Those yearning for a classical music festival on par with the more mainstream variations are in luck: this year, the first-ever Musica Marin International Chamber Music Festival takes place in the county September 21–23. Renowned musicians from Europe, New York, Philadelphia and the Bay Area, along with celebrated chefs, come together for a three-day series of events.
MM: What compelled you to found Musica Marin?
RK: Although I trained at The Juilliard School and have performed in prominent venues across the country and abroad, I am a Bay Area native. Having raised my family in Marin, I felt the creation of Musica Marin was a natural fit for our community and environment. Our events are portals to the past, but with all the comforts of today, and the intimate settings enable classical music to be heard the way composers intended their works to be heard.
Our motto, “A front row seat with a backstage pass,” says it all.
MM: Why is chamber music such a special genre?
RK: Chamber music transcends language and time and serves as an emotional connection to the past. The accessibility of chamber music, especially when it’s performed in intimate settings, makes it both very human and yet divine.
MM: Tell us about Musica Marin’s fundraising.
RK: The philanthropic mission of Musica Marin is very close to my heart. The educational component has raised funds for a number of local youth musical arts organizations, including San Francisco Boys Chorus, Mill Valley Film Festival Education Program and The Juilliard School Scholarship Program (specifically for a California student). We have included in our concert programming young, up-and-coming artists from Merola Opera Program, San Francisco Boys Chorus and the Adler Fellowship Program, along with young performers entering The Juilliard School this fall.