Where Orchestra and Door County Meet
By LISA HARPER, Peninsula Music Festival president
Opportunities to hear recorded music abound. One needs only to click a few buttons to hear beautiful orchestral music in our cars, kitchens and earbuds.
My husband, Michael, and I were recently treated to a sumptuous classical music podcast while driving through the Rocky Mountains at golden hour, as the sun was beginning to fade. But even that “peak” experience cannot replace live music – seeing and feeling the string section or watching how the brass immediately enlivens and excites a venue.
Live orchestral music is not just heard; it is witnessed. A great conductor can connect listeners not only to the musicians but to each other. Peninsula Music Festival’s (PMF) internationally renowned conductor, Rune Bergmann, is that great conductor. Watching Maestro Bergmann challenge and inspire the talented PMF musicians to share their – and his – passion for the music is, in every sense, something that can only be experienced live.
“Orchestral music is transformative,” Bergmann said. “People leave the performance in a different emotional state than when they arrived. Our goal is to make this happen every time.”
This transformative opportunity returns to Door County in August for the 74th anniversary of the Peninsula Music Festival, where world-class musicians gather to create performances of remarkable depth and vitality. These are artists who spend their seasons on some of the world’s most respected stages, bringing with them a standard of excellence shaped by years of performance at the highest level. Here, that caliber of artistry is not an exception – it is the expectation of Maestro Bergmann, the audience and the musicians themselves. Programs are thoughtfully curated, guest artists bring distinction and nuance and each performance reflects a shared commitment to precision, expression and musical integrity under Bergmann’s baton.
What makes PMF compelling is not only the quality of the music, but where it happens. Door County offers a setting that feels both elevated and effortlessly welcoming. Evenings unfold against a backdrop of vast waterscapes and vibrant sunsets, where the pace of the day slows into something peaceful. There is no rush of city traffic, no formality, and ticket prices are well below what they are in larger markets. PMF offers space to arrive, to settle in, to talk with friends and to eagerly anticipate another outstanding performance.
For many, the PMF has long been one of Door County’s best-kept secrets – a quiet tradition of extraordinary music in a beautiful, unassuming setting. But experiences of this caliber are not meant to remain hidden. Each year, the festival attracts new audience members and welcomes back patrons who enjoyed the original concerts in the Gibraltar school gym.
Beyond the performance itself, the festival offers a distinct flow that extends through the entire evening. Friends and families gather before concerts, conversations unfold over dinner and a sense of anticipation builds as audiences take their seats. There is a quiet moment just before the music begins – a collective pause – when the room settles and attention sharpens. Then, with a single gesture, Maestro Bergmann and the orchestra bring everything into motion. It is in that moment that the outside world disappears and is replaced by something deeply special.
As the final notes of the evening fade, the experience lingers. It carries into the walk under an open sky, into conversations that continue long after the concert has ended. What remains is not just the memory of a performance, but the feeling of having been part of something uniquely Door County.
Celebrating our 74th season this August, the PMF welcomes the return of Grammy-winner and violinist James Ehnes for two programs, as well as pianist Stewart Goodyear. Both are brilliant musicians and much loved by PMF patrons. This season also features Grammy-winners Michelle Cann on piano and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung. DeYoung will be joined by the Apollo Chorus of Chicago and the Appleton Boychoir for a performance of the stunning “Mahler 3.” The season also features one of the nation’s premier pops conductors, Bob Bernhardt, conducting John Williams’s lesser-known compositions and selections from Harry Potter.
This summer, the PMF invites you to the sound, the artistry and the shared experience that only live orchestral music can provide. We hope you accept the invitation.
Culture Club is contributed by members of the Peninsula Arts and Humanities Alliance, a coalition of nonprofit organizations whose purpose is to enhance, promote and advocate the arts, humanities and natural sciences in Door County. The member organizations are: Birch Creek Music Performance Center; Björklunden; The Clearing Folk School; Door Community Auditorium; Door Shakespeare; The Hardy Gallery; Midsummer’s Music; Miller Art Museum; Northern Sky Theater; Peninsula Music Festival; Peninsula Players Theatre; Peninsula School of Art; Third Avenue PlayWorks; Trueblood Performing Arts Center; and Write On, Door County.
