Edgefest 2015 Highlights
This year’s Edgefest was an artistic success and many performances were sold out. Performers from all over the world, but particularly New York, played the Kerrytown Concert House October 21–24.
Edgefest also connected with the community in special ways through workshops in schools and a parade through the Farmers Market on Saturday. SEMJA was one of the sponsors of the workshops at Scarlett Middle School and the University of Michigan. Several of the Scarlett students showed up at the parade, no doubt because cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum led the workshop as well as the parade. It is hard to imagine a more enthusiastic leader than Taylor, as can be seen in the photos below. He also was the conductor of a large orchestra (the PlusTet) playing two of his compositions (appearing on record next spring) at St Andrew’s Episcopal Church. The PlusTet was made up of his septet and the U-M Creative Arts Orchestra, plus guests. This inspiring performance was a climax for the festival as it combined composition and improvisation in creative ways.
The backdrop also includes grants from Chamber Music America and others, all “orchestrated” by KCH’s Deanna Relyea without whom the festival would not have happened.
photographs by Lars Bjorn
TOP: Taylor Ho conducting the PlusTet at St Andrews
INSET: Guitarist Ryan Ferreira talking to U-M students about his career
ABOVE: Paraders rehearse outside Kerrytown Concert House
BELOW, LEFT: Taylor Ho leading the parade
BELOW, RIGHT: Drummer Andrew Drury’s Content Provider with (from left) Briggan Kraus, Ingrid Laubrock, and Brandon Seabrook cooking on the Kerrytown Concert House stage
