Our History
In 1998, Atis Bankas came to Niagara on the Lake with the dream of founding a music school and summer music festival. He had discovered the perfect location - one of Canada's most beautiful towns on the shores of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the magnificent Niagara River, an area of great historical significance, surrounded by orchards and lush vineyards. That summer the festival had its first season.
During the first year, the festival was small in scope. By the third season, audiences were growing as residents and tourists began to discover the festival. The success of these early seasons moved the festival to a new level of performance, with 2004 introducing one or more performances on every day of the three-week festival and the introduction of several new series. By 2008, the festival had grown to the point of celebrating its tenth anniversary with a season of nearly 50 concerts featuring over 100 musicians from all over the world performing in many different venues throughout Niagara. The tradition of outstanding music in standout settings continued in 2009, with great acclaim for individual concerts by exceptional musicians, and series both old and new selling out.
Over the past twelve years, Music Niagara has evolved into a world-class summer music festival featuring Canadian and international musicians performing a variety of music genres in unique, intimate, and beautiful settings in Niagara on the Lake. The festival has established itself as an annual cultural event, with its own core audience and a capacity for networking with other arts, heritage and cultural organizations within the Niagara Region. The associations and partnerships that have developed between these organizations allow the festival to present unique and diverse artistic experiences. Audiences are able to combine their enjoyment of chamber music with a deeper appreciation of Niagara's rich heritage and history, its other cultural offerings and a visit to the wineries.
The festival has become an important component of the cultural landscape in Niagara and is considered a leading force in developing Niagara's reputation as a major North American centre for the performing arts. Music Niagara has an international reputation for presenting a variety of music genres of the highest calibre and is recognized as a world-class summer music festival, attracting locals and tourists from around the world as well as a passionate and loyal local following.
