Welcome, and welcome back, to Music Niagara’s exciting twelfth season!

The challenge of composing a really great season is driven by the pleasure of imagining two groups. One of course is the wonderful musicians who will join us, and the music we will hear. Each year we work hard to bring the most talented, diverse, engaging performers to Niagara on the Lake, and with artists such as Andre Laplante, Dick Hyman, the Swiss Piano Trio, and more, we have certainly filled the bill. Our programming is similarly varied and stellar. We will celebrate the 200th birthdays of composers Chopin and Schumann with several of their great works – in fact, we have created a special series, including Shaw Festival actors reading letters, music criticism, and more, dedicated to Schumann and his famous circle. The distinguished Chris Trakas and others will bring us the music of Italy, and the Quartetto Gelato will take us through Spain in the final concert "Viva España". There will be more jazz than ever, operetta, folk songs, musical theatre pieces, and a chance to hear it all in our new Niagara Pops series, combining the best in classical, jazz and contemporary in every concert with the talents of Paul Pacanowsky, Camille Watts, the Métis Fiddler Quartet, Julie Spring…the list of wonderful players and composers for 2010 just grows.

The other group it is a pleasure to imagine as we create this season, is you. To see our audiences thrill to outstanding music in our beautiful, unique Niagara venues – baroque within reach of wine barrels, hot jazz at cool bistros, chamber music in historic churches – is a joy that spurs our efforts to bring you the best. Discover the intimate musical experiences we’ve brought together for you in charming Niagara spaces this summer. We’ll look forward to seeing you here!

Atis Bankas
Artistic Director