Submitted by the Archipelago Collective.

This September marks Archipelago Collective’s eighth anniversary performing exhilarating classical chamber music on San Juan Island. Our 2022 festival week will present four concerts in a celebration of chamber music both old and very new.

Our musicians are unparalleled virtuosi who come from across the country, and this year you’ll be able to hear them all around Friday Harbor. Our home venue is the Brickworks, where we’ll perform three concerts, and we’ll perform at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art, in an exciting program of contemporary chamber music. The young students at Friday Harbor Elementary school will get to meet our musicians and share in their joy during an educational assembly. As always, our concert venues are small and intimate, bringing the performers and audience together for a truly collaborative experience.

This year’s programming includes traditional favorites like Brahms and Mozart, in addition to works by living composers which we hope to provide the audience with new and thought-provoking experiences. In collaboration with the San Juan Islands Museum of Art, we have commissioned composer Ha Yang Kim to write a piece that takes inspiration from the natural environs of the islands and uses the ferry schedules as a structural backdrop.

Our ensembles range from the beloved string quartet to the less conventional clarinet, bassoon, and piano trio. The stage will be graced as well by harp and piano, in varying combinations.

Tickets can be purchased at www.archipelagocollective.org/festival for $15 – $25 or $80 for a weekend pass to all the concerts. Archipelago Collective’s vision is to be an integral part of the rich artistic community on San Juan Island. Our annual chamber music festival provides top-tier professional musicians the time and freedom to explore small ensemble music and delve into the creative process. Throughout the week we perform in various venues at which intimacy and interaction with the audience are paramount. In avoiding the traditional concert hall paradigm, Archipelago Collective presents classical chamber music in a way that invites audience participation and inquiry.

Contributed photo by the Archipelago Collective An engaged crowd enjoys piano music by Archipelago Collective musicians in the San Juan Islands Museum of Art atrium.