Laguna Beach Brings Back Music Festival

Classical music moves the soul and fills one with joy; joy which is pure and inspiring and which frees the mind from any bad thoughts. (Photos.com)

Laguna Beach is celebrating its 21st annual music festival this week, including live performances and community events that feature classical and contemporary music.

The festival, which is co-presented by the nonprofit Philharmonic Society of Orange County, features award-winning pianist Jeremy Denk, who is the festival’s artistic director. Denk will perform from Feb. 17 to Feb. 19, with additional performances on those days by violinist Stefan Jackiw, the Isidore String Quartet, and the Choral Arts Initiative.

According to organizers, the festival includes three concerts at the Laguna Playhouse, where selections by Schubert, Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, and Ives will be featured.

Additional performances include an evening concert on Feb. 15 by Denk and Jackiw at Hotel Laguna, as well as a Feb. 16 solo recital and question-and-answer session with Jackiw at the Susi Q Senior Center.

For visual artists, the festival will also host a collaboration with the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association—a local nonprofit group—at Heisler Park on Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon. The free event, which is open to the public, will feature local and festival artists and musicians for a morning of art, music, and ocean views overlooking the scenic Laguna Beach cliffs.

“For the past 21 years, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Laguna Beach Live have brought world-class artists to this community each year for an extraordinary week filled with wonderfully memorable concerts and musical moments,” Tommy Phillips, president and artistic director of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, said in a statement.