Silver Poplar Studios Hosts Midsummer's Chamber Music Concert, Food, Wine and Flowers, July 15

Midsummer’s Music Festival celebrates the summer season with a two-for-one ticket special to this unique event in Ellison Bay – purchase a single ticket at $50 and bring a friend along for free.

The property was long-ago named after the forty, majestic Silver Poplar trees which once stood on the grounds.

Silver Poplar Studios, owned by Jim and Carole Maronek, is a collection of antique buildings set in fifteen acres of woods and meadows, unified by a Russian theme and transformed into a floral masterpiece with Carol’s green thumb. The centerpiece is their barn, re-built in 1998 and registered as “Ellison Wonderland,” from a collection of reclaimed barns and salvaged materials.

“Many people have never experienced one of our home concerts,” explains Executive Director, Kathleen Pearson. “Silver Poplar Studios is a beautiful location that many people are not aware of. Midsummer’s Music has performed here in the past, and they also host weddings and many other events at this stunning location. It’s one of Door County’s true hidden treasures.”

The concert will be held in the “Bolshoi Room” of the Maronek’s unusual barn at 7:30 pm on Friday, July 15 and features the following pieces:

Serenade for Wind Quintet (1928) for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn by Julius Röntgen, (1855-1932)

Septet in E Major, Opus 40 for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Bass by Adolphe Blanc, (1828-1885)

Sextet in D Major, Souvenir de Florence, Opus 70 for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Two Cellos by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, (1840-1893)

“Because of the Russian influence, our program features ‘Souvenir de Florence’ by Tchaikovsky, along with pieces by Rontgen and Blanc,” says Jim Berkenstock, Artistic Director of Midsummer’s Music Festival. “Jim Maronek is a set designer and has worked with Door County’s Peninsula Players and American Folklore Theatre, along with Chicago’s Second City, the Goodman Theatre, and a host of other notable performance centers.”