The WhatcomTalk Events Calendar shares things to do around Whatcom County including Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine and beyond. Find fun activities and adventures throughout the region on our comprehensive events calendar. Have an event that isn’t listed? Click the green “Post your Event” button and our editors will review and approve within two business days.
Two Grammy nominated musicians perform at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden, Washington on Monday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Bassoonist Martin Kuuskmann and pianist and composer Jovino Santos Neto join forces to interpret a selection of lyrical pieces by Brazilian composers during this special engagement.
The serenade will include music by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Hermeto Pascoal, Santos Neto, Pixinguinha, Edu Lobo and more. The audience can expect beautiful and profound melodies, inspired interpretations and deep musical interactions.
Three-time Latin Grammy nominee Jovino Santos Neto, a master pianist, composer and arranger, is among the top Brazilian musicians working today, bringing energetic grooves and lyrical melodies to a variety of musical genres, blending both traditional and modern styles.
Jovino gives lectures, clinics and master classes worldwide on a variety of musical topics, and is a professor of Music at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington.
An Estonian-born bassoon virtuoso with two Grammy nominated albums, Martin Kuuskmann’s charismatic and commanding performances throughout the world have earned him repute as one of the leading solo instrumentalists today.
Professor Kuuskmann recently joined the faculty of the Lamont School of Music in Denver, Colorado.
This concert is a collaboration between the Jansen Art Center and the Drayton Harbor Music Festival. Tickets are $20.00 and available for purchase at the J or online at www.jansenartcenter.org.
Every year, the Bellingham Festival of Music sponsors a winter recital by a young musician from the area who is currently studying to be a professional musician in a nationally recognized music program. It celebrates the talent and dedication of the featured young artists, their teachers and the training they received in area education programs.
Violinist Hannie McGarity grew up in Bellingham, Washington and studied with Professor Walter Schwede of WWU while attending Bellingham High School. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music Performance at St. Olaf College, where she studies with Dr. Francesca Anderegg. Hannie plays in the St. Olaf Orchestra, which toured Argentina and Uruguay in June 2016. As the winner of the 2017 Edvard Grieg Society of Minnesota String Competition, she performed at the International Grieg Society Seminar in Bergen, Norway in October. She looks forward to studying abroad in Vienna, Austria this spring.
A modern chamber music concert blending elements of classical, jazz and contemporary styles while capturing the communicative and integrative spirit of ensemble playing. Program features classical works reinterpreted from a jazz perspective and original jazz compositions arranged for woodwinds and rhythm section to create a unique, ambient blend of these two worlds. Music by J.S. Bach, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, BJ Block and others!
Featuring BJ Block, Roger Yamashita, Christian Casolary, Erika Block, Pat Nelson, Lisa McCarthy, Jennifer Weeks and Gustavo Camacho.
Whatcom Chorale, led by Deborah L. Brown, Artistic Director and Conductor, offers a delightfully diverse concert. The program includes “Frostiana,” Randall Thompson’s evocative settings of Robert Frost poems; selections from Franz Joseph Haydn’s oratorio “Die Jahreszeiten [The Seasons],” featuring local tenor Aaron McInnis; Pietro Mascagni’s “Anthem for Spring” from “Cavalleria Rusticana”; and local composer Henry From’s setting of Orazguly Annaev’s poem “Self-Portrait.”
Tickets: (1) online at Brown Paper Tickets; (2) beginning three weeks before the concert, at both Bellingham Food Co-ops and at Village Books in Fairhaven and Lynden; and (3) at the door. Adults $20, Students/Seniors (65+) $15, Children (under 18) $5.
Whatcom Chorale, led by Deborah L. Brown, Artistic Director and Conductor, offers “Bach and Forward”— works by two very different Bachs! Refresh your spirit with the beauty of J. S. Bach’s “Jesu, meine Freude” (Jesus, my joy) and “Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf” (The Spirit gives aid to our weakness), and then laugh at P.D.Q. Bach’s “Liebeslieder Polkas,” a satirical homage to the romantic Brahms by the elder Bach’s “only forgotten son.”
Tickets available: (1) online at Brown Paper Tickets; (2) starting three weeks before the concert, at both locations of the Community Food Co-op and Village Books; and (3) at the door. Adults $20, Students/Seniors (65+) $15, Children (under 18) $5.
Have you ever wondered about some of the history behind the writing of classical music or the different ways to listen to classical music? Well your opportunity is on June 27 at Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen, 601 W Holly Street, Bellingham at 7:00 p.m. Members of the Whatcom symphony have partnered with Chuckanut and will be on hand to talk and play classical music for those that attend. This event will repeat the last Wednesday of each month throughout the summer.
Several members of the symphony will talk about their love of classical music, how and why they became musicians, the history of the pieces they will play and more info related to classical music. Whatcom Symphony has been around for four decades and is comprised of over 80 volunteer musicians performing in the Bellingham community eight times a year! There will also be an opportunity to join in the raffle to raise funds for the symphony during the evening. Prizes will include Chuckanut schwag and tickets for some of the symphony concerts. No reservations required, the event will take place in Chuckanut’s back covered patio where food and beverages will be available for purchase. All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend!
Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen, located at 601 West Holly St, Bellingham, was awarded the National Small Brewpub/Brewer of the Year 2009 and National Small Brewery/Brewer of the Year 2011 at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF). The full service “Kitchen” serves from 11:00 a.m. every day to guests of all ages with an eclectic fresh local menu. South Nut’s Tap Room is in the heart of Skagit Valley, 11937 Higgins Airport Way, Burlington, and welcomes guests of all ages. Check out additional information about Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen at http://www.chuckanutbreweryandkitchen.com/
Grumpy and Sunshine are an instrumental duo performing on banjo and guitar. Their eclectic musical presentation includes originals, as well as Latin, bluegrass and classical selections.
Please join Animals as Natural Therapy for an intimate holiday concert featuring the NOEL Ensemble.
Enjoy classical favorites, poetry and carols from around the globe in honor of the winter season! We invite you to celebrate the holidays with loved ones while giving back to our community. 100% of ticket sales support ANT’s youth, veterans and animals.
The Hearthsong Inn, a beautifully-restored schoolhouse located in Whatcom County, will provide wine and festive fare to accompany the music.
Tickets are $50 and are available by calling our office at 360-671-3509, or by online purchase at Brown Paper Tickets.
Tickets include wine, delicious hors d’oeuvres and a festive performance. Parking is free.
We’re celebrating Mozart’s birthday!
Join us for a joyful tribute to the prolific composer! Two-time Grammy-nominated bassoonist Martin Kuuskmann joins the chamber orchestra for Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto plus Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ Symphony No. 2 and Mozart’s noble and powerful “Jupiter” Symphony. A pre-concert lecture about the repertoire by Dr. Ryan Dudenbostel starts at 2:15. Performance on Sunday, January 27 at 3:00pm at the Mount Baker Theatre (104 N. Commercial St.). Tickets start at $15. Call the Mount Baker Theatre at (360) 734-6080 or visit www.mountbakertheatre.com
A walk in the forest, a mountain stream, a dog chasing squirrels, a polar bear sauntering across the ice – all these and more are explored in the solo piano performance “Mother Earth.” Sure to ignite the imagination, the program will feature a premiere of “Sounds of a Fjord” by Norwegian composer Kaja Bjørntvedt. Don’t miss this musical and poetic journey through earth’s spectacular landscapes.
Becky Billock, a Pittsburgh-based piano soloist, recording artist, and chamber musician is touted as “an unforgettable listening experience.” (Fanfare Magazine)
Program includes works by Amy Beach, Marion Bauer, Henry Cowell, Edvard Grieg, Karen Tanaka, Bonnie McLarty, Elisenda Fabregas, Patrick Burke, Germaine Tailleferre, Robert Schultz, Katherine Hoover, Gwyneth Walker, and Kaja Bjørntvedt.
Full bio, pictures, program notes and more can be found at www.beckybillock.org.
Classical Music Concert. Music includes Downton Abbey Suite by John Lunn, Karelia Suite by Jean Sibelius, For Horns and Strings by Arthur Frakenpohl, and First Symphony by Ludwig an Beethoven. Free Admission. Donations Welcome. NCCO is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Contact kokapelli85@gmail.com for further information.
Bellingham Music Club welcomes WWU professor, cellist John Friesen, with pianist Rebecca Mañalac in a program of works by Bach and Haydn, in addition to shorter, brilliant, encore-style pieces by various composers.
Known for his exciting and passionate performances, Dr. Friesen has appeared in New York, Washington, D.C., Moscow, Montreal and Tokyo. “He plays with obvious enjoyment and commitment, letting Bach speak through his strings.” (Seattle Times).
Wednesday, May 1, 10:30am at Trinity Lutheran Church, 119 Texas St. in Bellingham. Free and open to all. Family friendly. For more information, visit bellinghammusicclub.org or call 360-305-6526.
BMC Night Beat returns on Thursday, May 2, 7:30pm at First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Ave. in Bellingham.
Cellist John Friesen will first play Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, which opens with the famous and beloved prelude of arpeggiated chords. Pianist Rebecca Mañalac will join him for Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major, and encore-style pieces by Fauré, Schubert and Rubinstein.
Then, Dr. Friesen and two-time Grammy award-winner, musician and composer, Ben Mink, will open a window on their friendship, collaboration and multi-faceted talent! They will announce their part of the program from the stage, but just to give you a hint, past joint endeavors include working on k. d. lang’s album, Ingénue, and recording movie scores written by Mr. Mink. Special treats are in store!
Tickets are on sale at Village Books, Quist Violins, online, and at the door. $20 general; $15 seniors. Take-a-teen-for-free! WWU and WCC students also are free with I.D.! Visit bellinghammusicclub.org or call 360-305-6526 for details
Whatcom Chorale and Whatcom Sinfonia present the premiere of Scott Henderson’s evocative new song cycle, “Ordinary Prayers,” and two works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — the “Coronation” Mass, K. 317 and “Vesperae solennes de confessore,” K. 339, which includes the beautiful “Laudate dominum.”
Tickets are available at the door and online through Brown Paper Tickets, and starting three weeks before the concert, at both Community Food Co-ops (Bellingham and Cordata), and at Village Books (Fairhaven and Lynden). Adult $20, Senior (65+)/Student $15, Under18 $5.
Seattle-based musician and marimbist Erin Jorgensen is thrilled to bring Bach & Pancakes to Bellingham’s Alternative Library. Erin will play three of the famous Bach cello suites on a beautiful five-octave marimba, with breaks for pancakes throughout the concert. Absolutely all ages are welcome and the events are very child friendly. Please bring your families of any kind! Audiences are welcome to come anytime throughout the event to get some carbohydrates and literal good vibes.
Performing Brahms, Ades, Chopin, Schumann
Winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2011, Mr. Hochman previously made his New York recital debut in 2006 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, proceeding to establish a vibrant and venerated musical presence in New York City through concerts with the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra, his Carnegie Hall debut with the Israel Philharmonic and a succession of prominent recital and chamber performances at 92nd Street Y. Following his debut with the Chicago Symphony in a Mozart Piano Concerto project with Pinchas Zukerman and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, he performed his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut at the Hollywood Bowl and was engaged for three subscription series with the Pittsburgh Symphony.
The Bayshore Symphony begins our 16th season on Saturday, November 9, at 7:30pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 415 S. 18th St. in Mount Vernon, and on Sunday, November 10, at 3:00pm at Central Lutheran Church, 925 N. Forest St. in Bellingham. Artistic director Chip Bergeron conducts Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture as well as Two English Idylls by George Butterworth, Francesco Geminiani’s Concerto Grosso “La Follia”, and Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. Our program will conclude with Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. $15 suggested donation at the door. Free for children 12 and under. More info at bayshoresymphony.com, and facebook.com/bayshoresymphony.
An unmissable biography narrated by Juliet Stevenson and featuring interviews and performances with over 70 of the greatest exponents of Mozart’s music. Produced in association with the world’s leading orchestras, opera houses and musicians. Told through a 25,000 mile journey along every route Mozart followed, In Search of Mozart is a detective story that travels to the heart of old Europe… and the heart of genius itself.
Screened in honor of Mozart’s birthday!
Performing Bach, Ravel, Chopin
Winner of the 2017 Concours Musical International de Montréal for piano and recipient of a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship, Zoltán Fejérvári has appeared in recitals throughout Europe and the United States in such prestigious venues as Carnegie’s Weill Hall in New York, the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, the Library of Congress in Washington DC, Gasteig in Munich, Lingotto in Turin, the Palau de Música in Valencia, the Biblioteca Nacional de Buenos Aires and the Liszt Academy in Budapest. He has performed as a soloist with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Hungarian National Orchestra, the Verbier Festival and Concerto Budapest Orchestras among others, under such conductors as Iván Fischer, Zoltán Kocsis, Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi, and Gábor Takács-Nagy.
The St. Olaf Orchestra, conducted by Chung Park, will perform at the Western Washington Performing Arts Center in Bellingham, WA, on Sunday , October 16 at 7 p.m. during its 2022 Fall Tour. The St. Olaf Orchestra is a full symphony orchestra rich in international artistry and tradition and known for its enthusiastic and passionate performances. Founded in 1906, the 95-member ensemble has been heralded as one of the finest collegiate orchestras in the country, and won the 2013 and 2019 American Prizes in Orchestral Performances among colleges and universities.
Tickets are free for all ages! We encourage you to secure yours in advance to ensure admittance.
For more information about the concert and tickets, please contact us at eventbrite@stolaf.edu or 800-363-5487. Tickets will be available at the door, if not sold out.
Dr. Chung Park takes the reins of the St. Olaf Orchestra in his first year as conductor, and we hope you join us in supporting him on his inaugural tour! Highlights of the program include Symphony No. 1 in G Major by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, standout soloists from the ranks of the St. Olaf Orchestra, and Tchaikovsky’s gripping and poignant Symphony No. 6 Pathétique.
COVID-19 Protocols:
Masks are strongly suggested for this performance. Additionally, if you have COVID-19 symptoms, we respectfully ask that you not attend the concert.
Preview performances by the Whatcom Community College Chamber Music Ensemble and student soloists.
Enjoy performances by the Whatcom Community College Chamber Music Ensemble and student soloists.
Enjoy performances by student soloists from Whatcom Community College’s Associate in Music degree program.
On the program:
Rakastava (The Lover) Op. 14 for Timpani, Triangle & Strings by Jean Sibelius.
Concertino Pastorale by John Ireland.
Concerto in D Major for Organ, Strings, and Timpani by Rachel Laurin.
Jiyoung Lee, organ solo
Fred Chu is Artistic Director. PCO performs 20th & 21st century music, focusing on living composers and women composers. PCO’s performs in south Everett. Join us for adventurous music!.
The Bayshore Symphony begins Season 19 featuring music with a love theme. Fall in love with this music as Trevor Lutzenhiser conducts Tchaikovsky’s famous Romeo & Juliet Overture and Elgar’s touching Salut d’amour. We’ll conclude with two suites from George Bizet’s passionate and dramatic opera Carmen. Concert on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7:30pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 415 S. 18th St. in Mount Vernon and Sunday, Nov. 19 at 3:00pm at Central Lutheran Church, 925 N. Forest St. in Bellingham. See you there!
