In 1966, Alan Iglitzin and other members of the Philadelphia String Quartet moved to Seattle to become the University of Washington's Quartet-in-Residence, a position it held until 1982. During its 30-year tenure, the Quartet made numerous international tours and recorded much of the chamber music repertoire.
In 1984, Mr. Iglitzin fulfilled a lifelong dream by founding the Olympic Music Festival on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. While he originally intended the Festival to be a summer home for the Philadelphia String Quartet, Mr. Iglitzin soon discovered that Northwest audiences were seeking an idyllic setting for the enjoyment of chamber music.
Since its opening season, the Festival has grown from three weekends to twelve. Today, more than 12,000 people attend "Concerts in the Barn" every summer, many coming from as far away as Canada and California.
During the summer, Festival performances are broadcast by Classical KING-FM and throughout the year on National Public Radio's "Performance Today."
In 1998, Governor Gary Locke recognized Mr. Iglitzin's contribution to cultural life in the Northwest by awarding him the Washington State Governor's Arts Award. Mr. Iglitzin also received the award in 1973 as a member of the Philadelphia String Quartet.
In keeping with the Festival's mission of making chamber music more accessible, the Festival has always included enduactional aspects. While formal instrument classes are no longer available on the Festival grounds, Karen Iglitzin, former first violinist of the Philadelphia String Quartet, directs a program that trains young people from the Pacific Northwest in the art of chamber music.
To find out more about about this program, please click here to visit the Chamber Music Madness website.
