Masterworks: Five Star Music In Small Town America
By Leigh Groninger Guest Writer
The Masterworks Festival in Winona Lake is a four week event bringing brilliant young artists from around the globe to learn from professionals and perform great classical music for the community.
To the founding families, the Masterworks Festival was nothing more than a vision, but in 1997 their vision became a reality. Their vision was a safe place for young artists to learn from other professionals and also to grow in their relationship with Christ.
The first Masterworks Festival was held on June 21 in Houghton, N.Y., with a total of 55 students attending. The following year, the festival doubled in the number of students and a couple of years later, the number of students doubled again. In just a few short years, the Masterworks Festival had established itself as a momentous force in the music world and also a significant ministry drawing people from all over the world, including places like Honduras and China.
“In the beginning, we had a lot of struggles trying to make our dream a reality,” says Barbra Kavanaugh, one of the founders of the Masterworks Festival. “The first year, we had a lot of problems trying to find the funds to support our dream, and we also struggled to find people who would be willing to become faculty. We had to send out applications to colleges all over the United States looking for professionals willing to help us achieve our dream, but after that first year, we have not had to send out any applications for teachers because people are very eager to be part of our vision.”
In 2001, an article about Masterworks found its way into the hands of a man named Brent Wilcoxson who lived in Winona Lake. He was very interested in the program so in 2002, he invited them to come and preform at Grace College and in 2004, after two successful festivals in Indiana, the Masterworks Festival was moved to Winona Lake and has taken place here ever since.
The Masterworks Festival is taking place now through July 13 and there are performances every day. If you are interested in specific dates and times, go to the Masterworks website. Come and support these talented young artists from around the globe; you won’t be disappointed!