NAPA, California (CNN) -- If Barrett Wissman were in the ministry, his arts festivals would be sunny outposts on a fast-widening mission field. His Tuscan Sun Festival opens Saturday in Cortona, Italy. An all-new Singapore Sun Festival opens October 18.



And a secret known to missionaries everywhere is clearly in sway at the Festival del Sole in Napa Valley, which has just concluded its second year: Bonding with the locals.



With quick fervor, local leaders, the hospitality industry and those all-important vintners of Napa have embraced their festival.



When symphony conductor Stéphane Denève mentioned last year that he'd like to get married there, Tatiana and Gerret Copeland of the Bouchaine wine estate threw the ceremony for them in the vineyards.   See images from a maestro's marriage in the vineyards of Napa during this year's Festival del Sole »



"It's a mission in my life to have more and more people enjoy and love the arts," Wissman says in an interview sandwiched between Denève's presentation of the Grieg piano concerto and Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" suite with the Russian National Orchestra.  Watch highlights and comments from Barrett Wissman and the artists of Festival del Sole »



"One of the reasons that we have these festivals -- engage local communities and have music, literature, art, film, cuisine, wine, all these subjects -- is we attract different people who like each one. And then get them to like something else. Today, our goal in education in the arts is to get everybody involved."



Wissman is uniquely positioned to "get everybody involved."



More than a priest or even a bishop in this arts-mission field, he's a cardinal in the industry, the chairman of IMG Artists, a major player in world artists' representation. IMG's roster includes violinists Joshua Bell and Itzhak Perlman, mezzo-soprano Fredericka von Stade, flutist James Galway, guitarist Christopher Parkening, the Joffrey Ballet and composer Jay Greenberg, among many others.



Wissman has just announced a new managing director for IMG in North and South America, Elizabeth Sobol. She is, herself, a co-producer of a new festival in Boca Raton, Florida, and architect of a highly publicized new joint venture for IMG with Gorfaine-Schwartz, the agency representing trumpeter-composer Chris Botti, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, singer-songwriter James Taylor and Hollywood film composer John Williams.



No matter how far-flung the festivals and events, Wissman stays near his roots. "I'm a pianist," he says, "a concert pianist. I still play, I play from time to time in the festivals. So I'm a musician, I come from the arts."



In the case of Napa's Festival del Sole, Wissman has a co-founder, San Francisco-based attorney Richard Walker, who has a specialization in artists' management.  Watch an audio slide show in which Richard Walker talks about the atmosphere of the festival »



Having worked with Mikhail Pletnev's Russian National Orchestra, Walker says, since its inception in 1990 as the first symphonic entity founded after the Soviet Union's collapse, he emphasizes the stylistic range demanded in festival work.



And Walker echoes Wissman's interest in making these festivals oases in the itinerant lives of world-traveling artists. "The events that surround the musical performances," Walker says, "are attended by the artists, themselves -- a time of camaraderie for them because they see each other and spend time enjoying each other's company."



As if on cue, two world-class pianists, Polish-Hungarian Piotr Anderszewski and French-born Jean-Yves Thibaudet, are seated at the same table at a gala post-concert dinner held by Far Niente wine estate on a cloudless night in a circular arbor crowded with honeysuckle. Thibaudet jumps up at one point to accompany violinist Bell in Manuel Ponce's "Estrellita," watched by composer Marco Tutino and cellist Nina Kotova. Read about Joshua Bell's recent win of the $75,000 Fisher Prize



"We are located in a wonderful
NAPA , California ( CNN ) -- If Barrett Wissman were in the ministry , his arts festivals would be sunny outposts on a fast - widening mission field . His Tuscan Sun Festival opens Saturday in Cortona , Italy . An all - new Singapore Sun Festival opens October 18 . And a secret known to missionaries everywhere is clearly in sway at the Festival del Sole in Napa Valley , which has just concluded its second year : Bonding with the locals . With quick fervor , local leaders , the hospitality industry and those all - important vintners of Napa have embraced their festival . When symphony conductor Stéphane Denève mentioned last year that he 'd like to get married there , Tatiana and Gerret Copeland of the Bouchaine wine estate threw the ceremony for them in the vineyards . See images from a maestro 's marriage in the vineyards of Napa during this year 's Festival del Sole » " It 's a mission in my life to have more and more people enjoy and love the arts , " Wissman says in an interview sandwiched between Denève 's presentation of the Grieg piano concerto and Prokofiev 's " Romeo and Juliet " suite with the Russian National Orchestra . Watch highlights and comments from Barrett Wissman and the artists of Festival del Sole » " One of the reasons that we have these festivals -- engage local communities and have music , literature , art , film , cuisine , wine , all these subjects -- is we attract different people who like each one . And then get them to like something else . Today , our goal in education in the arts is to get everybody involved . " Wissman is uniquely positioned to " get everybody involved . " More than a priest or even a bishop in this arts - mission field , he 's a cardinal in the industry , the chairman of IMG Artists , a major player in world artists ' representation . IMG 's roster includes violinists Joshua Bell and Itzhak Perlman , mezzo - soprano Fredericka von Stade , flutist James Galway , guitarist Christopher Parkening , the Joffrey Ballet and composer Jay Greenberg , among many others . Wissman has just announced a new managing director for IMG in North and South America , Elizabeth Sobol . She is , herself , a co - producer of a new festival in Boca Raton , Florida , and architect of a highly publicized new joint venture for IMG with Gorfaine - Schwartz , the agency representing trumpeter - composer Chris Botti , cellist Yo - Yo Ma , singer - songwriter James Taylor and Hollywood film composer John Williams . No matter how far - flung the festivals and events , Wissman stays near his roots . " I 'm a pianist , " he says , " a concert pianist . I still play , I play from time to time in the festivals . So I 'm a musician , I come from the arts . " In the case of Napa 's Festival del Sole , Wissman has a co - founder , San Francisco - based attorney Richard Walker , who has a specialization in artists ' management . Watch an audio slide show in which Richard Walker talks about the atmosphere of the festival » Having worked with Mikhail Pletnev 's Russian National Orchestra , Walker says , since its inception in 1990 as the first symphonic entity founded after the Soviet Union 's collapse , he emphasizes the stylistic range demanded in festival work . And Walker echoes Wissman 's interest in making these festivals oases in the itinerant lives of world - traveling artists . " The events that surround the musical performances , " Walker says , " are attended by the artists , themselves -- a time of camaraderie for them because they see each other and spend time enjoying each other 's company . " As if on cue , two world - class pianists , Polish - Hungarian Piotr Anderszewski and French - born Jean - Yves Thibaudet , are seated at the same table at a gala post - concert dinner held by Far Niente wine estate on a cloudless night in a circular arbor crowded with honeysuckle . Thibaudet jumps up at one point to accompany violinist Bell in Manuel Ponce 's " Estrellita , " watched by composer Marco Tutino and cellist Nina Kotova . Read about Joshua Bell 's recent win of the $ 75,000 Fisher Prize " We are located in a wonderful
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