MISSION
The mission of the Valley of the Moon Music Festival is to bring the unique sound of Classical, Romantic and post-Romantic chamber music on period instruments to audiences in Sonoma and beyond, and to expand the horizons of up-and-coming chamber musicians in our Apprenticeship and Laureate Programs.
VISION
It is our vision to bring quality performances of post-Baroque music on period instruments to our audiences, and to ensure that this kind of performance will flourish well into the future through our educational programs.
Each July, in the town of Sonoma, in a series of concerts over three weekends, we bring an international roster of experts in period performance together with highly talented emerging artists to bring a familiar repertoire into a brilliant new light. The concert experience is enhanced by the very popular Blattner Lecture Series that puts the listening experience into historical and cultural perspective.
In our Apprentice and Laureate Programs, we mentor emerging musicians, helping to ensure that period performance of Classical and Romantic music will continue to delight audiences far into the future.
Our Festival was conceived and born in Sonoma, and Sonoma is at the center of our artistic efforts. We are honored to have a thriving and ongoing relationship with the local community through partnerships with local businesses, other non-profits, and community leaders.
WHY PERIOD INSTRUMENTS?
To learn more about historic instruments and how they influence players please enjoy this interview with VMMF Directors and Simeon Morrow from Vienna Live!
All music is performed on period instruments—or authentic reproductions—from the time the music was written. Composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann never heard their music played on a modern concert grand piano, or on string instruments with nylon or metal strings. Their pianos were woodier, and their violins and cellos had gut strings; the sound was more natural, delicate, and had a subtlety almost impossible to achieve on modern instruments.
