Welcome to DjangoFest NW 2011!
This is another exciting year for DjangoFest NW. We are celebrating our eleventh season of bringing Gypsy Jazz performers to Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, to join happy fans from around the globe in this idyllic setting.
DFNW is the premier showcase of Gypsy Jazz in North America, having presented some of the biggest names in the genre to thousands of enthusiastic participants. This year continues that tradition with a stellar lineup featuring America's favorite violinist/composer, Mark O'Connor, with his Hot Swing band playing in the style he came to love while touring with Stephane Grappelli. We have the great Gypsy guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg joined by the Biel Ballester Trio from Madrid, a first for US audiences.
The inimitable Martin Taylor will be playing with our own Pearl Django and as a special treat Howard Alden is joined by Anat Cohen from Tel Aviv, for an extraordinary guitar clarinet duet. Gonzalo Bergara and Adrien Moignard, incredible guitarists individually, will join for what promises to be a classic performance. Stephane Wrembel will be there to brilliantly explore the boundaries. And, as usual, we will be presenting some special surprises as well as the return of many local favorites.
To provide the opportunity to learn from the masters we've expanded the workshops and presentations being offered not only to guitarists and violinists, but to the general public as well this year. We've also added a special film presentation, "Meeting with Francis-Alfred Moerman," presented by Antoine and Sebastien Boyer, an incredible father and son duo from Paris who studied with the late Moerman. They will explain the elements of the Ferret/Moerman styles incorporating live performances of compositions by Francis-Alfred Moerman and the Ferret brothers. In addition, the renowned Dutch Luthier, Leo Eimers, will give a presentation on the special techniques and practices involved in the construction of this unique style of guitar. All the workshops are available for all patrons but of special interest might be Stochelo Rosenberg's Master Presentation and Mark O'Connor's session, both presented on WICA's Michael Nutt Mainstage. Entertaining and instructive, these presentations give the festivalgoer a unique chance to interact with their favorite artists. Please see the workshop page for more details.
And, as always, there are numerous impromptu djam sessions popping up wherever one turns, as the entire village of Langley, on beautiful Whidbey Island, just a ferry ride from Seattle, gets into the full swing of things. Please come join us for an unforgettable musical experience, guaranteed to put a tap in your foot and a smile on your lips!
Nick Lehr, Artistic Director
DjangoFest
Stacie Burgua, Executive Director
Whidbey Island Center for the Arts
