HOUGHTON — The Pine Mountain Music Festival is returning to the Upper Peninsula for its 35th season this summer. Starting June 13 and running through June 27, the PMMF will feature three distinct classical music acts travel to Houghton, Iron Mountain, Ontonagon and Marquette. 

Artistic Director Joel Neves said he is excited for this summer tradition to capture the minds and hearts of classical music enjoyers in the U.P.

“The Pine Mountain Music Festival is the longest-running music festival in the U.P., and one of the few classical music festivals still alive and thriving in the United States today,” he said. “We are very proud of its enduring legacy in the face of a tough climate for festivals.” 

Pine Mountain highlights not only renowned classical music groups, but also younger musicians and enthusiasts. Neves said you will not want to miss this year’s three performers.

“We are super excited about our three acts for the festival,” he said. “The world-class Bergonzi Trio, A Little Light Music and UPstarts!, which is a unique program that highlights talented young Yooper musicians.”

The first group, “A Little Light Music,” is composed of Pine Mountain veteran, Julie Tabash Kelsheimer — who sang at the festival in 2012, 2013 and 2017. She is joined by Drake Dantzler, a newcomer to Pine Mountain. 

The two will join forces and provide evenings of light opera and musical theatre. According to Neves, they will perform classics from Gilbert and Sullivan, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Merry Widow.

“A Little Light Music” will take the stage at 7:30 p.m., June 13, at Grace United Methodist Church in Houghton. They will travel to Marquette for a 7:30 p.m. show on June 14 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Their final show will be at 7:30 p.m., central time, June 16 at Iron Mountain High School in Iron Mountain. 

A mainstay act with Pine Mountain returns for its 31st year with the festival in the Bergonzi Trio. The Bergonzis are composed of Scott Flavin (violin), Ross Harbaugh (cello) and Lindsay Garritson (piano.) They will be performing popular classics like Beethoven, Arensky and Clara Schumann.

The Bergonzis will be coming to Iron Mountain High School at 7:30 p.m., central time, on June 17. They will travel to Marquette for a two-day span, with a children’s concert at 2 p.m., June 18, at the Peter White Public Library and at 7:30 p.m., June 19, at Messiah Lutheran Church. 

They will finish up their concerts with two Houghton shows. Another children’s concert will take place at 11 a.m., June 20, at Portage Lake United Church. Their final show will be later in the evening at 7:30 p.m., June 20, at Saints Peter and Paul Lutheran Church.

UPstarts! will make an appearance at Pine Mountain this year. This competitively selective group of young Yooper musicians is composed of Liv Arney (flute, Houghton), Joel Greene (oboe, Hancock), Aubrie Jacobson (piano, Marquette), Shane Niland (trumpet, Houghton) and Jessica Schrader (soprano, Marquette.)

UPstarts! begin its programming with a 7:30 p.m. show on June 24 at the Ontonagon Theatre in Ontonagon. Next, they will head east for a 7:30 p.m., central time, June 25 concert at First Presbyterian Church in Iron Mountain.

Marquette is the next stop for UPstarts! They will perform at 7:30 p.m., June 26, at Marquette’s First Presbyterian Church. Finally, Pine Mountain will conclude its 2026 season with its last show at 7:30 p.m., June 27, at Portage Lake United Church in Houghton.   

According to the festival program, Neves announced 2027 will bring back fully-staged opera to Pine Mountain in 2027.  

“We are thrilled to produce the festival’s 37th opera since 1991 and our first since 2018,” he said. 

Julie Tabash Kelsheimer, a singer with ‘A Little Light Music,’ returns to the Pine Mountain Music Festival for the first time since 2017. (Courtesy from Pine Mountain Music Festival)

Drake Dantzler, a singer with ‘A Little Light Music,’ makes his Pine Mountain Music Festival debut this year. (Courtesy from Pine Mountain Music Festival)