TOWER- The Northern Lights Music Festival hosted an afternoon concert of chamber music at the Lake Vermilion Cultural Center in Tower. Concert performers included young musicans attending the Northern Lights Music Festival young artists program (a three-week residential music camp for young artists at “collegiate” level) as well as professional musicians and teaching staff from the music program.
This year’s offerings included a nice selection of Rachmaninoff, in honor of his 150th anniversary. The concert in Tower featured vocal selections by Leonard Bernstein from “Wonderful Town” and “On the Town” by mezzo soprano Melanie Ashkar, young artists on piano and violin, a beautiful and complex Ravel piece, “Anime”, by 16-year-old Joie Kuan on piano, two Rachmaninoff pieces, and ended with Alexander Markov on violin and Edisher Savitski on piano performing “Ave Maria” by Schubert and “Zigeunerweiser” by Sarasate.
Northern Lights Music Festival Director Veda Zuponcic spoke about their love of performing and preserving these older performance spaces. The LVCC is built around the old St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, which has excellent acoustics.
Upcoming festival concerts and opera performances:
• La bohème 
Friday, July 14 at 7 p.m. at the Veda Zuponcic Auditorium, Mesabi East, Aurora
Adults: $50 / Students (under 18): $15
AFTER THE OPERA
Toast the stars of La bohème with a glass of Prosecco and enjoy delicious hors’doeuvres  prepared by Chef Doug Dahlgren.
Price $30 per person.  Reservations required: (218) 750-0070.
In the newly remodeled Aurora American Legion Club.
• Chamber music on Saturday, July 15 at 7 p.m. B’nai Abraham Cultural Center, Virginia
Adults: $15 / Students (under 18): $5
• La bohème
Sunday, July 16 at 3 p.m. at the Chisholm High School Auditorium.
Adults: $50 / Students (under 18): $15
• Chamber music on Tuesday, July 18 at 7 p.m. Buhl Public Library, with FREE admission sponsored by Lake Country Power
• Opera Arias and More presented by members of the NLMF Opera Apprentices Program with piano accompaniment
Tuesday July 18 at 7 p.m. Vermilion Fine Arts Center in Ely.
Adults: $15 / Students (under 18): $5
• Kids for Kids Concert on Wednesday, July 19 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ely Public Library, with FREE Admission
• Rachmaninoff 150 Festival Concert on Wednesday, July 19 at 7 p.m., Veda Zuponcic Auditorium, Mesabi East, in Aurora.
Adults: $15 / Students (under 18): $5
• Concerto Competition Winners Concert with the Northern Lights Music Festival Orchestra, Gavriel Heine, conductor on Thursday, July 20, 7 p.m. at the Hibbing High School.
Adults: $20 / Students (under 18): $5
Prior to the concert at 5:30 p.m., The Schools That Did it All: The History of Iron Range Schools. One-hour historic art and architecture tour of historic Hibbing High School prior to the NLMF Orchestra Concert.
• Closing Concert on July 21 at 6 p.m. Veda Zuponcic Auditorium, Mesabi East, in Aurora
Adults: $15 / Students (under 18): $5