The Hamptons Festival of Music At LTV Studios

The Hamptons Festival of Music is a new organization co-founded by orchestral conductor Maestro Michael Palmer, who serves as artistic director. For its inaugural season, The Hamptons Festival of Music has announced it will be partnering with Local TV Inc. (LTV). Based in Wainscott, LTV will be the official host venue for all concert performances of the festival’s first season, scheduled to take place from September 9 to 11.

“The large studio space and overall facilities seemed like a natural fit for what I envisioned for a very intimate and memorable festival experience for the audience.” Palmer said of the LTV studio space. “The positive support and spirit experienced from my first meeting with LTV’s executive director, Michael Clark, was a clear sign that we have found a true collaborator with whom to establish a relationship, which will continue to grow and develop into the future.”

“We are honored to be collaborating with The Hamptons Festival of Music,” added Clark. “Having a world class orchestra along with recognized guest artists in our building fits perfectly with our goal of having LTV Studios be a unique, community gathering spot. This partnership works nicely for TH.FM, LTV and, most importantly, our community.”

The Hamptons Festival of Music, or TH.FM for short, is the brainchild of Palmer, who established and has sustained the Bellingham Festival of Music, the premier orchestral music festival in the Pacific Northwest, for over 29 years. Palmer recognized the artistic gravitational pull of the East End and set in motion plans to create a classical music and festival experience specifically serving local, year-round residents.

In its inaugural pilot season, over one weekend in September concertgoers will have the opportunity to experience three genres of concert performance — a concerto for small ensembles, chamber music and a full concert for symphony orchestra.

The event will feature internationally recognized guest artists performing with The New American Sinfonietta, the resident orchestra of the festival. The orchestra comprises top orchestral musicians from across the US, Canada, and abroad, including many who hold principal positions with leading orchestras and ensembles.

Palmer began his professional career in 1967 at age 21 when he became assistant conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under legendary director Robert Shaw, and was later named associate conductor. In that capacity, in 1974 he founded and became the first director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. In 1975 he was one of the first young American conductors selected as an EXXON/Arts Endowment Conductor by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Next, he became music director of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra (1977-1990), followed by the posts of music director of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (1989-1997) and the American Sinfonietta (1991-2002), with whom he toured Europe for 10 consecutive seasons.

Since 1993 he has served as founder and artistic director of the Bellingham Festival of Music (Bellingham, Washington). This year will be his final season in the role, after which he will become its conductor laureate.

Palmer has also served as guest conductor for the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Denver Symphony Orchestra and has made international appearances as a conductor in Canada, Europe and China. He has also held academic conducting posts at Wichita State University and at Georgia State University.