Play it Forward

BFM Hosts Rosewind Quintet in 8th Annual Play it Forward chamber music Residency, March 9—16, 2019

Wind Ensemble from Colburn Conservatory will Perform for, Coach, and Inspire Middle and High School Students

Group to Give Master Class for WWU Wind Ensemble which will then Present New Outreach Program in Skagit County Schools

Public Concert at Options High School, March 15, 7:30 PM

This year the Festival presents the Rosewind quintet from the Colburn School, March 9—16. A wind ensemble, the group is composed of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. The performers come from Canada, Portugal, Venezuela and the US and all but one are graduate students at the conservatory.  They will perform for, coach, mentor, and inspire middle school and high school students throughout Whatcom County.  Their residency will take the group to schools as far north as Mt. Baker High School.

Rosewind will also take part in a new engagement opportunity, mentoring a wind ensemble from Western Washington University and helping them create their own outreach program.  Those musicians will then take their WWU Play it Forward to Skagit County middle and high Schools during their spring break.

Rosewind will also perform a public concert, March 15 at 7:30 PM at Bellingham’s Options High School, 2015 Franklin St. 98225. The program will include local student musicians who the quintet has mentored during the residency. The event is free to students with a $15 suggested donation for adults. No tickets are necessary.

Play It Forward is an annual collaboration between the Bellingham Festival of Music and the Whatcom Symphony to help create music awareness among middle and high school students. Each year a group of young performers from the prestigious Colburn School of Music visits Bellingham for a week-long residency, during which time they visit area schools to perform for local students and to spark their interest in classical music. The residency closes with a full recital by the visiting group in collaboration with local students.