News & Media
The Strad: Ying Quartet, Derek Bermel Review
August 15, 2025
For the opening night of the Bowdoin International Music Festival, listeners packed the Studzinski Recital Hall with some 30 extra seats on stage flanking the Ying Quartet, which offered two Schubert gems. For his Quartettsatz, the opening lines were precisely spun, soothing except for the bristling tremolos. Other pluses: lithe tone, and in a space ideal fo ...
Times Record: 5 Ways to Experience the Festival
July 30, 2025
The Bowdoin International Music Festival offers myriad events at no cost. Here are five ways to enjoy the festival for free before it ends.
Times Record: Renowned violinist to perform
July 16, 2025
Violin soloist Simone Porter will grace the stage at Brunswick’s Crooker Theater with the Bowdoin International Music Festival orchestra on Friday, July 18. Peter Bay will conduct the program, which includes “Poem from Tang” by Zhou Long, feauring Rachel Yi and Claire Arias-Kim on violin, Julian Seney on viola, and Amanda Chi on cello; suite from the b ...
Press Herald: Classical Music Everywhere
May 15, 2025
In a concert hall. At a brewery. During a yoga class. Outside. By candlelight. At a festival. Mainers will be able to hear classical music in all kinds of venues this summer. Here are a few.
Times Record: What’s in Store at the Festival
May 12, 2025
The Bowdoin International Music Festival will return this summer with artists hailing from Brunswick and beyond. The Festival will run from June 30 to Aug. 8 and include performances from both student and professional artists.
Festival Announces 2025 Season
May 9, 2025
Bowdoin International Music Festival Announces 2025 Season and Celebrates 10 Years of Artistic Leadership Under David and Phillip Ying Brunswick, Maine — The Bowdoin International Music Festival is pleased to announce the 2025 season, June 30 – August 8, which will feature an exciting lineup of concerts, masterclasses, and community events, welcoming bo ...
Alumni News: September 2024
September 20, 2024
David Bernat ’19 In July, David joined the renowned Formosa Quartet. David shared: “I am thrilled to be joining Debbie, Jasmine, and Matt in this upcoming chapter of the Formosa Quartet! From my first experience playing with the quartet, I felt a unique warmth of spirit that allowed for a thrilling spontaneity and a true sense of exploration in the musi ...
The Strad: Pacifica Quartet Review
September 13, 2024
To a packed house with extra seats on stage, the Pacifica Quartet began the evening at the Bowdoin International Music Festival with Shostakovich’s Second String Quartet. This arresting score was relatively fresh in my memory, after hearing the Jerusalem Quartet traverse its mysteries (reviewed in the July issue). While acknowledging that comparisons are ...
The Strad: Review of Alexi Kenney Masterclass
September 13, 2024
‘Can that be like the most shockingly gorgeous thing ever?’ said violinist Alexi Kenney about a passage in Schumann’s Sonata no.1 for violin and piano. Kenney was encouraging June Chung – a Boston-based violinist – to be more spontaneous, during this invigorating masterclass at the Bowdoin Festival. With grace, lively language and a bit of humour, ...
The Strad: Concert Review of Beethoven, Cuong, & Beach
August 16, 2024
For those who have not yet encountered the music of Amy Beach, a starry ensemble offered a passionate corrective, finishing the evening with her Piano Quintet (1908), a seldom-played work that deserves to be far better known. In the lush first movement, the five players swept through the opening with passion and meticulous care. The Elgarian long lines of th ...