A Conversation with Allan Pollack
Artistic Director of the Mendocino Music Festival

Thursday, June 30, 2011, 4:00 p.m.
Admission is free

Come to Gualala Arts Center on June 30 at 4:00 p.m. to join a conversation with Allan Pollack, Artistic director of the Mendocino Music Festival. He will discuss the musical performances that will be featured at this year's festival and answer questions about the festival. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the wonderful Mendocino Music Festival, which opens on July 9 and has performances every evening through July 23.

The festival will open on July 9 with the Festival Orchestra performing An Evening of American Music with selections from Bernstein, Adams, Copeland and others. The festival will run through July 23, closing with the Festival Chorus singing Mozart's Grand Mass.

You may recognize numerous faces in the chorus, as there is always a dozen or more folks from the greater Gualala area in the chorus. In addition to these performances, there will be offerings of jazz, soul, opera, emerging artists and much more.

Maestro Allan Pollack has guided the Mendocino Music Festival as Artistic Director and Conductor since the first note was played in 1987. Over the years, memorable performances have taken shape under his baton including Verdi's Requiem, Brahms' Requiem, Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. In addition to leading the Festival Orchestra in the classics, Mr. Pollack has conducted many fully staged operas.

With a Ph.D. in composition from UC Berkeley, Maestro Pollack has composed a variety of pieces especially for the Festival Orchestra and musicians: The Spiral Dance for chorus and orchestra; Two Movements in Time for orchestra; From the Song of Songs for soprano and orchestra; A Summer Evening at the Boonville Fair for orchestra; Albion Song: Jazz Concerto for Saxophone; a Vibraphone Concerto; and a String Quartet. As a jazz musician, he leads the fabulous Festival Big Band and sometimes takes a solo on saxophone.

Festival responsibilities aside, Allan is also Music Director and Conductor for Symphony of the Redwoods here on the Mendocino Coast and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento.

Got questions? Come see Allan Pollack on Thursday, June 30 at Gualala Arts Center; admission is free. You can check out the Festival program at Mendocinomusic.com.

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Join us in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Gualala Arts, 1961 - 2011

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.