The Savannah Music Festival (SMF) is the largest musical arts event in Georgia, featuring more than 100 productions over the 17-day festival each spring.
The festival operates year-round to produce youth concerts, lectures, in-school touring programs, an annual high school jazz band competition and festival, as well as a weekly radio series, recordings, and other online and digital initiatives. SMF stages original, one-time only productions, premieres and double-bills, including many commissioned works. SMF has made collaboration a priority and works with organizations including the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, Telfair Museums, Savannah Tour of Homes & Gardens, Lucas Theatre for the Arts, Historic Savannah Foundation/Davenport House Museum, The Creative Coast, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah Stopover Festival, and a variety of the City's houses of worship including Temple Mickve Israel, Christ Church Episcopal, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and Trinity United Methodist Church.
History
In 1989, the Savannah OnStage International Arts Festival was founded by a group of community leaders, fostered by the Savannah Chamber of Commerce, and selected Elizabeth Stewart and Stewart Gordon as its top administrators. Until 2002, the weeklong, multi-disciplinary arts festival brought a variety of performers to Savannah each year during a 10-day festival, which included the acclaimed weeklong American Traditions Competition (ATC). In contrast to many vocal competitions that focused on repertoire of European origin, the ATC was dedicated to establishing the value and range of styles represented by composers of 19th and 20th century American art songs and popular music. Under the passionate leadership of Executive Director Elizabeth Stewart, Savannah OnStage continued to grow and it became a favorite event in the city's early springtime calendar.
In 2002, the board of directors hired Rob Gibson as Executive and Artistic Director and the organization's name was changed to Savannah Music Festival (SMF). Gibson enlisted the talents of Associate Artistic Directors Daniel Hope and Marcus Roberts in 2003. He had seen Hope perform with the Beaux Arts Trio in NYC, and after a few conversations about Hope's own musical vision and varied artistic endeavors as a protege of Yehudi Menuhin, he was a natural fit for SMF programming. Gibson had worked with Roberts since 1989, and Roberts' virtuosity alongside his commitment to jazz education made him the perfect choice to spearhead SMF's high school jazz band workshop and competition, Swing Central Jazz. Like Hope, Roberts has premiered many new works at SMF and performed with a wide variety of musicians, including his trio's work with Béla Fleck at SMF (2011) and a concerto for piano trio and orchestra that he performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on April 6, 2013 (co-commissioned by ASO and SMF).
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused the cancellation of the 32nd SMF and was deferred to 2021.
Music Education
Since 2003, the Savannah Music Festival has grown a music education program.