The 2015/2016 Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival commences on October 16, with a three-part concert series and weeklong chamber music workshop.

”Our chamber music series has become the fastest growing program at Centrum in the past two years,” said Artistic Director Lucinda Carter, Vice Dean of Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, from which she received her doctorate in musical arts. “We’ve been honored to attract the finest chamber musicians in the nation to be in residence with us as we bring chamber music to Port Townsend each fall and winter. We are especially pleased to be able to host Anonymous 4 on our stage in the final year of their performing. And to have the Calder String Quartet as our resident faculty for our summer workshop is equally as thrilling.”

”The Wheeler Theater is a terrific venue for intimate performances,” said Centrum Executive Director Robert Birman. “Centrum’s chamber music program is as good as anything one can see and hear in New York. We are delighted to continue Centrum’s educational mission with our chamber music workshop in 2016 as well. It’s our way of helping nurture the talent of tomorrow and the leaders in chamber music for the next generation.”

Featured ensembles this season include:

• Anonymous 4 (Oct. 16), twice voted one of Billboard’s top classical artists, Anonymous 4 tours the world sharing the most exquisite collections of historical song, from the works of the 12th-century abbess and mystic, Hildegard of Bingen, to polyphony from England, France, America and Spain. Their visit to Centrum is coordinated with their final year on tour. A4 has sold over 2 million copies of their recordings.
• Formed in 1999, the Amelia Piano Trio (Jan. 31) came to the fore after participating in Isaac Stern’s Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall in 2000. They will present a program of Dvořák, Beethoven and Shostakovich.
• Winners of the 2014 Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Calder Quartet (June 4) is known for the discovery, commissioning, recording and mentoring of some of today’s best emerging composers. The Calder’s program will include Beethoven and Thomas Adès (subject to change).

*Reception with the artists follows each performance.

Purchase season and individual concert tickets by calling (800) 746-1982 or online at centrum.org.

Come to the 16th Port Townsend Film Festival to meet more than 70 directors and producers, and see 84 films!

Actors Beau Bridges and Chris Cooper will be the special guests at the 2015 Port Townsend Film Festival, September 25-27.  Films screen in eight theatres from 9 am to 9:30 pm daily, as the Festival welcomes 84 films from 16 countries.

The Festival was featured in September’s Sunset magazine and included in the September in-flight Alaska Airlines magazine, and last year was lauded by Variety as one of the best small film festivals in the country. The Festival is held in Port Townsend’s walkable National Historic Landmark District, an area of about six square blocks.

2015 Festival guests Beau Bridges & Chris Cooper

A free outdoor movie is screened each night under the stars on Taylor Street and is the only theatre where children under 16 are allowed; the Peter Simpson Free Cinema offers 1,500 seats free of charge during the weekend. Festival passes range from $35 for a one-pass to $1,050 for a mogul pass with concierge service. The Festival Pass, $185, includes a free salmon dinner with wine and dessert late Friday afternoon.

Bridges appears in person Friday night for Q&A after screening of “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” in which he stars with Michelle Pfeiffer and his brother, Jeff. Cooper appears in person Saturday night with his film, “Adaptation,” for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Both actors appear together on stage Saturday afternoon for “The Conversation: The Art of Acting,” moderated by Rose Theatre owner Rocky Friedman.

Actress and author Marianne Leone Cooper appears at 3:30 pm Sunday afternoon with “My Left Foot,” as the Festival’s Formative Film author. Following the Q&A (she and Chris Cooper are the parents of a child with cerebral palsy) she will sign her memoir, “Jesse: A Mother’s Story.”

Featured films are both narratives (fictional) and documentaries. They include features such as “Unbranded,” “Honor Totem,” “The Breach,” “Romeo is Bleeding,” “Red Knot,” “Boy and the World,” a documentary on New Yorker cartoonists, and over 40 short films. The director and producer of the acclaimed “Sweet Land,” will attend for Q&A and to celebrate a decade of their film in release.

Pass sales have been brisk. The Festival, for the first time in its 16-year history, may have to cap pass sales in the next two weeks (although single ticket Rush seats will be available). To see the Festival’s schedule of films, trailers and information, and to buy passes online: www.ptfilmfest.com

A celebration of wood on water, the PT Wooden Boat Festival is a weekend of fun for all ages!

The 2015 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival runs from September 11 through 13, from 9 am to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and from 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday. Live music, kids’ activities, spectacular vessels and captivating speakers fill the weekend. There are opportunities to get out on the water rowing, paddling and sailing. The weekend ends with the awe-inspiring “Sail By” at 3 pm Sunday, where vessels of all sizes and shapes pour out of the harbor and pass in front of the Festival.

This year’s Festival features more than 250 wooden vessels, plus dozens of indoor and outdoor presentations and demonstrations. Legends of the sailing and boating world come to share their talents and knowledge with thousands of wooden boat enthusiasts. There are renowned adventurers and boaters at every turn: in the classroom, on the boats, in the food court and on the dance floor.

There is a Kids’ Cove complete with carousel, kids’ boatbuilding, and crafts. There are plays on the North Star Stage and Marine Science Center activities daily, and a Pirate Treasure Hunt on Sunday. If you’d like to get out on the water, try a stand up paddleboard, row a kayak or a historic longboat, and go for a boat tour on Martha J. This year there’s a paddleboard pool on land for anyone that has always wanted to try it without having to fall into freezing water. Kids are welcome!

Regattas and races fill the weekend. Enjoy rowing races and model boat races. The NW Schooner Cup held on Saturday at 3pm is majesty on the water. When you’re ready for a break from viewing beautiful boats, the Balcony Wine Bar has a stunning view of the harbor and the new Merchant Saloon ship out at The Point is a charming place to watch the races and catch a cool breeze and local brew. From your shady seat in Bar Harbor you can enjoy three days of live music on the Main Stage, which is where the outdoor dances are held on Friday and Saturday nights. Hungry? The food court is filled with delicious fare.

Over 50 vendors will share their wares. See the latest kits for building your own paddleboard, kayak or wooden boat, and visit new and old favorites for repair and maintenance. Stroll down Artist Way to take in handmade crafts, clothing and jewelry.

For the weekend’s schedule and more information about additional activities during the festival, go to www.woodenboat.org.

(WBF photo by Mark Saran)