The July 14-15 weekend at Music Mountain features the Cassatt String Quartet with Ursula Oppens, piano and Mark Peskanov, violin plus HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” Band, the 2012 Grammy Award-Winner, Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks as America’s oldest continuing summer chamber music festival, Music Mountain continues its 2012 summer season.

Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks are making their second Music Mountain appearance on Saturday, July 14th (6:30PM) whiole the acclaimed Cassatt String Quartet will be performing an all French program on Sunday, July 15th (3PM). The weekend’s artists are just a sampling of the 150 chamber, jazz and country musicians that will perform at Gordon Hall thru September 9th.

Last summer, Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks created such a sensation that Music Mountain’s president Nicholas Gordon could not resist inviting them back. Fresh from winning a 2012 Grammy-Award, the group’s Saturday evening concert will top-cast one of the finest big bands in the nation. The group is revered on the New York scene for their commitment to preserving and authentically presenting 1920s and ‘30s jazz and popular music. Historical accuracy is also important to Martin Scorsese who regularly features the band on his award-winning TV show “Boardwalk Empire.” Since 1976, the band has played at such distinguished venues as The Rainbow Room, the Waldorf-Astoria, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They appear regularly at Club Cache at Sofia’s at the Edison Hotel, among other venues. This Music Mountain appearance of The Nighthawks is again very generously underwritten by Norman Fields.

Lauded as one of America’s outstanding ensembles, the Cassatt String Quartet will once again join forces with pianist Ursula Oppens to present an all French program on Sunday afternoon – a rare opportunity to hear these composers’ only works in this genre. The afternoon will include Franck: Sonata for violin & piano; Debussy: String Quartet in G Minor, Opus 10; and Chausson: Concerto for violin, piano & string quartet. Joining Cassatt String Quartet will be Mark Peskanov, violin.

The Manhattan based Cassatt String Quartet was founded in 1985 when they served as the inaugural participants in Julliard’s Young Artists Quartet Program. Since then, they have found much success in the US and abroad, performing in such famed venues as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and Maeda Hall in Tokyo. Grammy Award nominated Ursula Oppens has been lauded by The New York Times, New Yorker Magazine and the Chicago Tribune for her sterling musicianship. She recently toured with Mark Morris Dance Group for “Mozart Dances,” appearing in Toronto, New Zealand, and at the Kennedy Center. Mark Peskanov is an award-winning violinist who has performed around the world as a soloist and with orchestras and chamber ensembles. He is executive and artistic director of Bargemusic and the Music Advisor to the Woodstock Mozart Festival in Illinois where he performs and conducts.
Located in Falls Village, Connecticut, Music Mountain is located on Music Mountain Road, where a short scenic drive will bring music lovers to Gordon Hall with ample & free parking. Beer and wine are available and, as is the Music Mountain custom, audience members are invited to picnic before the concerts on the scenic grounds.

Tickets: Saturday (6:30PM) – $30 at the door/$27 in advance; Sunday (3PM) – $35 at the door/$30 in advance. Discounts available. Admission is FREE for those 18 and under when accompanied by ticket holder. Group rates and pre season ticket vouchers are available. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a complete summer schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit www.musicmountain.org or call 860-824-7126.