Centrum, the multidisciplinary nonprofit arts and creative education organization at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, has unveiled its 2013 summer lineup of live performances at Fort Worden and in Port Townsend clubs. Tickets for all events are available online, or by calling Centrum at 800.746.1982.
National Heritage Fellowship winners the Birmingham Sunlights; jazz legend Anat Cohen; Basque musicians Joseba Tapia, Arkaitz Miner and Xavier Berasaluze; former NFL player and bluesman Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes; and such writers as Ann Hood and Dan Chaon are some of the performers who, along with tens of thousands of audience members, transform Fort Worden State Park into the summer destination of music, dance and literature.
And this summer, there will be more performers and events than ever before, with Voice Works (June 24-30, 2013); the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes (June 30-July 7, 2013); Readings and Lectures from the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference (July 7-21, 2013); Jazz Port Townsend (July 21-28, 2013); and the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival (July 28-August 4, 2013). Centrum performances are the culmination of week-long residential workshops in which aspiring, amateur, and pre-professional artists from around North America live, work, and play with world-class artist performers. Curated by Artistic Directors such as Erin Belieu, Suzy Thompson, John Clayton, and Daryl Davis, these workshops are the heart of the Centrum experience.
“My anticipation for Centrum’s summer season grows every day,” said Centrum Executive Director Robert Birman. “I regard our offerings as an itinerary, rather than merely a programmatic listing of events. Centrum’s performances and readings– year-round, in fact—are a virtual tour of the world for the mind and the ears. In that respect, I’m looking forward to hearing music and seeing language in a new ways as a result of exposure to the cultural context and the traditions that fuel the art forms Centrum’s faculty artists will be presenting.
Our finale performance at ‘Voice Works” in June is emblematic of this. Entitled, “Roots and Branches of American Singing – from the Secular to the Sacred,” the title says it all. Audiences will see and hear a cappella gospel singing from Alabama to the works of Pharis and Jason Romero from Horsefly, British Columbia, and all parts in between. It’s going to be an inspiring summer of exploration for everyone!”
Mainstage shows take place at McCurdy Pavilion, a 1,200-seat World War I-era balloon hangar that has been converted into a unique concert hall. Smaller, more intimate performances take place at the Joseph F. Wheeler Theater. The Jazz and Acoustic Blues festivals feature late-night performances at club venues all over Port Townsend. In addition, every Friday at noon between June 28 and and August 3 Centrum presents free performances on the lawn in front of the Fort Worden Commons.