Flower Link to welcome

Join us for our 19th festival from JuLy 26 to August 4

  

A Performance-Focused Music Festival

Welcome! The 2024 Midsummer Music Dream Festival is scheduled to take place July 26 to August 4, 2024. It will be our 19th season of making music in the Eastern Townships of rural Quebec.

At Midsummer Music Dream / Songe d'été en musique musicians and community collaborate in an environment committed to excellence in musicianship and performance.

2024 Festival Programs

In addition to the concerts, Festival participants will take part in workshops, performing ensembles and master classes with festival artists.

The highly successful Vocal and Instrumental Programs will again bring together students from throughout the US, Canada and beyond. The programs' daily schedules include workshops, coaching, master classes, repertoire classes and ensemble rehearsals.

Returning in 2024 will be the professionally-focused Songe d'été en musique Vocal Studio with Voice Program Coordinator Thomas Goodheart which will provide training and performances for a select group of singers.

In addition, the festival will again offer a series of Community Programs open to all ages and all levels of musical experience – from beginner to advanced.

All workshops, classes and rehearsals are open to be observed or audited by the general public.

Here is what participants are saying about our programs:

Festival 2023

2023 Concerts

Fourteen concerts were given in Festival 2023 including a musical celebration of Lambton's 75th anniversary.

Performers included Jeffrey Marcus, Noby Ishida, Maureen Hynes, John Isenberg, Thomas Goodheart, Harris Becker, Laura Lessard, Veronica Salas, Jeffrey Wahl, Jean Miller Goodheart, Christina Montalto, Michael McAndrew, Lauren Ishida, and Valérie Bélanger,

Photos from Festival 2023

Make a
Donation

A Midsummer Music Dream is recognized as a non-profit charitable organization in Quebec. If you would like to make a donation we will be happy to send you an official receipt for tax purposes.

Festival 2022

2022 Concerts

Seventeen concerts were given in Festival 2022 including a children's concert. Featured were two world premieres written for Saint Romain and for Lambton by Canadian composer Michael Spiroff and UK guitarist/composer Laura Snowden.

Performers included Jeffrey Marcus, Noby Ishida, Maureen Hynes, John Isenberg, Thomas Goodheart, The Artesian Guitar Quartet (Harris Becker, Laura Lessard, Michael Roberts, James Erickson), Veronica Salas, Jeffrey Wahl, Jean Miller Goodheart, Michael McAndrew, Lauren Ishida, Christina Montalto, Chelsea Jaramillo, Mathilde Vaillancourt and others.

Photos from Festival 2022

Festival 2021

The 16th Midsummer Music Dream Festival took place virtually from August 6 to 8, 2021 and in-person from October 1 to 3, 2021 with live concerts.

Virtual Concerts Held in August

Concerts were shown on YouTube on August 6 at 8 pm, August 7 at 8 pm, and August 8 at 12 and 4 pm. Watch the concert videos.

All concerts at the virtual festival were free. In lieu of purchasing concert tickets, we asked that viewers consider making a donation of $5, $10 or $20 to the Festival.

Performers included Jeffrey Marcus, Emily Klonowski, Christina Montalto, Frank Cassara, Maureen Hynes, Harris Becker, Noby Ishida, Jeffrey Wahl, Michael Roberts, John Isenberg, Vincent Muscarella, Matthew Goodheart, Lauren Ishida, Barbara Fusco-Spera, Laura Lessard, James Erickson, Veronica Salas, Michael McAndrew and Nick Tursi.

Music performed was composed by: Bach, Albeniz, Dowland, Roberts, Bizet, Rodrigo, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Ponce, Bennett, Di Marino and others.

The virtual concerts were presented through the services of Eventbrite.

Live Concerts in October

Live in-person concerts took place from October 1 – 3, 2021, celebrating our 16th season of making music in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The festival included a series of four live concerts which included music by Bach, Pachelbel, Widor, Dowland, Boccherini, Dion, Albeniz and Granados. The concerts took place in the municipalities of Stratford (October 1), Lambton (October 2) and Saint-Romain as well as at the Church of Saint- Paul de Cumberland in Beauce (October 3).

Our Lambton concert was in partnership with Patrimoin'Art Lambton. This concert featured organist Noby Ishida and celebrated the 100th anniversary of the installation of the organ at Église St-Vital. The concert was dedicated to Mrs. Hélène Talbot Roy who was the Église St-Vital organist for 23 years.

Other performers for these concerts included pianist Jeffrey Marcus, soprano Valérie Bélanger, baritone Jean Poulin and guitarist/lutenist Harris Becker.

2021 Press Release

Due to the pandemic, last year's festival was virtual with over 40 artists from all over the world contributing more than 90 videos. All events were free with some viewers generously making donations to the Centre d’action bénévole du Granit.

Find out more about the 2020 Festival.

"Beaux Souvenirs" – A Video History of the Festival by James Erickson

Part 1
Part 2

Festival 2019
(Our Last Live Festival)

The 2019 Midsummer Music Dream / Songe d'été en musique Festival, our last in-person festival, was held from July 26 to August 4, 2019. Festival Artists and participants performed in fourteen concerts throughout the Eastern Townships. Guest artists included world-renowned pianist Jeffrey Marcus, acclaimed percussionist Frank Cassara, harp-guitarist Claude Laflamme, and recordist Jeffrey Wahl.

The Festival Chorus conducted by Noby Ishida performed Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria. Festival Chorus participants from the community participated in a voice workshop designed especially for them.

In addition to the concerts, Festival participants took part in workshops and classes such as guitar ensemble, string ensemble and chorus, and master classes with festival artists.

The highly successful Vocal and Instrumental Programs again brought together students from throughout the U.S., Canada and beyond. The programs' daily schedules included workshops, coaching, master classes, repertoire classes and ensemble rehearsals.

Returning in 2019 was the professionally-focused Songe d'été en musique Vocal Studio with Thomas Goodheart which provided training and performances for a select group of singers.

The festival also included a series of Community Programs open to all ages and levels of musical experience.

Photos from Festival 2019

From Festival 2018

Polyvalente Montignac
Lac-Mégantic

Polyvalente Montignac
Lac-Mégantic

Saint-Paul de Cumberland
Mills Church

Église de Saint-Romain
Saint-Romain

Opera Scenes & Arias

LaTribune Article

L'echo

L'écho Article

L'echo

L'écho Article

Photos from Festival 2018

Listen to a CBC report about the 2011 Festival.

Close Past Festivals

Hydro Quebec Logo
Lambton Logo
MRC Logo
La Fabrique Culturelle
Samuel Poulin
François Jacques
Lac-Megantic
Stornoway
Lac-Drolet
La Routes des Concerts
Groupe Canimex Logo
Friends of the Festival
Make a Donation to the Festival

  

Midsummer Music Dream Festival
Harris Becker, Artistic Director

Board of Directors
Harris Becker, President
Michael Spiroff, Vice-President
Laura Lessard, Secretary
France Pitre, Treasurer
Marie-Josée Roy, Administrator

Website Photos by Nina Krebs and Al Romito. Thank you!