SweetWater Music Festival Announces 21st Season Lineup

2024 SweetWater Music Festival, featuring artists like Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, Michael Gurevich, and the Canadian Chamber Choir, runs from September 11th to 15th in Owen Sound, Leith, and Meaford.

Submitted by Natasha Bood, General Manager, SweetWater Music Festival

SweetWater Music Festival has announced its full line-up of concerts for 2024, taking place from September 11th to 15th in Owen Sound, Leith, and Meaford.

This year's festival theme is Songs & Serenades, where melodies weave tales of love, longing, and life's journey. Prepare to be swept away by enchanting harmonies and soul-stirring performances as renowned artists and emerging talents converge to celebrate the power of music.

From intimate chamber recitals to captivating choral performances, each event promises an unforgettable experience that will resonate long after the final note fades. Join us as we embark on a musical odyssey, exploring the timeless beauty and universal language of songs and serenades.

Artists performing at SweetWater 2024 include: Measha Brueggergosman-Lee (voice), Michael Gurevich (violin), Matthias McIntire (composer/violin), Rachel Fenlon (voice, piano), Keith Hamm (violin), Julie Hereish (cello), Edwin Huizinga (violin), the Canadian Chamber Choir (voice), Stephanie Morin (alto flute), Aaron Davis (composer, keyboard), Karen Ouzounian (cello), Amy Hillis (violin), Catherine Gray (violin/viola), Dr. Julia Davids (voice), Dr. Joel Tranquilla (voice), and Sherryl Sewepagaham (voice).

The Opening Gala

The festival officially launches on Wednesday, September 11th, at 6:30 pm with a gala evening at the Grey Roots Museum.

SweetWater Artistic Director Edwin Huizinga says, “I have invited ten of our internationally acclaimed guest artists to join us for this event, some of the most wonderful and thoughtful musicians I know from all over Canada and the United States.”

This includes festival headliner and internationally celebrated soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, violinist Michael Gurevich, and SweetWater’s composer-in-residence Matthias McIntire.

The repertoire will feature Haydn, the godfather of the string quartet repertoire, as well as Rossini and Mozart. Guests can enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks, with the opportunity to socialize with visiting artists and celebrate their arrival in the community.

Throughout the week, there are five ticketed concerts:

Sing Nature Alive

On Thursday evening at 7 pm, at the Harmony Centre in Owen Sound, Rachel Fenlon, a self-accompanying singer-pianist, will perform Sing Nature Alive by Matthias McIntire, the 2024 SweetWater Composer-in-Residence. The piece, enhanced with video and live electronics, passionately portrays a love for nature amidst the climate crisis.

Chamber Music Soiree

On Friday evening, SweetWater’s signature concert at Historic Leith Church begins with Haydn's String Quartets, Opus 33 #6. Keith Hamm and Julie Hereish, returning SweetWater favourites, will be joined by first-time guest violinist Michael Gurevich. Edwin Huizinga, Artistic Director, will also join this fabulous quartet. Measha Brueggergosman-Lee will perform Hindemith’s Des Todes Tod with the festival strings. The second half of the program will include a new piece by Lembit Beecher and conclude with Schumann's String Quartet No. 3.

Sun on Water

On Saturday at 7 pm, the Canadian Chamber Choir will perform at Georgian Shores United Church. This 24-person ensemble will share some of the most beautiful and unique Canadian choral repertoire. The SweetWater festival strings will join the choir for a piece by Sherryl Sewepagaham and Andrea Newman, with special guest Stephanie Morin on alto flute. This will be followed by Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite.

Later that night, Measha Brueggergosman-Lee will bring jazz to Owen Sound’s Heartwood Music Hall (doors open at 9 pm) with a performance of Zombie Blizzard, composed by Aaron Davis and inspired by the words of Margaret Atwood.

Festival Finale

The festival culminates on Sunday at 3 pm at the Meaford Arts Centre with Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings. Edwin Huizinga says, “This is one of my favourite pieces on the planet, so bringing it to the SweetWater audience is incredibly exciting for me. This piece is magic!”

The Canadian Chamber Choir will also perform, along with the Canadian premiere of Shorthand by Anna Clyne, featuring Karen Ouzounian on cello. The concert will conclude with the world premiere of Keep Me By the Fire by Matthias McIntire and a performance by Measha Brueggergosman-Lee of a Mozart piece for strings, choir, and solo voice.

There are also two free noon-hour outdoor concerts:

• A Canadian Chamber Music collaboration with Cree-Dene composer/singer Sherryl Sewepagaham on Saturday, September 14th.

• The Next Wave Showcase on Sunday, which will introduce emerging classical musicians, directed by violinist Bridget Walsh and featuring Evelyn Tao, Theodora Koski, and Yusuf Tajbakhsh.

Free Community Concerts and Workshops:

• Artist Talk with Matthias McIntire & Rachel Fenlon at 12 pm at the Grey Gallery.

• Music for Munchkins at the Harmony Centre Auditorium on Saturday at 10:30 am, led by violinist Amy Hillis, designed for children ages 1-5.

• Classical Jam Session, featuring Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings at 2:30 pm on Saturday at the Harmony Centre.

• Choral Jam Session at the Harmony Centre Auditorium at 2:30 pm on Saturday, led by Dr. Julia Davids of the Canadian Chamber Choir.

• The Luthiers Exhibit, featuring local luthiers and their latest string instruments, at 2 pm on Saturday at the Harmony Centre.

• A Water Ceremony, a special first for the festival, held in the Peace Garden.

• Sound Journey, a healing meditation, will be held on both Saturday and Sunday at 9 am at the Harmony Centre.

Festival passes and single tickets are available at the Roxy Theatre Box Office (519) 371-2833, and SweetWater Jamboree tickets can be purchased at the Meaford Arts Centre (519) 538-0463.

SweetWater is grateful for the ongoing support of private donors, corporate partners, private foundations (especially the Leflar Foundation), and key public funders, including Canadian Heritage, the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Arts Council, the Municipality of Meaford, the Meaford Culture Foundation, and the Grey Bruce Community Foundation.