The fourth annual MusicIC, Iowa City’s free summer chamber music festival, promises to be the most dramatic and ambitious yet, featuring the music of Beethoven’s “Kreutzer Sonata,” a play based on Tolstoy’s novella of the same name, which was inspired by Beethoven’s work; and a quartet by Czech composer Leos Janacek that was inspired by Tolstoy’s novella.

The festival, a component of Summer of the Arts, begins Wednesday, June 18, and continues through Saturday, June 21, including:

• Four performances by internationally-known musicians: violinists Tricia Park and Robin Scott, violist Maurycy Banaszek, cellist Andrew Janss and pianist Riko Higuma as well as Iowa City native and soprano Megan Brus and Iowa City-born pianist Yi-heng Yang, who will be making her debut.

• A public discussion of the “Kreutzer Sonata” music and novella, moderated by Anna Barker, who will be joined by the musicians and Jennifer Fawcett of Working Group Theatre, who is writing the play to be performed along with the music. Her husband, Sean Christopher Lewis, also of Working Group Theatre, will direct the play.

• A Saturday family concert and storytelling event with readings of children’s books “Stenga Nona” and “Madeline.”

Festival organizers Judy Hurtig and Tricia Park note that this year’s festival continues the theme of “Where Music and Literature Meet.” Indeed, it builds on previous year’ performances combining music, poetry, dance, and dramatic performances, but it also harkens back to the festival’s beginnings.

“Tricia and I had thought about this evening program when we first hatched the idea of focusing on the connections between literature and music for MusicIC,” Hurtig recalls. “It was the success of ‘Pierrot Lunaire,’ combining music and poetry, and then last year’s ‘A Soldier’s Tale,’ featuring music, dance and drama, that gave us the confidence to try ‘The Kreutzer Sonata’.”

"One of the things that fascinated me most about Tolstoy’s novella was how he explored the passion and intimacy of Beethoven’s music. That passion walks a line between beauty and something much darker, and all three of these pieces take the audience on that journey," Fawcett adds.

For more information, see the MusicIC section of the Summer of the Arts website.

Support for MusicIC comes from Dunn Investment Company, Hills Bank and Trust, and an anonymous family foundation. Friends and partners include Hancher, the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, the Iowa City Public Library, Trinity Episcopal Church, Toyota-Scion of Iowa City, and West Music.

Summer of the Arts is a nonprofit organization for local arts and culture events including the Iowa Arts Festival presented by Veridian Credit Union, MusicIC, Iowa City Jazz Festival presented by the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, Iowa Soul Festival presented by Diversity Focus, Friday Night Concert Series presented by Toyota-Scion of Iowa City, Saturday Night Concert Series presented by Iowa City Press-Citizen, and Free Movie Series presented by Collins Community Credit Union, and University of Iowa Pentacrest Museums.

The mission of Summer of the Arts is to build community by bringing people together in the Iowa City area to experience, learn about, and enjoy the arts.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation to attend any of these concerts or activities, contact Judith Hurtig with MusicIC in advance at 319-621-2801 or at judith-hurtig@uiowa.edu.