Tickets Available for 1997 Music Festival

Tickets for the third annual Ventura Chamber Music Festival, which runs from May 3 to 7, went on sale Monday.

Nibbling on chocolate-covered strawberries, local officials gathered in the atrium of City Hall on Monday night to get a “sneak preview” of the 1997 festival. To the fanfare of the Tea and Trumpet brass quartet, the first tickets were presented to Mayor Jack Tingstrom.

This year’s festival celebrates the Early Romantics, 19th century composers and writers known for their expressive music and poetry. The festival will include performances of works by Schumann, Chopin and Schubert as well as poetry of the great Romantics Byron, Keats and Shelley.

There will be 16 concerts over nine days, as well as poetry readings, gallery openings and catered receptions. Five of the concerts will be free; tickets for other concerts range from $16 to $34. A Gala Harbor Cruise will cost $100 per person. Discounts up to 15% off normal ticket prices are available for those who attend multiple concerts.

International artists such as Christopher Parkening, Santiago Rodriguez and the Colorado String Quartet will perform in various historical venues in downtown Ventura.

Bill Clawson, director of the Ventura Visitors Bureau, hopes the festival will put Ventura on the cultural map.

“Cultural tourism is getting a lot of attention these days,” Clawson said. “The Chamber Music Festival is Ventura’s first major step in that direction. We are extremely excited about its potential.”

For a free brochure, call 648-4103. Tickets may be charged by phone at the same number. The festival office is located at 89 S. California St., Suite D.