Music on the Strait returns Aug. 30 – Sept. 6

By Rachel Busse For the Sequim Gazette • July 2, 2025 1:30 am
Photo courtesy of Music on the Strait Pianist and author Jeremy Denk will be among artists performing as part of Music on the Strait, which will feature four shows at Field Arts & Events Hall and Maier Hall at Peninsula College Aug. 30-Sept. 6.
Photo courtesy of Music on the Strait Pianist and author Jeremy Denk will be among artists performing as part of Music on the Strait, which will feature four shows at Field Arts & Events Hall and Maier Hall at Peninsula College Aug. 30-Sept. 6.

Music on the Strait is back for its seventh year of bringing internationally-celebrated chamber musicians to the Olympic Peninsula, with four shows Aug. 30-Sept. 6 at Field Arts & Events Hall and Maier Hall at Peninsula College. Tickets are now available to the general public at musiconthestrait.org.

This year’s festival features two distinct series: the Art of the String Quartet program at Maier Hall (Aug. 30 and Sept. 5) and Jeremy Denk and Friends at Field Arts & Events Hall (Sept. 1 and 6). Each series features two unique concerts that invite audiences to engage with different forms of classical music.

“We are especially excited to present programming that highlights each hall’s special acoustics and fills each space with music that fits the venue,” said James Garlick, violinist and co-artistic director for the annual Port Angeles festival.

Garlick noted that Maier Hall is an exceptional venue to experience the beauty of the string quartet, with its pristine acoustics and intimate space. This Art of the String Quartet series features works ranging from Bach to Beethoven to originals by the festival’s 2025 composer-in-residence, Gabriela Lena Frank.

Tickets are already 85% sold out for this series, so those interested in securing seats should act quickly.

Field Hall, in contrast, is a vibrant and spacious venue perfect for the much-anticipated return of pianist, author, and festival favorite Jeremy Denk. The Jeremy Denk and Friends series features works for piano and strings, including a festival finale that pairs Denk and Frank sharing the keyboard in Frank’s “Sonata Serrana No 1 for four hands.”

Discounts are available for supporters of the festival. Contributions of $250 or more in 2025 unlock 20% off tickets for both the Field Arts and Maier Hall shows. There will also be discounts available for families and students.

The full concert schedule is as follows:

Aug. 30 at Maier Hall: Art of the String Quartet I: Late Beethoven and Ethel Smyth

Sept. 1 (Labor Day) at Field Arts & Events Hall: Jeremy Denk plays Beethoven and Hahn

Sept. 5 at Maier Hall: Art of the String Quartet II: Bach, Frank, and Glass

Sept. 6 at Field Arts & Events Hall: Festival Finale: Frank and Fauré.