Savannah Music Festival releases 2014 lineup

As we’ve come to expect, the Savannah Music Festival will have an impressive and exciting lineup in 2014.

Here are some of the highlights from today’s press release:

CHAMBER AND SYMPHONIC MUSIC

• World premiere of Charlotte Bray’s The Sun Was Chasing Venus, performed by the Dover Quartet. This piece is an SMF commission that was originally supposed to premiere at the 2013 festival.
• U.S. premiere of David Bruce’s The Given Note, a piece co-commissioned by the SMF that will be performed by Daniel Hope & Friends
• Mandolinist Avi Avital joined by The Dover Quartet
• The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center premieres its “Destination America” program
• The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra returns, featuring Daniel Hope and soprano Jessica Rivera
• Tenor Michael Schade performing two original concerts with Daniel Hope & Friends
• A series of performances: Celebrating Vivaldi

AMERICANA, FOLK & TRADITIONAL

•  Mike Marshall and Chris Thile in a duo recital of original works
• Punch Brothers and other virtuoso instrumentalists
• A variety of Nashville-based masters includingVince Gill, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder and others
• The Avett Brothers return to Johnny Mercer
• Stringband Spectacular with students and teachers from the SMF’s impressive Acoustic Music Seminar
• Georgia-born, Brooklyn-based The Lone Bellow
• Southern Soul Assembly with J.J. Grey, Luther Dickinson, Anders Osborne, and Marc Broussard
• Bluegrass band The Gibson Brothers with the Lonesome River Band

JAZZ & BLUES

• An original production for the finale of  Swing Central Jazz, under the musical direction of Jason Marsalis
• Taj Mahal in his SMF debut
• Christian McBride Trio and jazz vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant
• Robert Cray Band at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts
• Ladies Sing the Blues highlights the music of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters in a three-day run with Catherine Russell and Charenee Wade
• SMF’s original Piano Showdown continues with Marcus roberts, Aaron Diehl, Cyrus Chestnut, and Christian Sands
• Saxophonist Branford Marsalis’ quartet
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band plays four-shows over two-nights at the Charles H. Morris Center

WORLD MUSIC

• A partnership with Flamenco Festival International showcases Tomatito and Estrella Morente, plus a collaboration between jazz pianist Aaron Diehl and flamenco guitarist Dani De Moron
• A unique double-bill includes Malian singer A Fatoumata Diawara with Tuareg guitarist Bombino
• Qawwali singer Asif Ali Khan
• Scottish ensemble Lau sharing a bill with a specially assembled Irish group
• Red Baraat  with a festival-closing dance party

Here’s the digital brochure (click here if embed is not working):