Mail Tribune says that
people who volunteer are much healthier. We couldn't help but think of
our Britt volunteers and their big hearts!
Here is a great Q&A with Cowboy Junkies' Michael Timmins. The band recently played a benefit concert for War Child, a network of independent organizations working across the world to help children affected by war.
We have all probably had the sinking feeling when we realize that we have left something precious behind in a restaurant, taxi or hotel room. Imagine how you would feel watching a taxicab pull away with something worth $4 million dollars still inside it.
This week the executive director of Britt Festivals, Rick Hood, and
Mike Sturgill, director of programming, are traveling to the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference in New York City. So what are they doing in the Big Apple?
Have you ever wondered how Britt Festivals started? In 2006, John Trudeau, the founding music director and first
conductor of the Britt Festival Orchestra, published a book about his
experience of seeing his lifelong dream of starting a music festival
become become a reality. The book is a detailed account of the beginning of Britt, starting in the early 1960s.
For a taste of the book, here's a humorous moment from Trudeau's book, Touches of
Sweet Harmony.
Take a look at what G. Love had to say about his performance at Britt last Friday, September 5. It's always nice to hear that an artist enjoyed their time at Britt!
