Bellingham Music Club

Last week, our Student Awards Program Winners once again brought the audience to their feet in thrilled applause. We experienced inspiring performances by talented high school musicians in two categories: String Awards in honor of Ethel Crook, and Winds/Percussion Awards in honor of Nicholas Bussard.

The 1st place winners in each category, violinist Elsa Jonson and flutist Aubrielle Blum, also won last year’s adjudications. It goes to show how solid their technique and musicianship are! In all, we heard six exceptionally gifted musicians, and a wide variety of impressive repertoire.

You will find details on the winners and their program, as well as BMC news and local events in our March edition of Fan Fare. Read the full issue by clicking here or paste this link in your browser:https://bellinghammusicclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/BMC-March-2026-News.pdf

We would also like to invite you to attend our fourth and last adjudication for high school students this week! Come and hear all 16 applicants in the High School Voice category on Friday, March 13, starting at 4pm at Trinity Lutheran Church, 119 Texas Street in Bellingham. It will be a feast for the ears!!!

The voice award winners along with the piano award winners will perform for you in another showcase on Wednesday, April 1, 10:30am at Trinity Lutheran. Again, a high-caliber program by extraordinarily talented youth!

A sincere thank you to all our BMC supporters for making our Student Awards Program possible! We could not assist and recognize our young musicians without your generosity!

In a few weeks, our guest artist series returns with violinist Grant Donnellan and pianist Judith Widrig in another installment of their highly anticipated world travelogue series — this time, back at home in the USA. A Tradition of Diversity: American Music - Past and Present promises to delight, featuring an inspiring program full of lively commentary and curated works for violin and piano by composers like Copland, Corigliano, Perkins, Price, Mazolli, and Still. Don’t miss this special event — everyone is welcome to join us for an uplifting musical journey

♫ Matinee program preview: Wednesday, February 4, 10:30am

♫ Night Beat full-length recital: Thursday, February 5, 7:30pm

Both recitals are at First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham. Don't miss this music of America by your favorite tour guides, Grant and Judith!

We’re thrilled that we brought together record-setting crowds this fall — over 800 music lovers experienced our first four guest-artist concerts! As we head into the heart of our 2025-2026 season, we can’t wait to welcome you back for even more inspiring and joyful musical moments. There’s so much to look forward to. Come be a part of the excitement!

BMC Student Awards Begin

We kick off the new year with one of our most cherished annual traditions — the BMC Student Awards! Our dedicated awards coordinators spent the holidays preparing key events, and now they’re rolling out this year’s program. With two rounds of adjudications ahead and wonderful monthly programs to follow, be sure to mark your calendar for some unforgettable musical weeks!

This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy live performances from our talented student candidates as they receive encouragement and helpful feedback from a professional adjudicator. What a learning experience!

♫ Adjudications for the H.S. String Awards
Friday, January 30, starting around 4pm

♫ Adjudications for the H.S. Winds and Percussion Awards
Monday, February 2, starting around 4pm

We’re delighted that both events are absolutely free and open to everyone! Join us at Trinity Lutheran, 119 Texas Street in Bellingham, and bring your friends along — you’re all invited! Thanks to your generous support, BMC is making a real difference by helping to shape the next generation of gifted musicians.

And if you know talented young musicians, please tell them about BMC Awards! The deadlines for registering are fast approaching, and there is no fee to apply! In addition to strings and winds/percussion, other categories include piano and voice. All the details are on our website at https://bellinghammusicclub.org/student-awards/.

A Tradition of Diversity:
American Music - Past and Present

Then, a few days later, our guest artist series returns with violinist Grant Donnellan and pianist Judith Widrig in another installment of their highly anticipated world travelogue series — this time, back at home in the USA. A Tradition of Diversity: American Music - Past and Present promises to delight, featuring an inspiring program full of lively commentary and curated works for violin and piano by composers like Copland, Corigliano, Perkins, Price, Mazolli, and Still. Don’t miss this special event — everyone is welcome to join us for an uplifting musical journey

♫ Matinee program preview: Wednesday, February 4, 10:30am

♫ Night Beat full-length recital: Thursday, February 5, 7:30pm

Both recitals are at First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham. Don't miss this music of America by your favorite tour guides, Grant and Judith!

With Gratitude for Your Support

We truly can’t thank you enough for being part of the BMC family. Since launching our funding campaign in July 2025, over 250 enthusiastic members have joined our league of supporters by giving dues, gifts, and donations. Thanks to your kindness, we’re able to keep our musical events free for all to enjoy.

If you’d like to join, renew, or even increase your support, it’s easy — just visit us at https://bellinghammusicclub.org/membership/. Whenever you come to a concert, you’ll find a basket for contributions, but there’s never any pressure. Every gesture, big or small, helps BMC bring the gift of music to our whole community. Please spread the word, bring your friends, and share in the joy — everyone is invited and we hope to see you soon!

Music will "Elevate Your Spirit!" That's why BMC is so valuable to us all.