Get ready for Our 24th Season

Filled with the world’s greatest music, internationally known musicians, and more fun than ever!

Schedule of Events:

December 15, 2024

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas - Walker’s Landing

Grammy-winning composer and fiddler Mark O’Connor has created several arrangements of Christmas classics and fashions a wondrous mixture of both instrumental and vocal music in bluegrass and other American music genres. Concertgoers are treated to fresh takes on traditional songs with a few original compositions included. His renditions are playful and joyous, but can be strikingly earnest too.

Mark O’Connor’s Christmas concerts features himself performing on four instruments; fiddle, acoustic guitar, mandolin and mandocello. The shows include his wife and fellow Grammy-winner Maggie O’Connor on fiddle and vocals. Mark and Maggie have performed An Appalachian Christmas together as husband and wife for nearly 10 years. Much of the year they tour behind their latest recording of original Americana songs and classics, Life After Life. Together on stage, Mark and Maggie have a dynamic energy that bring their individual expertise to holiday themes and classics in the most delightful and musically satisfying way.

Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas album (2011) reached the #1 ranking on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album charts. Hailed by critics from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Los Angeles Times as a top 10 album of the holiday season, it has become a perennial classic Christmas recording.

Cost: $75

December 16, 2024

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas - Walker’s Landing

Grammy-winning composer and fiddler Mark O’Connor has created several arrangements of Christmas classics and fashions a wondrous mixture of both instrumental and vocal music in bluegrass and other American music genres. Concertgoers are treated to fresh takes on traditional songs with a few original compositions included. His renditions are playful and joyous, but can be strikingly earnest too.

Mark O’Connor’s Christmas concerts features himself performing on four instruments; fiddle, acoustic guitar, mandolin and mandocello. The shows include his wife and fellow Grammy-winner Maggie O’Connor on fiddle and vocals. Mark and Maggie have performed An Appalachian Christmas together as husband and wife for nearly 10 years. Much of the year they tour behind their latest recording of original Americana songs and classics, Life After Life. Together on stage, Mark and Maggie have a dynamic energy that bring their individual expertise to holiday themes and classics in the most delightful and musically satisfying way.

Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas album (2011) reached the #1 ranking on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album charts. Hailed by critics from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Los Angeles Times as a top 10 album of the holiday season, it has become a perennial classic Christmas recording.

Cost: $75

January 19, 2025

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Sharon Isbin, guitar, with the Pacifica String Quartet - Amelia Plantation Chapel

Sharon Isbin

Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, multiple GRAMMY Award winner Sharon Isbin was named Musical America Worldwide’s 2020 Instrumentalist of the Year, the first guitarist ever to receive the coveted honor in their 59-year award history. She was inducted into the 2023 Guitar Foundation of America Hall of Fame and received their Artistic Achievement Award. Hailed as “the pre-eminent guitarist of our time”, she is the winner of Guitar Player magazine’s Best Classical Guitarist award, Germany’s Echo Klassik, Concert Artists Guild’s Virtuoso Award, the Toronto and Madrid Queen Sofia competitions, and the first guitarist to win the Munich ARD Competition. Isbin has appeared as soloist with over 200 orchestras and has given sold-out performances in many of the world’s finest halls across 40 countries, including New York’s Carnegie and Geffen Halls, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, London’s Barbican and Wigmore Halls, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Paris’ Châtelet, Vienna’s Musikverein, Munich’s Herkulessaal, Argentina’s Teatro Colón, and Madrid’s Teatro Real. She has served as Artistic Director and soloist of festivals she created for Carnegie Hall and the Ordway Music Theatre (St. Paul), New York’s 92NY, and the national radio series Guitarjam.

Pacifica Quartet

Simin Ganatra, violin

Austin Hartman, violin

Mark Holloway, viola

Brandon Vamos, cello

Cost: $60

January 27, 2025

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Robert McDuffie, violin, and William Ransom, piano - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

Celebrate Mozart’s 269th birthday on January 27, 2025, with the dynamic and multifaceted violinist, Robert McDuffie. He is joined by pianist and Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival Artistic Director, William Ransom, who is known as a compelling and engaging artist that excels at creating exciting collaborations.

Robert McDuffie

Emmy Award-winning violinist Robert McDuffie enjoys a dynamic and multifaceted career. While appearing as soloist with renowned orchestras on five continents, he has also shared the stage with eclectic musicians such as R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills and Rolling Stones pianist Chuck Leavell. Philip Glass dedicated his Violin Concerto No. 2, The American Four Seasons to Mr. McDuffie and he has performed it more than 100 times around the world. Mike Mills composed Concerto for Violin, Rock Band and Orchestra for him. This year, he received an Emmy award for A Night of Georgia Music with Mike Mills, Chuck Leavell, rock band and the McDuffie Center for Strings ensemble, which is currently airing on PBS stations across America. Mr. McDuffie is the founder of both the Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy and the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in his native city of Macon, Georgia.

William Ransom

Pianist, Artistic Director, master teacher, editor, and judge for international competitions, William Ransom has appeared around the world as soloist with orchestras, recitalist, and chamber musician. He regularly collaborates with leading musicians including Yo-Yo Ma, Richard Stoltzman, David Shifrin, William Preucil, Stephen Isserlis, Cho-Liang Lin, Robert McDuffie, and members of the Emerson, Tokyo, Cleveland, Juilliard, American, St. Petersburg, Borromeo, Parker, Ariel, Lark, Dover, Dali, and Attacca String Quartets. Ransom is the Mary Emerson Professor of Music at Emory University where he is founder and Artistic Director of the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta. A graduate of The Juilliard School, in the summers, Ransom is Artistic Director of the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival and for a decade was an artist-faculty member at the Kamisaibara Pianists Camp in Japan. In 2016 he was named Artistic Director of the Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival and also one of Musical America Worldwide’s “30 Musical Innovators”. Recently, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival.

Program to include:

Tartini: Violin Sonata in G minor, “Devil’s Trill Sonata”

Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78, “Regensonate”

Cost: $50

February 11, 2025 - Takács Quartet - St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

The Takács Quartet, widely regarded as one of the world’s great quartets, celebrate their 50th Anniversary season in 2024-2025; the Quartet are critically acclaimed around the world for their virtuosic performances, ingenious programming and unsurpassed recordings. On the brink of this major milestone, the Takács Quartet is generating excitement and looking toward the future, with a steady stream of new partnerships, commissions and recordings as well as an ambitious performance schedule. This season, they will perform more than 40 concerts in North America (including Aspen, New York, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Washington DC, La Jolla, Berkeley and Portland, OR, among others); embark on two European tours, including Wigmore Hall, where they are Associate Artists; appear at the Edinburgh Festival; and conduct tours in Asia and Australia. The Takács’ 50th Anniversary will be celebrated in detail in an October cover story in The Strad.

The program on February 11, 2025 will be:

HAYDN: String Quartet in C Major, Opus 54 No 2

HOUGH: String Quartet No 1 “Les Six Rencontres”

BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in F Major, Opus 59 No. 1

Cost: $50

February 23, 2025

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Jeremy Denk - Ritz Carlton Amelia Island

“AN ARTIST YOU WANT TO HEAR NO MATTER WHAT HE PERFORMS.” THE NEW YORK TIMES

Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists. Winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize, Denk was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Denk returns frequently to Carnegie Hall and in recent seasons has appeared with the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra, as well as on tour with Academy St. Martin in the Fields, and at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. Denk is also known for his original and insightful writing on music, which Alex Ross praises for its “arresting sensitivity and wit.” His New York Times bestselling memoir, Every Good Boy Does Fine was published to universal acclaim by Random House in 2022.

The program on February 23, 2025 will be:

CLARA SCHUMANN (1819-1896) Romance No. 1, Op. 22

TANIA LEÓN (b. 1943) Rituál

CÉCILE CHAMINADE (1857-1944) Flatterer, Op. 50

MISSY MAZZOLI (b. 1980) Heartbreaker

MEREDITH MONK (b. 1942) Paris

AMY MARCY CHENEY BEACH (1867-1944) “In Autumn” from Four Sketches, Op. 15

RUTH CRAWFORD SEEGER (1901-1953) Study in Mixed Accents

LOUISE FARRENC (1804-1875) Mélodie in A-flat Major

PHYLLIS CHEN (b. 1988) Sumitones

Intermission

JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897) 4 Klavierstücke Op. 119

ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Fantasie in C, Op. 17

Cost: $50

February 28, 2025

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - The Kruger Brothers - Walker’s Landing

Hear melodies and stories woven into an exceptional musical experience by the brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger alongside their musical partner Joel Landsberg. With a unique blend of bluegrass, folk, and classical influences, their music flows like a gentle river, guiding listeners on a journey through a rich tapestry of emotions. Their songs speak of love, loss, and hope, touching the soul and uniting listeners in a shared experience.

The Kruger Brothers have received numerous awards and accolades for their exceptional talent and innovative approach to music. Their artistry has been recognized worldwide, captivating audiences with both their technical prowess and emotional depth. 

The Kruger Brothers

Born and raised in Europe, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger started singing and playing instruments at a very young age. Growing up in a family where music was an important part of life, they were exposed to a broad diversity of musical influences. The brothers were performing regularly by the time they were eleven and twelve years old, and they began their professional career in 1979. Jens’ and Uwe’s first public performances were as a duo, and in just a few years they were busking on the streets of cities throughout eastern and western Europe. Not long after, in 1982, Jens was a featured guest artist of Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys on the Grand Ole Opry making him quite likely the first European banjo player to ever perform on the hallowed stage.

Cost: $50

April 12, 2025

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Family Concert: Musical Animals - Fernandina Beach Middle School

Designed for young audiences but perfect for music lovers of any age, our annual Family Concert, Musical Animals, features the humorous musical suite Carnival of the Animals and The Pied Piper of Hamelin performed by pianists Julie Coucheron & William Ransom, violist Yinzi Kong, and narrated by the Island’s favorite actor, Frank O’Donnell. You’ll be taken on a fun musical journey that will delight your imagination and fill your heart with joy!

Yinzi Kong

Violist Yinzi Kong, born and raised in Shanghai China, was a founding member of the international award-winning Vega String Quartet. Since winning several top prizes at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition in France, the Carmel String Quartet Competition and the Coleman Competition in the US with the Vega, Miss Kong has enjoyed a versatile career in both solo and chamber music performance and teaching. She has performed in major concert halls around the world including the stages of Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Musée D’Orsay in Paris; and her live performances have been heard on NPR’s Performance Today (USA), the National Radio of China, Shanghai TV, Radio France, France Musiques, and the National Radio of the Czech Republic. Miss Kong has also collaborated with some finest musicians of our time including Yo-Yo Ma, Elliot Fisk, William Preucil, David Shifrin, Richard Stoltzman, Charles Wadsworth, Mark O’Connor, and Sarah Chang among others. Miss Kong currently resides in Atlanta, where she is Artist-in-Residence at Emory University and Kennesaw State University. Miss Kong started her musical training at age five and gave her first public performances at seven. After moving to the United States in 1995, she received a bachelor’s degree from the Harid Conservatory in Florida and a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

William Ransom

Pianist, Artistic Director, master teacher, editor, and judge for international competitions, William Ransom has appeared around the world as soloist with orchestras, recitalist, and chamber musician. He regularly collaborates with leading musicians including Yo-Yo Ma, Richard Stoltzman, David Shifrin, William Preucil, Stephen Isserlis, Cho-Liang Lin, Robert McDuffie, and members of the Emerson, Tokyo, Cleveland, Juilliard, American, St. Petersburg, Borromeo, Parker, Ariel, Lark, Dover, Dali, and Attacca String Quartets. Ransom is the Mary Emerson Professor of Music at Emory University where he is founder and Artistic Director of the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta. A graduate of The Juilliard School, in the summers, Ransom is Artistic Director of the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival and for a decade was an artist-faculty member at the Kamisaibara Pianists Camp in Japan. In 2016 he was named Artistic Director of the Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival and also one of Musical America Worldwide’s “30 Musical Innovators”. Recently, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival.

Julie Coucheron

Born in Oslo, Norway, Ms. Coucheron began playing the piano at age four. She earned her Bachelor and Master’s Degree with honors from the Royal Academy of Music in London. At the age of 32, Ms. Coucheron has established an international career, winning awards and prizes in Italy, Germany, UK and in the United States. Ms. Coucheron has worked with musicians such as Claude Frank, Emanuel Ax, Chee-Yun Kim, Christopher O’Riley, Steve Miller Band, Yo-Yo Ma, and Elton John, and has toured Europe, America, South America and Asia, performing in halls like Verizon Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Ms. Coucheron has performed with the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic; Jena Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Philarmonic and the Ukrainian Symphony Orchestra in Kiev. Ms. Coucheron regularly performs at festivals such as the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Bergen International Music Festival, Amelia Island Music Festival, Madison Chamber Music Festival, Juneau Jazz and Classics and at La Jolla Summer Fest. She is Artistic Director of the Fjord Cadenza festival in Norway ,the Kon Tiki Chamber Music Festival in Oslo, Norway and Georgian Chamber Players in Atlanta, GA.

Frank O’Donnell

Frank O’Donnell is a familiar figure at Amelia Musical Playhouse (AMP) and other local theaters, known for starring in iconic musical and non-musical roles including Atticus Finch and Scrooge. He has narrated at previous AICMF Family Concerts as well as at the Highlands Chamber Music Festival and the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta.

Cost: Free

April 27, 2025

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - The Rites of Spring - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

Celebrate the arrival of Spring with two monumental works in this unique program – Beethoven’s glorious Spring Sonata and Stravinsky’s earth-shaking Rite of Spring. Featuring Festival favorites, siblings David (violin) & Julie (piano) Coucheron and Elizabeth Pridgen, pianist, this exciting program will leave audiences wanting more.

The program on April 27, 2025 will include:

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons, La primavera (Spring)

GRIEG: Lyric Pieces, Op.43, To Spring

BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata No.5 in F major, Op.24 (Spring)

STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring (arranged for piano four hands by the composer)

David Coucheron

David Coucheron joined the Atlanta Symphony as Concertmaster in September 2010. At the time, he was the youngest concertmaster among any major U.S. orchestra. Throughout his career, Coucheron has worked with conductors Robert Spano, Michael Tilson Thomas, Simon Rattle, Mstislav Rostropovich and Charles Dutoit, among others. He has performed as soloist with the BBC Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, Sendai Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic and the Trondheim Symphony.  Coucheron has given solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Olympic Winter Games (Salt Lake City), as well as in Beograd, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Serbia, Singapore and Shanghai. His chamber music performances have included appearances at Suntory Hall as well as Wigmore Hall and Alice Tully Hall. Coucheron serves as the Artistic Director for the Kon Tiki Chamber Music Festival in his hometown of Oslo, Norway. He is also on the artist-faculty for the Aspen Music Festival and Brevard Music Festival.

Julie Coucheron

Julie Coucheron has established an international career, winning prizes in Italy, Germany and in the United States. Ms. Coucheron has worked with musicians such as Lazar Berman, Claude Frank, Emanuel Ax, Vladimir Feltsman, John O’Connor and Christopher O’Riley and has toured Europe, America, South America and Asia, playing in great halls like Verizon Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Born in Oslo, Norway, Ms. Coucheron started playing the piano at the age of four. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees with honors from the Royal Academy of Music in London while also gaining her teaching diploma at the same institution. 

Elizabeth Pridgen

Pianist Elizabeth Pridgen has distinguished herself as a soloist and chamber musician and has appeared in concerts at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, Merkin Hall, the Tilles Center on Long Island, Spivey Hall in Atlanta, and the “Rising Stars Series” at the Ravinia Festival. Ms. Pridgen has also performed at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and the Kosciuszko Foundation, and in recitals in London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Washington D.C., Miami, San Francisco, and throughout the Southeast and Caribbean. 

Artistic Director of the Atlanta Chamber Players, she performs regularly at festivals including the Rome Chamber Music Festival in Rome, Italy, the Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the River To River Festival, the Water Island Music Festival, and the Madison Chamber Music Festival. An avid chamber performer, she has collaborated with artists such as Elmar Oliveira, Robert McDuffie, Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell, Hilary Hahn, Sarah Chang, Anne Akiko Meyers, Jennifer Koh, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, the Diaz String Trio, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, and the American String Quartet. She performs regularly with violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti and cellist Julie Albers as a member of the Cortona Trio and with the Georgian Chamber Players. 

Cost: $50

June 11, 2025

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Beethoven & Beer with The American String Quartet - Mocama Beer Company

AICMF’s 24th season comes to an exciting end with our annual Christopher Rex String Seminar, bringing together two rising star young quartets- our Beth Newdome Fellows- with the distinguished American String Quartet for a week of coachings, community outreach activities, and public concerts. This year’s Beethoven & Beer concert at Mocama Beer Company will feature the American String Quartet, an ensemble recognized as one of the world’s finest quartets.

American String Quartet

Peter Winograd (violin)

Laurie Carney (violin)

Matthias Buchholz (viola)

Wolfram Koes­sel (cello)

Internationally recognized as one of the world’s finest quartets, the American String Quartet has spent decades honing the luxurious sound for which it is famous. The Quartet celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2019, and, in its years of touring, has performed in all fifty states and has appeared in the most important concert halls worldwide. The group’s presentations of the complete quartets of Beethoven, Schubert, Schoenberg, Bartók, and Mozart have won widespread critical acclaim, and their MusicMasters Complete Mozart String Quartets, performed on a matched quartet set of instruments by Stradivarius, are widely considered to have set the standard for this repertoire.

Cost: $50

June 14, 2025

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Festival Finale - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

AICMF’s 24th season comes to an exciting end with our annual Christopher Rex String Seminar, bringing together two rising star young quartets – our Beth Newdome Fellows – with the distinguished American String Quartet for a week of coachings, community outreach activities, and public concerts. 

Our Beth Newdome Fellows will be announced soon! They will be featured alongside the American String Quartet for our Festival Finale concert on June 14, 2025. 

American String Quartet

Internationally recognized as one of the world’s finest quartets, the American String Quartet has spent decades honing the luxurious sound for which it is famous. The Quartet celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2019, and, in its years of touring, has performed in all fifty states and has appeared in the most important concert halls worldwide. The group’s presentations of the complete quartets of Beethoven, Schubert, Schoenberg, Bartók, and Mozart have won widespread critical acclaim, and their MusicMasters Complete Mozart String Quartets, performed on a matched quartet set of instruments by Stradivarius, are widely considered to have set the standard for this repertoire.  

Cost: $20

Buy Tickets

Date: December 15, 2024 - June 14, 2025 

Venues

Walker’s Landing - 11 Beach Lagoon Rd, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Amelia Plantation Chapel - 36 Bowman Rd, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church - 2600 Atlantic Ave, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church - 801 Atlantic Ave, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Ritz Carlton Amelia Island - 4750 Amelia Island Pkwy, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Fernandina Beach Middle School - 315 Citrona Dr, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Mocama Beer Company - 629 South 8th St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

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