Earlier this summer, there was a bit of a controversy that happened on Twitter (sorry, X) when Reed (@TheSotaSwede) contended that Brainerd shouldn’t be considered “Up North” because it’s actually in the middle of the state of Minnesota, not the Northern part. I was a bit taken aback by this assertion, having vacationed “Up North” in the Brainerd area every summer for most of my childhood. Let’s just agree that it’s a popular destination for summer rest and relaxation for Twin Cities folks, who like to escape the city heat and humidity of late summer and get to where it’s a bit cooler a couple of longitude degrees North.
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If your plans are taking you up to that area in the next three and a half weeks, you might consider adding a bit of classical music to your vacation, when the Lakes Area Music Festival holds its 16th season: “Heroic Journeys.” Held at Brainerd’s new Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts, which opened at Brainerd Senior High School in 2021, a and few other locations in Brainerd, the festival brings in 250 artists from orchestras and opera companies around the world, including Broadway stars, critically acclaimed opera singers, and award winning classical musicians. Among the artists are husband and wife team Christian Reif and Julia Bullock— Reif is LAMF’s music director and conductor, and Bullock will perform a recital Friday, August 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Tornstrom Auditorium ($43, $103 VIP). The two won a Grammy earlier this year for their album “Walking in the Dark.”
LAMF started back in 2009, when cellist Scott Lykins returned to his hometown after studying at the Eastman School of Music to wait tables at a restaurant in Brainerd. He brought a few friends from the conservatory with him and put together a summer series presented in a few different Lutheran churches in the area. At the end of the series they invited musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for a final concert. It was a big hit in the community, and eventually grew into a nonprofit organization led by Lykins as well as co-artistic director and co-founder John Taylor Ward.
This year, the festival kicks off with an Olympic-themed gala, featuring singer Andrea Ross, who has collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and San Antonio-based concert master Sarah Silver Manzke. The gala takes place Friday, July 26 at 8 p.m. (dinner at 6 p.m.) at the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts ($50 program only, $150 with dinner).
That’s followed by a presentation of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, performed by the Lakes Area Music Festival Orchestra joined by the Legacy Chorale of Greater Minnesota, Brainerd High School, and Twin Cities-base VocalEssence on Sunday, July 28 at 3 p.m. at Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts ($0-$50 sliding scale).
Other highlights include a production of Igor Stravinsky’s opera, “The Rake’s Progress,” performed Saturday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 20 at 3 p.m. at Gichi-ziibi Center for Arts ($0-$50) and the U.S. premiere of a piece by composer Lil Lacy, called “Aurora.” That’s performed with Richard Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben” (A Hero’s Life) and Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” from “The Planets” on Saturday, August 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 18 at 3 p.m. at Gichi-ziibi Center for Arts. ($0-$50). Plus there’s a number of other offerings, including a block party, a showcase of brand new music by LAMF’s composer fellows, and more throughout the festival. You can peruse the options here.
Sheila Regan
Sheila Regan is a Twin Cities-based arts journalist. She writes MinnPost’s twice-weekly Artscape column. She can be reached at [email protected].