Award Winning Pianist Performs in Intimate Island Setting
By Jessica Delaney

Treble, sharp, crescendo, staccato. Sometimes the language of music can be confusing to an untrained ear. However, with a new program on the Island from Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 17, those who may not know much about music will have the chance to learn.

Adam Fellegi, an award-winning pianist from Hungary, will be making himself known on Mackinac Island for a week. Mr. Fellegi has traveled through the world, performing and teaching about the piano, and was awarded the Hungarian state prize “Franz Liszt” in 1984. While on the Island, he will be giving several small piano performances.

“I like to play in private homes, that is my favorite,” said Mr. Fellegi. “It’s more intimate than a concert hall, and one can chat with the artist and eat and drink with the host. It’s just a more propitious way to influence people with music.”

In addition to performing the music of some of piano’s greatest composers, Mr. Fellegi likes to introduce the pieces he is performing. Small performances with accompanying dialogue have become a a favorite for Mr. Fellegi, and he believes that the explanations are one of the most important aspects of a performance.

“People need a guide,” he said, “because classical music is so much in the past. Without a guide, they don’t know how or why to listen.”

Mr. Fellegi will be performing three small concerts at Moondance Cottage in Woodbluff, Sunday, July 10, Monday, July 11, and Friday, July 15. All three concerts will begin at 7:30, and tickets will cost $20 for adults and $10 for children. Moondance Cottage is owned by Dr. Robert Spitzer. For directions or more information on the recitals, contact Dr. Spitzer at (906) 847-6151.

Dr. Spitzer, who works as a neurologist in Southfield, was instrumental in bringing Mr. Fellegi to the Island. Mr. Fellegi is actually the cousin of Dr. Spitzer’s mother, and the two have been in contact for years. Dr. Spitzer has even been to Hungary to visit with his cousin.

When Dr. Spitzer heard that Mr. Fellegi would be performing in the United States, specifically in the Chicago area, he thought it would be a great opportunity to bring the pianist to the Island.

“He’s a great classical musician, it’s a great cultural event for the Island, and it helps us to promote the Island as a destination,” said Dr. Spitzer.

Mr. Fellegi spent the last several weeks performing with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, which will also be giving performances on the Island. The chamber orchestra, along with Mr. Fellegi, will be performing a children’s concert entitled Klassics for Kids at 11 a.m. Friday, July 8, and an evening concert at 7 p.m. at Mission Point Theater.

Proceeds from the chamber orchestra concerts will benefit the Mackinac Island Community Foundation. According to Community Foundation Director Jennifer Bloswick, this is a great opportunity for the foundation. A grant from Wisconsin Electric, the parent company to Island company Edison Sault, paid for the Chamber Orchestra to come to the Island. Mr. Fellegi provides an even greater draw for the concert, and will be volunteering his time.

Klassics for Kids is a regular program of the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, designed to promote music appreciation among young people. The event is primarily intended for children ranging in age from three to 12, although everyone is invited. The concert will be free, although donations will be accepted. The evening concert will cost $20 for adults and $10 for children and will include a performance of “Carnival of Animals.”

The Chicago Chamber Orchestra will then leave the Island for a performance at The Opera House in Cheboygan, and Mr. Fellegi will remain for his smaller recitals.

“I wanted there to be multiple levels,” said Dr. Spitzer. “The Chamber Orchestra is the big, showy thing, but I also wanted something for the people who live on the Island, to see him in a more personal setting.”

Both Dr. Spitzer and Mr. Fellegi believe that the concerts will be a wonderful opportunity for both tourists and Island residents. Setting them up, however, was not an easy task.

To begin with, there are few pianos available on the Island. Dr. Spitzer had hoped to use one that had been housed at Mission Point Resort, but the piano was damaged by water last winter. So Dr. Spitzer purchased an electronic keyboard, a Roland model RD700SX, which is a professional stage piano that is basically an electronic imitation of a Steinway.

Planning the dates for the recitals was another problem, since Dr. Spitzer wanted to make certain that any Islander interested in the program would have the opportunity to hear Mr. Fellegi perform.

In the end, the decision was made to hold three performances. Mr. Fellegi will vary the pieces in the performance, so that people can come to more than one event if desired.

The programs will be drawn from some of classical music’s lighter pieces and composers, including lots of Chopin and Mozart, the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven, Hungarian Rhapsody by Liszt, and some George Gershwin pieces.

In addition to the numerous recitals and the grand performance with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Fellegi will also be giving a private performance July 14 at the Inn at Stonecliffe for guests there and is available for other private recitals, especially now that he has the portable digital piano.

Dr. Spitzer hopes this will spark interest in classical music on the Island and envisions a classical music festival here someday.

“We have an island known for its classical and historical architecture and period,” he said, “and it’s nice to have classical music being performed. It fits very nicely in with the atmosphere and is historically appropriate.”

Mr. Fellegi is glad for the opportunity to perform on the Island. He enjoys performing and looks forward to the island atmosphere.

“I hope for the many natural beauties to inspire me,” said Mr. Fellegi. “And I hope that I can contribute to the beauty and entertainment value of the island.”

When Mr. Fellegi departs July 17, he will make his way to Europe, where he will be performing at the Wagner Festival in Germany.