WATCH NOW: CV Chamber Music Festival concerts to be live streamed – Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

“Iowans Are Everywhere” seemed like a given for this season’s concert series featuring resident and native Iowan musicians from around the country live-streaming their performances, beginning July 17.

Virtual offerings are a sign of the times during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the idea also speaks to the festival’s original mission to showcase Iowans playing music in diverse and unusual venues, said Capoccioni, the festival’s artistic director and founder.

Many patrons still remain uncomfortable about attending a concert. Musicians, who customarily converge on the Cedar Valley to perform at the festival, are struggling with the need to play music for a living and having to travel considerable distances to perform.

“So instead of coming to Iowa, we’ve reached out to artists who have played with us in the past and asked them to perform digitally and say ‘hi’ to our patrons. It’s going to be pretty cool, and it’s really opened the door to a lot of artists to pick their own programming.

“I want them to play music they’re comfortable with and deliver something that is meaningful and passionate,” Capoccioni explained. Free performances will be live-streamed from Chicago, Houston, Orlando, Fla., Sacramento, Calif., and Malaysia. Some performances may be pre-recorded.

All concerts are free to stream at A440.live/artists/iowa.

“This is supposed to be our 15th anniversary season. It’s disappointing that it didn’t get to happen the way we wanted. But the board and I are still committed to it. Classical music, out of necessity, has been pioneering in reaching out to audiences because we have to be, and that’s inspiring,” Capoccioni said.

A double bassist and Waterloo native, Capoccioni now lives in Houston and is coordinator of chamber music for the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

“There are literally are talented Iowans everywhere. That’s a tribute to what I’ve noticed as I travel as an artist. It’s amazing how often I run into someone who is connected to Iowa, either they were born or grew up here, went to school or have an uncle who lives in Fort Dodge or someplace. It’s part of the fabric of who we are.”

The festival begins at 7:30 p.m. July 17 with “Hammer + Bow: Music for Violin and Percussion,” featuring Cedar Falls native Tara Lynn Ramsey, violinist, and Chicago-based percussionist Kyle Flens. Subsequent performances are: “Iowa, This is Houston, Do You Copy? (Part I),” 7:30 p.m. July 18, and Part 2, 7:30 p.m. July 25 ; “Duo Pangelica: Music for Harps,” 3 p.m. July 19; “From Florida With Love,” July 20, 7 :30 p.m. ; and “Beethoven at 250 Years and 9,000 Miles,” 7:30 p.m. July 24, featuring violinist Tim Peters, an Iowa City native now appearing with the Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra.

Other featured musicians include Yvonne Smith, Teresa Procter, Ellie Choate, Brian Suits, David Bjella, Max Geissler, Loo Bang Hean, Ingrid Gerling, Ross Monroe Winter, Jacquelyn Venter and Hannah Sun.