Formed by Andrew Arceci in memory of his late father, the Winchendon Music Festival is all set to celebrate its significant 10th anniversary next year. Andrew Arceci takes us on a trip down memory lane as he reflects on the successful 2024 season and gives us a glimpse of what's in store.

Honoring a Legacy through Musical Excellence

Origins and Founding

Winchendon, a small town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA, may be unassuming, but as Richard Duckett wrote in Worcester's Telegram & Gazette, the Winchendon Music Festival (WMF) has truly put Winchendon on the musical map. The festival was founded by multi-instrumentalist Andrew Arceci. With his expertise on various instruments like the viola da gamba, violone, and double bass in Europe, he has collaborated with renowned groups such as Collegium Musicum Den Haag in The Netherlands, Venice Music Project in Italy, and several British ensembles including Dunedin Consort, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and Oxford Baroque. His recording credits are extensive, featuring works with APM Music/Juice Music, Cedille Records, Centaur Records, Novum, Bôłt Records/Monotype Records, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Music & Arts, and his performances have been broadcast on National Public Radio (USA), Public Radio International, Deutschlandradio, and BBC Radio 3. He has also contributed to soundtrack work for BBC One's Silent Witness.WMF is dedicated to the memory of Andrew Arceci's late father, Robert J Arceci MD PhD. Originally from Winchendon, Dr Arceci was a globally recognized pediatric hematologist/oncologist and an expert in histiocytic disorders and pediatric acute myelocytic leukemia. After his tragic death in 2015 due to an illegal driver hitting his motorcycle, Andrew Arceci decided to honor his father's passion for the arts with a memorial weekend featuring three concert programmes.

Development and Growth

Since then, WMF has evolved into a world-class series, hosting local, national, and international artists spanning various musical genres including classical, folk, jazz, and world music. The festival programs are freely accessible to the community, with the support of several businesses and foundations. The Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, the David Greenewalt Charitable Trust, and the Gardner Cultural Council have been the three largest contributors so far, along with additional support from the Athol Cultural Council, Beals Memorial Library, Comeau's Heating – Boiler Services, Morin Real Estate, NETSCOUT – IT Services, Sparks Real Estate, Templeton Cultural Council, To Each His Own Design – Flowers & Gifts, Winchendon Cultural Council, and Winchendon History & Cultural Center, as well as several individuals.WMF presents a diverse range of programs such as solo, small ensemble, and chamber orchestral performances. Noted performers who have graced the stage include Boston Camerata director Anne Azéma, the Arcadia Players (with whom Arceci served as the artistic director from 2022 to 2024), contralto Emily Marvosh, keyboardist and musicologist Joshua Rifkin, Turkish American artist Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, countertenor Randall Scotting, and soprano Teresa Wakim.

2024 Festival Highlights

The 2024 festival from 25-29 September and 6 October was a musical extravaganza, featuring guitarist Colin Davin (pictured right). Currently the director of Guitar Studio and associate professor of Guitar at Shenandoah Conservatory, Davin has emerged as one of today's most dynamic artists. His performance highlights include concertos with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, and Richmond Symphony. He has collaborated with guitarists Sharon Isbin, violinist Tessa Lark, and cellist Edward Arron, and has performed solo and chamber music at the Aspen Music Festival and Maui Classical Music Festival. In 2015, he appeared as a featured musical guest on the final season of The Late Show with David Letterman in duo with the late Jessye Norman.Highlights from the festival included a programme featuring works by Thomas Campion, William Byrd, and others, performed by soprano Hailey Fuqua, tenor James Mead, baritone David McFerrin, recorder player Aldo Abreu, violinist Asako Takeuchi, festival director and viol player Andrew Arceci, archlute player Adam Cockerham, and harpsichord player Libor Dudas. Arceci also performed at another highlight concert alongside violinists Asako Takeuchi and Rebecca Nelson, viola player Lauren Nelson, and cellist Jacques Lee Wood.Clavichord player, harpsichordist, and musicologist John McKean (pictured left), based in Boston, MA and a faculty member at the Longy School of Music, is the assistant treasurer for The Boston Clavichord Society. He performs with leading American and European ensembles like Apollo's Fire, Emmanuel Music, the Catacoustic Consort, Camerata Vocale Freiburg, and has appeared with the Jacksonville, Naples, Portland (Maine), and Pittsburg symphony orchestras. His live radio broadcasts can be heard on NPR, BBC Radio 3, and Deutschlandradio Berlin.The 2024 festival also welcomed performances from John Arcaro (pictured right) and his band. A professor at the Berklee College of Music, he has performed with Boston Musica Viva, Nick Brignola, Richie Cole, Hal Crook, Alan Dawson, Paquito D'Rivera, Jon Faddis, Fred Lipsius, Bob Mintzer, Bob Moses, Jimmy Mosher, Rebecca Parris, Gray Sargent, Carol Sloane, Ed Thigpen, Bill Watrous, Phil Wilson, and others. He has recorded with Garrison Fewell, George Garzone, Jamey Haddad, Skip Hadden, John Lockwood, Jimmy Madison, Michael Moore, Jack Pezanelli, Bill Pierce, and Mark White on the Brownstone, BCM, and TBA labels. He is a member of numerous jazz ensembles and big bands, including the Worcester Jazz Orchestra.This year, WMF audiences also enjoyed performances from pianist Yoko Hagino (Pictured left). In addition to solo and chamber repertoire, she has appeared as a soloist with Osaka Century Orchestra, UMass Boston Chamber Orchestra, Key West Symphony Orchestra, and White Rabbit Sinfonietta. She is a prize winner of the Steinway Society Piano Competition, the First International Chamber Music Competition, the All-Japan Selective Competition of the International Mozart Competition, and Chamber Music Competition of Japan. She teaches at Concord Conservatory of Music and has been a staff pianist at the Boston Conservatory, leading workshops at Morgan State University, Longy School of Music, and Berklee College of Music.

Looking Ahead to the 10th Anniversary

Next year will mark a momentous occasion as the Winchendon Music Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary. Currently, the festival team is working hard to secure the funds for the celebration. They can reveal that the 2025 programme will feature folk ensemble Floyds Row, John Arcaro, and several other exciting acts. This will be a grand celebration of the festival's achievements and a prelude to many more years of musical excellence.