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Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival Awarded Grants Totalling $12,800 From Florida Arts Council and Target

Fernandina Beach, FL—September 8, 2009—The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival today announced it has been awarded a matching grant of $9,800 from The State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs, and $3,000 from Target.

The $9,800 grant will support three performances as part of a “mini-Festival” in February 2010: a concert on February 4 at the University of North Florida’s Fine Arts Center and two Amelia Island concerts on February 5 and 6. The February 5 Amelia Island performance will be a free community event. The mini-Festival also is supported by the Amelia Island Tourist Development Council.

The $3,000 grant from Target will partially underwrite a free family concert during the continuation of the Festival’s 2010 season in May. Target gives 5% of its income, or $3 million each week, in support of community projects as well as performances that make cultural experiences more accessible to families.  

For the February mini-Festival, Christopher Rex, artistic and general director, is planning to bring the Georgian Chamber Players, with guests, Andres Diaz, cellist, and Hsin-Yun Huang, violist, to perform music by Boccherini, Dvorak and Strauss. The Georgian Chamber Players include Rex, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Beth Newdome and Reid Harris.

Rex commented: “We are extremely grateful for the generous financial contributions of The State of Florida and Target, including Target’s Yulee store manager, Brian Strobel for his support of our grant application. Our expanding base of financial support offers further evidence of the steadily growing stature of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival.”

As another indication of its national importance, The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival will host the last-ever performance of the world-renowned Guarneri String Quartet on October 27. The Guarneri, which will retire following this performance after a career of 45 years, ranks among the most revered string ensembles in the world. Composed of violinists Arnold Steinhardt and John Dalley, violist Michael Tree and cellist Peter Wiley, the Guarneri has circled the globe countless times, playing in the world’s most prestigious halls in North and South America, Mexico, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

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