The first day of Summer has come and gone and for music lovers here in the Piedmont Triad that can only mean one thing:
Eastern Music Festival. EMF in Greensboro runs from June 24 – July 27, and this year's line-up of world renowned performers is arguably the most incredible in the festival's 52 year history. Violinist Joshua Bell, pianist Andre Watts and cellist Lynn Harrell are just a few of the many wonderful guest artists who will be performing concerts with the Festival Orchestra, and chamber music as well as teaching the talented EMF students. Gerard Schwarz was named music director of the Eastern Music Festival in 2007, and since that time he has expanded the festival's audiences to the largest in its history while enhancing education and programming to include a composer in residence, 3 new concert series. He's also been responsible for bringing regular premieres of new works to EMF each season by some of this country's greatest living composers. He spoke with David Ford recently by phone from his home in New York. David began by asking him about what's been behind the festival's success.