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[MUSIC PLAYING] JOHN BIEWEN: James VanDemark demonstrates the virtuosity that has earned him a reputation as one of the finest double bassists ever to play the instrument. VanDemark tours the world as one of the very few string-based soloists. He's been a professor at the Eastman School of Music since he was 23 years old.

Now VanDemark is trying a new challenge. He's the founder and artistic director of the Upper Midwest's first chamber music festival, Music at the Gainey Center in Owatonna.

JAMES VANDEMARK: I saw this really as an opportunity for a number of things. I think foremost was really as a thank you to my community, Owatonna, which has been so instrumental in my career.

JOHN BIEWEN: The 37-year-old VanDemark grew up in Owatonna, playing in the town's highly touted school music programs. He says since he's gone off and gotten famous, Owatonna has continued to help him. Local business people have commissioned a couple of double bass concertos for VanDemark, which he's played with orchestras like the New York Philharmonic.

So VanDemark invited to Owatonna some of his musical friends, Pianist Anton Nel and the Muir and Colorado String Quartets. And he rounded up five student ensembles from universities around the country. For the next two weeks, those musicians will be making music around Owatonna.

JAMES VANDEMARK: So there's something like 21 concerts altogether during a two-week period. It's a big, big event to coordinate. But the idea was that music, chamber music would be really heard throughout the community by everyone.

JOHN BIEWEN: And that music will be heard in some unusual places. The student string quartets and piano trios will perform in the schools and also in the workplaces of several Owatonna companies that paid their way to the Gainey Center Festival.

One ensemble will play for migrant farm workers at the Owatonna Canning Company. And one will perform here in the factory of the Wenger Corporation, which makes music stands and risers and other musical equipment.

MIKE SMEDSTAD: This is the area of the shop called the high bay. And it's given its name because it's used for construction of very large products. But this will be our concert hall.

JOHN BIEWEN: That's Wenger's marketing director, Mike Smedstad. He says Owatonna, a town of just 20,000, has been able to pull off a musical festival of this magnitude because the town has a rare combination of assets.

MIKE SMEDSTAD: Clearly superior and long-standing superior music department in the schools. And certainly, there are other places that have that. But combined with many national and international businesses and industries, combined with the unique sight of the Gainey Center, and then, by the way, just being lucky enough to have a world-class musician as a native son.

JOHN BIEWEN: The festival's main public concerts will be held on the lush, green grounds of the Gainey Conference Center just outside of Owatonna. The center is now owned by the College of Saint Thomas, the music festival's major sponsor.

The Gainey Center was formerly the horse farm of an Owatonna businessman. And artistic director VanDemark says concerts at the site will be preceded by equestrian shows.

JAMES VANDEMARK: So that there are all sorts of things happening out here, as well as the beautiful grounds and, I guess, the possibility of enjoying some terrific music and having a glass of champagne at intermission. I mean, there's a sort of ambience in that. And it's not happening anywhere else.

JOHN BIEWEN: The public concerts in the first annual Music at the Gainey Center Festival will be held in Owatonna on June 2, 7, 8, and 9. This is John Biewen reporting.