Recent Press Reviews

"In my life, I have oft been present in a theatre or other venue when standing ovations have been proferred by an audience as the sincerest form of appreciation said audience could offer to performers who have entertained them, and perhaps moved them and touched them during the preceding couple of hours. The standing "O" should be a rare and special appreciation, reserved for very special tributes to artistry on stage. It is cheapened when it becomes a sort of Pavlovian response, due on every occasion, almost demanded from an audience as a ritual of attendance. And I have been present on occasions when it was undeserved, when the performance on stage was pedestrian to the point of boredom. But I have seldom participated in a standing "O" as spontaneous, as prolonged and so richly deserved as the one that erupted when the last notes of Carmina Burina faded away in the glorious ambience of St. Mary's Church at Indian River on the evening of July 3. It is a remarkable and joyful thing to have the spirit lifted and caressed by a work of true artistic merit and worth. That is what happened communally that evening as the Indian River Festival launched its summer season."

Jack MacAndrew, The View From Here

"This summer-long event at a French Gothic church near the western PEI town of Kensington may have the best collection of musicans of any small festival in the country. There's a strong emphasis on the voice, with visits by sopranos Isabel Bayrakdarian, Nathalie Paulin and Suzie LeBlanc; baritone Peter Barrett; cabaret singer Patricia O'Callaghan; Punjabi ghazal singer Kiran Ahluwalia; vocal ensemble musica intima and Cape Breton singer-songwriter J.P. Cormier. There are also performances by the Gryphon Trio and a versatile supporting ensemble anchored by pianists Peter Tiefenbach and Robert Kortgaard, who steers the whole thing as artistic director."

Robert Everett-Green, Globe and Mail, June 2007

"St Mary's Church in Indian River, PEI is quite simply the best place to hear live classical music performed in Atlantic Canada."

Adrian Hoffman, CBC host and producer

A world of fine music, classical, jazz, maritime and world, is to be found at the Indian River Festival, held annually through July and August at St. Mary's Church, located in beautiful, picturesque Prince Edward Island (PEI). We are proud to say this is the 13th Anniversary of the Indian River Festival and we invite music lovers from all over the world to PEI, St. Mary's Church and truly a most spectacular music festival. Here at the Indian River Music Festival you will experience the cream of our local PEI and maritime performers as well as international, classical and jazz artists performing in the near-perfect acoustical setting of St. Mary's Church, designed by famed PEI architect, William Critchlow Harris, over a century ago.

You are invited to peruse the Indian River Music Festival catalog of fine concert offerings for this season. Make your selections and purchase your choices online. You may book using your Visa, Mastercard, Amex or Discover card through Paypal, a name you can trust. We also invite you to consider membership in the Indian River Festival and some of our exciting music festival packages as well as a visit to the historic venue of the music festival, St. Mary's Church.