“Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,” writes Robert Frost in “Fireflies in the Garden,” a poem from 1928. As the title implies, his subject isn’t real stars at all, but rather the lightning bugs that “achieve at times a very star-like start.” I love this poem for so many reasons, but the evocation of fireflies in summer seems particularly apt this month as I highlight a recent addition to our ever-growing cultural scene in Philadelphia. August is, as usual, a relatively quiet month, but IndependentSounds is achieving a “very star-like start” in its fourth year presenting a festival of opera and instrumental music.
Spotlight: IndependentSounds — Aug. 7-9, The Performance Garage
In 2023, the first IndependentSounds Festival took place on the second floor of a friend's house, where audience members and performers shared the same space and excitement of creating something new. This summer, the festival moves to Philadelphia's Performance Garage — a milestone that reflects not just its growth in size, but the success of an artistic model that brings together professional musicians, dedicated amateurs, and curious listeners.
The festival began as a response to a problem. Soprano Angela Gilbert, an internationally acclaimed singer and voice teacher in the College House program at the University of Pennsylvania, watched many of her students — doctors, lawyers, and other dedicated amateur musicians — devote themselves to vocal study with few opportunities to perform publicly. Emerging from the pandemic, she created a festival that would give both her students and the wider community an opportunity to experience opera from the inside and better understand the artistry and hard work behind every performance.
When she invited horn player Todd Williams to join that first production, he not only agreed but started calling friends. An orchestra quickly took shape. What began as a one-time experiment has evolved into an annual festival sustained by the enthusiasm of both artists and audiences, while retaining the intimacy and connection that defined its origin.
That spirit remains at the center of IndependentSounds. Most of the singers are Gilbert's own students, performing alongside professional colleagues who fill out the casts (including WRTI’s John T.K. Scherch singing Sarastro in The Magic Flute). Anyone from her studio who wants to sing is given the opportunity, with coachings and musical preparation provided by the festival.
Williams is a fixture of Philadelphia's musical scene, regularly performing with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Philadelphia Ballet, where he currently serves as acting principal horn. He is also principal horn for leading period-instrument ensembles including the Handel and Haydn Society, Philharmonia Baroque, and Boston Baroque. With IndependentSounds he has built an orchestra from colleagues across Philadelphia and the East Coast who return year after year as much for the collaborative atmosphere the festival fosters as the music itself.
Gilbert is a passionate advocate for opera, and her mission is simple: opera is for everyone. Her productions are condensed to an hour or less and narrated to welcome newcomers into the art form rather than overwhelm them. This year's offerings include Mozart's The Magic Flute, Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, and an evening of song built around the Festival's theme, Magic and Mystery. Together, the programs reflect the Festival's commitment to accessibility without sacrificing artistic ambition.
The orchestra takes center stage on Aug. 8 in an all-Bach program featuring the Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1, 2, and 5. Williams will perform the solo part in Brandenburg No. 1 but will also tackle the celebrated solo role in Brandenburg No. 2 on natural horn rather than trumpet, offering audiences a rare chance to hear the concerto in a dramatically different sound world. The evening also welcomes renowned keyboardist Ian Watson, Associate Conductor of Boston's Handel and Haydn Society, as soloist in Brandenburg No. 5, a landmark work that elevated the harpsichord from supportive player to soloist.
Only in its fourth season, IndependentSounds has already become a distinctive presence in Philadelphia's musical life. Rather than pursuing growth for its own sake, the festival is focused on building trust and a community that returns year after year. Its greatest achievement so far may be the bridge it creates between professionals, students, amateur musicians, and audiences who discover the music together. At a moment when so much of our lives is filtered through screens, IndependentSounds offers a compelling invitation: gather in a room, listen with hearts and ears open, and experience music together.
Aug. 7 at 7 p.m., The Magic Flute
Aug. 8 at 4 p.m., Brandenburg Concertos 1, 2 and 5
Aug. 8 at 7 p.m., Songfest: Magic and Mystery
Aug. 9 at 7 p.m., Tales of Hoffman
All performances at the Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine Street, $30-$50 (children under 12 free); tickets and information.
Also of Note in August:
Chopin and Viardot: A Dialogue — Aug. 1, Academy of Vocal Arts
One of the final events of the Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy features pianist, founder, and artistic director Charlotte Hu joined by soprano Raquel González in a recital celebrating the friendship and artistic partnership of Pauline Viardot and Frédéric Chopin. The program includes Viardot’s inventive arrangements of Chopin’s mazurkas for voice and piano.
Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m., The Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce Street; $31.72; tickets and information.
The Allentown Band Summer Concerts
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Allentown Band celebrates the nation's musical history with a program spanning the Revolutionary War to the present day. Guest baritone Chet Brown joins the ensemble for selections including a Harold Arlen medley, Neil Diamond's America, as well as works by Morton Gould, Frank Ticheli, John Philip Sousa, George M. Cohan, and of course, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Aug. 11 at 7 p.m., Waldheim Park, 2400 South Hall Street, Allentown; Aug. 16 at 7 p.m., West Park Bandshell, Linden Street, Allentown. Free; more information.
Orfeo ed Euridice — Aug. 7 and 8, The Perch Music & Arts Workshop
The Delaware Valley Opera Company presents Christoph Willibald Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, a retelling of the classic Greek myth. The opera tells the story of Orfeo’s journey to the underworld to win back his beloved Euridice, only to confront the consequences of a moment of doubt. Sam Rauch sings the role of Orfeo, with Ashlee Terrill as Euridice and Greta Groothuis as Amore. Zane Alcorn directs, with George Hemcher serving as music director. Sung in Italian with English supertitles.
Aug. 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m., The Perch Music & Arts Workshop, 2321 Emerald Street, $10-$30; tickets and information.
