Alex McDonald Appointed Director of Basically Beethoven Festival
Pianist serves as the second leader in program’s history
The Board of Directors for Fine Arts Chamber Players gladly announces that Dr. Alex McDonald has been named Festival Director for the annual Basically Beethoven Festival. McDonald served as Guest Festival Director for the 2016 Festival, the organization’s 36th undertaking of the event.
“We are thrilled to have Alex McDonald on board as our new Basically Beethoven Festival Director,” said Celeste Yeager, board president for FACP. “He has boundless capability to grow a community of classical music enthusiasts. His vision to make the Basically Beethoven Festival intriguing and entertaining for both experienced concertgoers and new audience members aligns perfectly with FACP’s mission.” [caption id="attachment_2185" align="alignright" width="300"]
Dr. McDonald added, “I am delighted to continue as the director of the Basically Beethoven Festival. It is a tremendous honor to connect our region’s world-class artists with our enthusiastic audience and the timeless repertoire of Beethoven and beyond.”
The Basically Beethoven Festival was the inaugural program Co-Founder and Artistic Director Rogene Russell created to launch FACP as a professional performing arts group in 1981. Russell is the only other person who has served as the Festival Director leading BBF for the first 35 years, and fully supports McDonald’s new role.
“If the summer of 2016 was a sample of what Alex can produce, our Basically Beethoven audience will be enthralled by his fresh ideas and new musical insights,” Russell said. “In addition to his innovative programming, Alex is a consummate performer attending to every detail. Hurrah for the future of Basically Beethoven!”
Yeager, summing up the sentiments of the entire Board and staff, expressed, “Alex demonstrated superb artistry during the 2016 Festival through his selection of both artists and works, including his own arrangement of Stravinsky’s Firebird. We are excited to be able to showcase Alex’s talents and anxiously await 2017.”