Erika Block isn’t just the executive director of the Bellingham Festival of Music (BFM). The talented clarinetist is also a member of the BFM orchestra, and spent years on the classical music festival’s board before taking on the new position in January, following co-founder Michael Palmer’s semi-retirement. (He’ll return as conductor laureate starting in 2025.)
Block’s combination of musical and managerial skills, plus her past experience in marketing and artist relations, makes her an obvious choice to help kickstart BFM’s 30th year, dubbed “A Season of Discovery.” The music-making begins Saturday, July 1, at Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Center with guest conductor Ward Stare leading Johannes Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville Summer of 1915” and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4.
Stare is one of five conductors from around the country who will be sharing their talents this summer — the lineup includes Marcelo Lehninger (Thursday, July 6), Ken Lam (Monday, July 10), Joshua Weilerstein (Friday, July 14) and Conner Gray Covington (Tuesday, July 18). At the end of the season, Block said, one of them may be appointed the new artistic director and conductor of the Bellingham Festival of Music.
“Each conductor was given artistic license to choose their music and soloists,” Block, 42, said. “It’s giving us a chance to see five different possibilities and styles. They all picked something completely different from each other. A lot of the repertory is works we’ve never played and the festival audience hasn’t enjoyed live.”
Block is excited to see how audiences react to the infusion of talent, and is hoping residents of Whatcom and Skagit counties who’ve never been to a BFM concert before will check out a show, whether it’s one of the five guest conductor performances with featured artists; a Wednesday, July 12, concert by BFM’s resident chamber ensemble, the Calidore String Quartet; or the perennially popular Chamber Music by the Bay concert and reception, which takes place Sunday, July 16, in the rotunda of the Bellingham Cruise Terminal and will feature principal players from the orchestra.
For those who aren’t ready to commit to a full-length concert, an hourlong Bellingham Festival of Music performance will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 8, at Whatcom Museum’s Old City Hall at 121 Prospect St. The chamber concert will feature BFM orchestra members and is free to the public.
“Just come and sit and the music will do its job,”
Block said. “You don’t need to be educated in classical music to enjoy it.”
One of her goals in her new position, Block said, is to make chamber music more approachable to everybody. To that end, she’d like there to be more open rehearsals both adults and kids can attend, and hopes to partner with whomever the new artistic director will be to explore things the festival hasn’t yet tried yet — whether it’s new marketing strategies or additions to the festival’s existing year-round outreach initiatives designed to introduce youth to classical music.
Although she’s lived in Bellingham for 10 years, Block said she’s still blown away by the amount of musical talent found here. She also loves that so many visiting BFM artists make it a point of returning to the area every summer not only to make music, but also to explore the sights and reconnect.
“Everybody is joyful and thrilled to be here,” Block said. “It’s a happy vibe. There are a couple musicians that have even purchased homes who plan to retire here.”
Because the musicians and conductors who aren’t local need to be in Bellingham for nearly a month, it’s long been a tradition that residents host the visiting talent. Upwards of 60 different families welcome them into their homes, and many share the ins-and-outs of the city the musicians wouldn’t be privy to if they were staying in a hotel.
And, due to the welcoming nature of the three-week event, it’s possible you’ll run into one or more of the guest conductors, soloists or orchestra members around town. This year, a new beer and wine garden at Western’s plaza outside of the Performing Arts Center will offer both refreshments and views before the shows and during intermissions — and maybe a chance to talk to the talent.
Block said she would love to have every concert sold out all the time, and urges people who’ve never attended a live classical music concert to give it a try.
“It’s different from listening to it in the radio of your car,” she said. “The connection of human energy that happens when you’re sitting in a group of 70 people working together to create a sound is unique and electric. It meets you where you are, and fulfills something in your emotions in the moment. You can’t experience that unless you’re sitting in the audience.”
The Bellingham Festival of Music takes place July 1–18 at Western’s Performing Arts Center and the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. Tickets are $47–$65. Info: bellinghamfestival.org.
