Jan. 18: Pianist Charlotte Hu Presented by Jamestown Community Piano Concert Series – Performing the Music of Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Franz Liszt
Jan. 18: Pianist Charlotte Hu Presented by Jamestown Community Piano Concert Series – Performing the Music of Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Franz Liszt
Photo of Charlotte Hu by Dario Acosta available in high resolution at www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/charlotte-hu
Pianist Charlotte Hu
Presented by Jamestown Community Piano Concert Series
Performing the Music of Frédéric Chopin,
Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Franz Liszt
Sunday, January 18, 2026 at 2pm
Saint Matthew's Episcopal Church | 87 Narragansett Ave. | Jamestown, RI
More Information
“first class talent... superb pianist” – Philadelphia Inquirer
Jamestown, RI – Internationally acclaimed Taiwanese-American pianist Charlotte Hu will be presented in concert by the Jamestown Community Piano Concert Series on Sunday, January 18, 2026 at 2pm. The performance will be held in Saint Matthew's Episcopal Church (87 Narragansett Ave.). Charlotte Hu (formerly known as Ching-Yun Hu) has been praised by audiences and critics across the globe for her dazzling virtuosity, captivating musicianship, and magnetic stage presence. Hu will perform a program dedicated to the music of virtuosos of the Romantic era: Frédéric Chopin, Segei Rachmaninoff, and Franz Liszt.
With a fierce dedication to making classical music more accessible, Hu presents captivating programs that tell human stories inclusive of gender and race. By juxtaposing audience favorites with underperformed treasures and newly commissioned works, Charlotte Hu’s recitals consistently offer musical and narrative contrasts that encourage people to listen deeply and discover anew the work of even the most well-known composers.
Chopin has played an integral part in Hu’s career as a performing artist. The esteemed Polish pianist and composer was the primary inspiration behind her debut solo album Chopin, released on ArchiMusic in 2011. The recording was named Best Classical Album of the Year by Taiwan's prestigious Golden Melody Award. For this concert, Hu will perform these works by Choin: Berceuse, Barcarolle, Polonaise “Heroic”
Rachmaninoff’s powerful and evocative nine Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39 were composed between 1916 and 1917 and were the final works Rachmaninov completed before leaving Russia. Though seeming simple for their miniature status, these works follow in the footsteps of Chopin and Liszt’s concert etudes: challenging technical demands are presented as emotive character pieces. Hu will perform Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39, Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5.
Charlotte revisits another meaningful chapter with the music of Liszt, performing his Five Lieder Transcriptions as part of the concert program. Hu’s 2024 PENTATONE album, Liszt: Metamorphosis is devoted to the work of the Hungarian composer and Hu embraced works that showcased Liszt’s ability to transform the music of composers he deeply admired.
“I’m looking forward to visiting Jamestown for this wonderful concert program of music by virtuosic composer-pianists,” says Hu. “It includes some of the most well known and beloved works by Liszt, Chopin and Rachmaninoff, music that speaks to the heart.”
More about Charlotte Hu: As a soloist, Charlotte Hu has astounded audiences across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, performing sold-out concerts at many of the world’s most prestigious venues — including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, Taipei National Concert Hall, and Osaka’s Symphony Hall. She is a frequent guest at music festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, Ruhr-Klavier Festival, and Oregon Bach Festival. Concerto engagements have included performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Taiwan Philharmonic, among others. Recent and upcoming highlights for Charlotte Hu include performances presented by Newport Classical, the Mansion at Strathmore, the Gilmore Piano Festival, the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Taipei Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Center, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and the Taichung Opera House.
An active recording artist, Charlotte Hu’s debut album of Chopin works on ArchiMusic was named Best Classical Album of the Year by Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Melody Award, and recordings released on Naxos/CAG Records and BMOP/sound with Boston Modern Orchestra Project have received overwhelming critical acclaim. Her Rachmaninoff album on Centaur/Naxos received a five-star review by the U.K.’s Pianist magazine, which called it “essential listening for Rachmaninoff admirers.” Her latest album, Liszt Metamorphosis, was released by PENTATONE in July 2024. In June 2026, Charlotte will release her next album on PENTATONE, which will feature Enrique Granados’ Goyescas suite in its entirety.
Charlotte Hu is the founder of two piano festivals across two continents: the Yun-Hsiang International Music Festival in Taipei and the PYPA Piano Festival in Philadelphia. Now in its 13th year, PYPA has become an important fixture in the classical music world, cultivating a deeper appreciation for classical music and serving as a cultural bridge between East and West.
At the heart of Charlotte’s success is a story of strength, dedication, and resilience that has powered her dream of becoming a world-class artist. Moving to the United States from Taiwan at age 14 without her parents to begin studies at The Juilliard School was the first of many challenges Charlotte has overcome in building her illustrious career — one that’s included winning top prizes at the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition, performing on classical music’s biggest stages, and fostering the next generation of musicians as an advocate for classical music through entrepreneurial and philanthropic initiatives. A tireless advocate for humanity, Charlotte raised $27,000 for youth education charities through a Hope Charity Concert live-streamed on her Facebook page in June 2020. The online concert reached more than 140,000 people across the globe.
A Steinway Artist, Charlotte Hu serves as an associate professor at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and as an artist in residence at Temple University in Philadelphia, in addition to her busy performance schedule. She is a frequent guest artist, leading master classes and artist residencies at universities and music festivals worldwide. She holds degrees from The Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Germany’s Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media, where she studied with Herbert Stessin, Sergei Babayan, and Karl-Heinz Kammerling, respectively.
For more information, visit www.charlottehu.com
For Calendar Editors:
Description: Taiwanese-American pianist Charlotte Hu, for whom “praises follow her all around the world” (International Piano) is presented in concert as part of the Jamestown Community Piano Concert Series. Hu will perform a program of vibrant and expressive music by virtuosos of the Romantic era, featuring works by Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Franz Liszt.
Concert details:
Who: Pianist Charlotte Hu
Presented by Jamestown Community Piano Concert Series
What: Music by Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Franz Liszt
When: Sunday, January 18, 2026 at 2pm
Where: Saint Matthew's Episcopal Church, 87 Narragansett Ave, Jamestown, RI 02835
More Information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Jamestown.Community.Piano
Jan. 23 & Feb. 9: Pianist Sarah Cahill Performs No Ordinary Light in Two San Francisco Concerts
Jan. 23 & Feb. 9: Pianist Sarah Cahill Performs No Ordinary Light in Two San Francisco Concerts
Photo of Sarah Cahill by Kristen Wrzesniewski available in high-resolution at
jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/sarah-cahill
Pianist Sarah Cahill Performs No Ordinary Light
in Two San Francisco Concerts
Featuring the Music of Samuel Adams, Maurice Ravel, Robert Helps,
Zenobia Powell Perry, Lou Harrison, Maggi Payne, and Danny Clay
Old First Concerts
Friday, January 23, 2026 at 8pm
Old First Church | 1751 Sacramento Street | San Francisco, CA
Tickets and More Information
Livestream - Watch Here
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Monday, February 9, 2026 at 7:30pm
Barbro Osher Recital Hall | 200 Van Ness Ave. | San Francisco, CA
Tickets and More Information
“As tenacious and committed an advocate as any composer could dream of”
– San Francisco Chronicle
Watch Sarah Cahill’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert
San Francisco, CA – Pianist Sarah Cahill, described as “a sterling pianist and an intrepid illuminator of the classical avant-garde” by The New York Times, will start the new year with two performances in San Francisco, presented by Old First Concerts on Friday, January 23, 2026 at 8pm in the Old First Church (1751 Sacramento Street) and by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, as part of its Faculty Artist Series, on Monday, February 9, 2026 at 7:30pm in Barbro Osher Recital Hall (200 Van Ness Ave.). The performance with Old First Concerts will also be livestreamed - watch here.
At both concerts, Cahill will perform a new program titled No Ordinary Light, a new project on the theme of homage and loss, combining classical and 20th century compositions with new commissioned works. Both performances will feature the music of Samuel Adams, Maurice Ravel, Robert Helps, Danny Clay, Zenobia Powell Perry, Lou Harrison, and Maggi Payne.
“The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was wrong. For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light.”
– Jawaharlal Nehru on the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
“As this year comes to a close, I've been thinking a lot about loss, with the deaths of a few close friends, and also the ongoing profound loss we feel collectively under the current regime in this country,” says Cahill. “Music, as always, brings us together, and these works resonate with celebration, grief, and homage.”
About the Music on the Program
Robert Helps composed Hommage à Fauré as part of Trois Hommages (1972), a trilogy of works and one of his most popular and often recorded works. The first two pieces, which include à Fauré and à Rachmaninoff, expand upon the opulent pianism and poignant harmonies that are hallmarks of the composers to which each piece pays tribute.
Commissioned by Cahill, Samuel Adams’ solo piano work, Prelude (Hammer the Sky Bright), is a tribute to composer Ingram Marshall (1942–2022). A former resident of the San Francisco Bay area, Ingram Marshall’s work greatly influenced a number of composers and musicians from the area, including Adams – who studied with Marshall and considered him his mentor – and Cahill, who frequently performs Marshall's music and commissioned several works from him. Adams says of the work: “Prelude: Hammer the Sky Bright pays tribute to Ingram’s free-form, unpredictable sense of structure and highly impressionistic, almost ambient musical surfaces. His music often embraced the idea that form can be gradual and elusive—like late Sibelius—with the secrets of a piece only occasionally appearing close to its surface, like sunken cathedrals.”
Maurice Ravel composed Le Tombeau de Couperin between 1914 and 1917, during and after World War I – a devastating conflict in which Ravel took direct part as a truck driver in the French Army, thus feeling the impact of the war first hand. The music is not only a memorialization of Francois Couperin but the suite is also dedicated to six dear friends of Ravel lost at the cost of the war. Each of the six movements is dedicated to one of those friends and the lives they lived.
Danny Clay says of Circle Songs, which is dedicated to Terry Riley: I don’t know Terry personally, and yet I owe him a tremendous debt musically – his sounds, his ideas, and the warmth of his music have seeped into my subconscious (and, when lucky, my music) in ways that I am just now beginning to unravel. I think what I’ve ended up writing is ultimately a set of love songs. The more I think about it, the more I feel like there may not be any other kind of tune worth writing. The sheer act of composing is about falling in love, after all – whether it be with a sound, an idea, or a feeling of indescribable warmth. That's ultimately what I thank Terry and Sarah for the most – bringing to the world of music a seemingly endless wealth of all these things, especially love.”
Zenobia Powell Perry was a composer, professor, and civil rights activist of African American and Creek Indian heritage.. She composed Homage in 1990. The work utilizes a variety of different textures and techniques, including octaves, dense chords, and chromaticism. Homage is dedicated to Perry's former teacher William Dawson for his ninetieth birthday, and is based on the spiritual “I’ve Been Buked and I’ve Been Scorned.”
In addition to being an adventurous composer and skilled percussionist, Lou Harrison was fond of writing music in honor of his colleagues, friends, and fellow musicians he admired. Homage to Milhaud is inspired by Darius Milhaud, who, like Harrison, was a longtime teacher at Mills College in Oakland. Meanwhile, Harrison wrote his Fugue to David Tudor at Black Mountain College while he was teaching there. Harrison often worked with David Tudor, who was himself a pioneering pianist-composer.
Cahill commissioned Maggi Payne’s Holding Pattern in 2001 to honor the centennial birth year of pioneering composer Ruth Crawford Seeger. Of Holding Pattern, Payne says: “When Sarah Cahill approached me with the prospect of composing a work for piano in tribute to Ruth Crawford Seeger, particularly in reference to the Nine Preludes which Sarah had just recorded, I was intrigued. Ruth Crawford Seeger’s interest in timbre, particularly as represented in Prelude 6 and 9, spurred this brief work. This delicate timbral exploration’s last sustained notes are those that begin Prelude 6. The Mystico marking of Prelude 6 and the Tranquillo of Prelude 9 are reflected in the character of Holding Pattern.”
About Sarah Cahill: Sarah Cahill, hailed as “a sterling pianist and an intrepid illuminator of the classical avant-garde” by The New York Times, has commissioned and premiered over seventy compositions for solo piano. Composers who have dedicated works to Cahill include John Adams, Terry Riley, Frederic Rzewski, Pauline Oliveros, Julia Wolfe, Roscoe Mitchell, Annea Lockwood, and Ingram Marshall. She was named a 2018 Champion of New Music, awarded by the American Composers Forum (ACF).
Cahill’s latest project is The Future is Female, an investigation and reframing of the piano literature featuring more than seventy compositions by women around the globe, from the Baroque to the present day, including new commissioned works. Recent and upcoming performances of The Future is Female include concerts at The Barbican, Metropolitan Museum, Carolina Performing Arts, National Gallery of Art, Carlsbad Music Festival, Detroit Institute of Arts, University of Iowa, Bowling Green New Music Festival, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, North Dakota Museum of Art, Mayville State University, the EXTENSITY Concert Series’ Women Now Festival in New York, and the Newport Classical Music Festival. Cahill also performed music from The Future is Female for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series.
Sarah Cahill’s discography includes more than twenty albums on the New Albion, CRI, New World, Tzadik, Albany, Innova, Cold Blue, Other Minds, Irritable Hedgehog, and Pinna labels. Her three-album series, The Future is Female, was released on First Hand Records between March 2022 and April 2023. These albums encompass 30 compositions by women from around the globe, from the 17th century to the present day, and include many world premiere recordings.
Cahill’s radio show, Revolutions Per Minute, can be heard every Sunday evening from 6 to 8pm on KALW, 91.7 FM in San Francisco. She is on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory and is a regular pre-concert speaker with the San Francisco Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
For more information, visit www.sarahcahill.com.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: Pianist Sarah Cahill, described as “a sterling pianist and an intrepid illuminator of the classical avant-garde” by The New York Times, performs No Ordinary Light, a new commissioning project devoted to the theme of homage. The program will feature music by Samuel Adams, Maurice Ravel, Robert Helps, Danny Clay, Zenobia Powell Perry, Lou Harrison, and Maggi Payne.
Concert details:
Who: Pianist Sarah Cahill
Presented by Old First Concerts
What: No Ordinary Light - Featuring the Music of Samuel Adams, Maurice Ravel, Robert Helps, Zenobia Powell Perry, Lou Harrison, Lou Harrison, Maggi Payne, and Danny Clay
When: Friday, January 23, 2026 at 8pm
Where: Old First Church, 1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Tickets and More information: www.oldfirstconcerts.org/performance/sarah-cahill-friday-january-23-at-8-pm
Livestream: www.youtube.com/live/HAOV-mDufkU?feature=share
Concert details:
Who: Pianist Sarah Cahill
Presented by San Francisco Conservatory of Music
What: No Ordinary Light - Featuring the Music of Samuel Adams, Maurice Ravel, Robert Helps, Zenobia Powell Perry, Lou Harrison, Lou Harrison, Maggi Payne, and Danny Clay
When: Monday, February 9, 2026 at 7:30pm
Where: Barbro Osher Recital Hall, 200 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102
Tickets and More information: sfcm.edu/experience/performances/fas-sarah-cahill-piano/20260209
Feb. 13: Pianist Charlotte Hu with Violinist Saul Bitran and Cellist Andrew Mark Presented by Boston Conservatory at Berklee – Performing Franz Schubert’s Piano Trio, Op. 99 in B-flat Major
Feb. 13: Pianist Charlotte Hu with Violinist Saul Bitran and Cellist Andrew Mark Presented by Boston Conservatory at Berklee – Performing Franz Schubert’s Piano Trio, Op. 99 in B-flat Major
L-R Cellist Andrew Mark, Pianist Charlotte Hu, and Violinist Saul Bitran
Photo of Charlotte Hu by Dario Acosta available in high resolution here
Pianist Charlotte Hu
with Violinist Saul Bitran and Cellist Andrew Mark
Presented by Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Performing Franz Schubert’s Piano Trio, Op. 99 in B-flat Major
Friday, February 13, 2026 at 8pm
Seully Hall
Boston Conservatory at Berklee
8 Fenway, Floor 4 | Boston, MA
More Information
Free - Livestream Here
“first class talent... superb pianist” – Philadelphia Inquirer
Boston, MA – Internationally acclaimed Taiwanese-American pianist Charlotte Hu will be presented in concert by Boston Conservatory at Berklee on Friday, February 13, 2026 at 8pm. Hu will perform with fellow Boston Conservatory faculty,violinist Saul Bitran and cellist Andrew Mark, in Franz Schubert’s expansive Piano Trio, Op. 99 in B-flat major. Additional works on the concert program are to be announced. The concert will be held at Seully Hall on the fourth floor of 8 Fenway, with a livestream option available. The performance is part of Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Artistry in Action series, celebrating exceptional artists and initiatives that exemplify the conservatory’s core values of excellence, innovation, and community engagement. Artistry in Action is part of the Music Division; a full schedule is available here.
Charlotte Hu (formerly known as Ching-Yun Hu) has been praised by audiences and critics across the globe for her dazzling virtuosity, captivating musicianship, and magnetic stage presence. With a fierce dedication to making classical music more accessible, Hu presents captivating programs that tell human stories inclusive of gender and race. By juxtaposing audience favorites with underperformed treasures and newly commissioned works, Charlotte Hu’s recitals consistently offer musical and narrative contrasts that encourage people to listen deeply and discover anew the work of even the most well-known composers.
"I am truly looking forward to collaborating with Saul Bitran and Andrew Mark in the Schubert Piano Trio,” says Hu. “This will be my first chamber music concert at Boston Conservatory, and I am excited to bring my artistry and energy to this meaningful collaboration with such wonderful colleagues."
More about Charlotte Hu: As a soloist, Charlotte Hu has astounded audiences across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, performing sold-out concerts at many of the world’s most prestigious venues — including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, Taipei National Concert Hall, and Osaka’s Symphony Hall. She is a frequent guest at music festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, Ruhr-Klavier Festival, and Oregon Bach Festival. Concerto engagements have included performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Taiwan Philharmonic, among others. Recent and upcoming highlights for Charlotte Hu include performances presented by Newport Classical, the Mansion at Strathmore, the Gilmore Piano Festival, the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Taipei Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Center, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and the Taichung Opera House.
An active recording artist, Charlotte Hu’s debut album of Chopin works on ArchiMusic was named Best Classical Album of the Year by Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Melody Award, and recordings released on Naxos/CAG Records and BMOP/sound with Boston Modern Orchestra Project have received overwhelming critical acclaim. Her Rachmaninoff album on Centaur/Naxos received a five-star review by the U.K.’s Pianist magazine, which called it “essential listening for Rachmaninoff admirers.” Her latest album, Liszt Metamorphosis, was released by PENTATONE in July 2024. In June 2026, Charlotte will release her next album on PENTATONE, which will feature Enrique Granados’ Goyescas suite in its entirety.
Charlotte Hu is the founder of two piano festivals across two continents: the Yun-Hsiang International Music Festival in Taipei and the PYPA Piano Festival in Philadelphia. Now in its 13th year, PYPA has become an important fixture in the classical music world, cultivating a deeper appreciation for classical music and serving as a cultural bridge between East and West.
At the heart of Charlotte’s success is a story of strength, dedication, and resilience that has powered her dream of becoming a world-class artist. Moving to the United States from Taiwan at age 14 without her parents to begin studies at The Juilliard School was the first of many challenges Charlotte has overcome in building her illustrious career — one that’s included winning top prizes at the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition, performing on classical music’s biggest stages, and fostering the next generation of musicians as an advocate for classical music through entrepreneurial and philanthropic initiatives. A tireless advocate for humanity, Charlotte raised $27,000 for youth education charities through a Hope Charity Concert live-streamed on her Facebook page in June 2020. The online concert reached more than 140,000 people across the globe.
A Steinway Artist, Charlotte Hu serves as an associate professor at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and as an artist in residence at Temple University in Philadelphia, in addition to her busy performance schedule. She is a frequent guest artist, leading master classes and artist residencies at universities and music festivals worldwide. She holds degrees from The Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Germany’s Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media, where she studied with Herbert Stessin, Sergei Babayan, and Karl-Heinz Kammerling, respectively.
For more information, visit www.charlottehu.com
For Calendar Editors:
Description: Taiwanese-American pianist Charlotte Hu, for whom “praises follow her all around the world” (International Piano) is presented in concert with fellow Boston Conservatory professors, violinist Saul Bitran and cellist Andrew Mark, in a faculty recital, which is part of Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Artistry in Action series, celebrating exceptional artists and initiatives that exemplify the conservatory’s core values of excellence, innovation, and community engagement. Hu, Bitran, and Mark will come together to perform Franz Schubert’s Piano Trio, Op. 99 in B-flat major.
Concert details:
Who: Pianist Charlotte Hu with Violinist Saul Bitran and Cellist Andrew Mark
Presented by Boston Conservatory at Berklee
What: Franz Schubert’s Piano Trio, Op. 99 in B-flat major
When: Friday, February 13, 2026 at 8pm
Where: Seully Hall, Floor 4, 8 Fenway, Boston, MA 02215
More information: https://bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/events/artistry-in-action-faculty-chamber-series-3
Free - Livestream Here
GatherNYC Presents Sunday Concerts at 11AM - Up Next: Mezzo-Soprano Devony Smith + Baritone Jesse Blumberg with Boyd Meets Girl, Guitarist Yasmin Williams, Ember, and Viola + Comedy with Isabel Hagen
GatherNYC Presents Sunday Concerts at 11AM - Up Next: Mezzo-Soprano Devony Smith + Baritone Jesse Blumberg with Boyd Meets Girl, Guitarist Yasmin Williams, Ember, and Viola + Comedy with Isabel Hagen
Clockwise: Boyd Meets Girl, Yasmin Williams, Isabel Hagen, Jesse Blumberg, Ember, Devony Smith
GatherNYC Continues Expanded 2025-2026 Season in NYC
at Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in Columbus Circle
31 Concerts – Now Held Weekly, Every Sunday Morning at 11AM through May 31, 2026
Up Next:
January 4: Devony Smith, Mezzo-Soprano + Jesse Blumberg, Baritone
with Boyd Meets Girl
January 11: Yasmin Williams, Guitar
January 18: Ember (Violin + Cello + Harp)
January 25: Isabel Hagen, Viola + Comedy
“thoughtful, intimate events curated with refreshing eclecticism by its founders, the cellist Laura Metcalf and the guitarist Rupert Boyd, complete with pastries and coffee – The New Yorker
“A sweet chamber music series” – The New York Times
“Impressive Aussie/American led concert series proves music can be a religion.”
– Limelight Magazine
Museum of Arts and Design | The Theater at MAD | 2 Columbus Circle | NYC
Tickets & Information: www.gathernyc.org
New York, NY – GatherNYC, a revolutionary concert experience founded in 2018 by cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd, continues its expanded 2025-2026 season at the series’ home venue, Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) (2 Columbus Circle). For the first time, GatherNYC is offering weekly concerts, held every Sunday morning at 11am, in The Theater at MAD. Coffee and pastries are served before each performance at 10:30am. Admission for children under 12 is free. The series will present an astonishing thirty-one concerts between October 2025 and May 2026.
Guests at GatherNYC are served exquisite live classical music performed by New York’s immensely talented artists, artisanal coffee and pastries, a taste of the spoken word, and a brief celebration of silence. The entire experience lasts one hour and evokes the community and spiritual nourishment of a religious service – but the religion is music, and all are welcome.
Spoken word artists perform briefly at the midpoint of each concert, many of whom are winners of The Moth StorySLAM events. “It’s an interesting moment of something completely different from the music, and it often connects with the audience,” Metcalf told Strings magazine in a feature about the series. “Then we have a two-minute celebration of silence when we turn the lights down, centering ourselves in the center of the city. Then the lights come back on, and the music starts again out of the silence. We find that the listening and the feeling in the room changes after that.”
Metcalf and Boyd say, “We are thrilled to be offering 31 concerts throughout our expanded 2025-2026 season, by far our largest lineup yet. In these challenging times, we feel it’s essential to provide our community with a gathering place each week where we can enjoy world-class artists together in an intimate, unique setting – complete with spoken word, silence, coffee and a communal, welcoming environment. We look forward to welcoming new and old friends week after week.”
Up Next – All Concerts Take Place on Sundays at 11AM:
January 4: Devony Smith, mezzo-soprano + Jesse Blumberg, baritone with Boyd Meets Girl
GatherNYC rings in the new year with a pair of powerhouse vocalists known for their creativity and curiosity. Mezzo-soprano Devony Smith and baritone Jesse Blumberg join GatherNYC artistic directors Rupet Boyd and Laura Metcalf for an eclectic program of music by Schubert, Mazzolli, Falla and more.
January 11: Yasmin Williams, guitar
Yasmin Williams, a young guitar and plucked string virtuoso who is taking the world by storm with her captivating performances, will present a solo performance of her own original compositions, including her distinct and innovative approach to playing the guitar, in a unique blend of folk, blues, classical and Appalachian influences.
January 18: Ember (violin + cello + harp)
GatherNYC is proud to present this newly-formed ensemble consisting of harpist Emily Levin, violinist Julia Choi and cellist Christine Lamprea, in a concert featuring repertoire from their debut album Birds of Paradise, released in fall 2025 to great critical acclaim. With this release, the ensemble challenges the role of the harp as an instrument of femininity and domesticity, centering it in a position of power and strength.
January 25: Isabel Hagen, viola + comedy
Isabel Hagen is a stand-up comedian and classically trained violist. As a stand-up, she has been featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon multiple times, and as a New Face of Comedy at the prestigious Just for Laughs festival in Montréal. Isabel started stand-up immediately after earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in viola performance from the Juilliard School. As a violist, she has played in the orchestra of many Broadway shows, and worked with artists such as Vampire Weekend, Bjork, Max Richter, and Steve Reich. You might be wondering if Isabel ever combines comedy and viola. The answer: sometimes!
2026 GatherNYC Schedule:
February 1: Empire Wild
Empire Wild, founded by Juilliard-trained cellists Mitchell Lyon and Ken Kubota, joins forces with acclaimed jazz pianist Addison Frei for a genre-bending program that fuses pop, folk, jazz, and classical traditions into an electrifying, original sound. Honored with the Concert Artists Guild Ambassador Prize, the ensemble captivates audiences with inventive compositions, reimagined classics, and the limitless possibilities of cross-genre collaboration.
February 8: Sonnambula
Praised as “remarkable” and “superb” by the New Yorker, Sonnambula is a historically-informed ensemble that brings to light unknown music for various combinations of early instruments with the lush sound of the viol at the core. The ensemble is currently the 2025-26 ensemble in residence at The Frick Collection, and will share music from their recently-released and critically-acclaimed album Passing Fancy: Beauty in a Moment of Chaos. Do not miss the chance to hear these rare and beautiful instruments up close!
February 15: Tallā Rouge
Tallā Rouge's brings selections from their debut album, Shapes in Collective Space, to GatherNYC, weaving together a narrative of love, loss, childlike glee, and reflection. Featuring diverse and genre-defying compositions by inti figgis-vizueta, Kian Ravaei, Karl Mitze, and Leilehua Lanzilotti, Tallā Rouge sonically explores the raw emotions that shape our collective humanity — beckoning us to embrace and cherish the impermanence of life.
February 22: Boyd Meets Girl
GatherNYC’s own artistic directors, cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd, take the stage to share several world premieres for the unique combination of cello and guitar by Stephen Goss, Reinaldo Moya and more, as well as works from their upcoming third album release.
March 1: Exponential Ensemble
Exponential Ensemble, led by clarinetist Pascal Archer, is one of the most innovative ensembles on the NYC music scene. Exponential Ensemble’s mission includes commissioning and premiering works by living composers that are inspired by math, science and literacy, and their GatherNYC debut showcases the woodwind players from the Ensemble performing works by French and American composers, including “Wild Birds” by Brad Balliett inspired by wild birds living in New York City’s Central Park!
March 8: Inbal Segev, cello
Inbal Segev, a formidable cello soloist who stands out not only for her captivating sound and stage presence, but also for her curiosity and creativity. She has commissioned and premiered numerous concertos for cello and orchestra, and for this intimate solo performance she invites us into her compelling sound world, playing both her own compositions and music of Anna Clyne, Missy Mazzolli and more.
March 15: Palaver Strings
GatherNYC is proud to present this masterful and creative Portland, ME- based string chamber orchestra. Their program “The Apple of Their Eyes” explores the African-American experience in classical music, through the eyes of Black composers. It begins with William Grant Still’s lush and lyrical Mother and Child, and continues with Perry’s understated Prelude for Piano, arranged for strings. At the heart of the program is Edmund Thornton Jenkins Romance and Reverie Phantasy for Violin and String Orchestra, restored, edited, and arranged by Tuffus Zimbabwe, featuring Palaver violinist Maïthéna Girault. The Apple of their Eyes encapsulates the African-American experience, and celebrates the richness and depth of Black classical music.
March 22: The Knights – An Interactive Family Concert
Following their wildly successful family concert in November 2024, The Knights return to GatherNYC with a new program, also designed for the whole family. “Toy Bricks” is an interactive family concert that highlights playful interactions between stringed instruments, both large and small! Musical games and friendly competition bring friends together in a range of repertoire, culminating in a performance of Paul Wiancko’s Toy Bricks for violin, two cellos, and bass. This program is created and hosted by Knights cellist Caitlin Sullivan.
March 29: String Trios – Miranda Cuckson, violin + Jessica Meyer, viola + Laura Metcalf, cello
This program brings together four electrifying contemporary string trios by living female composers: Jessica Meyer, Missy Mazzolli, Nina C. Young, and Dobrinka Tabakova. These powerful works push the boundaries of what is possible on three stringed instruments.
April 5: Rachell Ellen Wong, violin + David Belkovski, harpsichord
Following their much-loved performance at GatherNYC in 2023 as part of the early music collective Twelfth Night, Wong and Belkovski return to the stage for a charming and intimate recital featuring impeccably performed Baroque gems.
April 12: Boyd Meets Girl and Friends play Clarice Assad & Osvoldo Golijov
This exciting program for flute, guitar and string quartet pair works by two superstar Latin-American composers whose styles contrast and compliment each other. Golijov’s achingly beautiful Tenebrae is juxtaposed with Clarice Assad’s exhilarating Sephardic Suite. Boyd Meets Girl is joined by violinists David Felberg and Jennifer Choi and violist En-Chi Cheng.
April 19: Kebra-Seyoun Charles, bass + composer
Kebra-Seyoun Charles is a distinguished double bass soloist and composer lauded for their counter-classical musical language and their ability to aptly communicate complex ideas and emotions to audiences. For their GatherNYC debut, they will perform a new work entitled “Shango” for bass and percussion duo, interspersed with virtuosic double bass solos.
April 26: Poeisis Quartet
Fresh off their win at the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition (arguably the most important competition of its kind in the world), this fast-rising young string quartet will treat audiences to its vital and energetic approach to music-making and programming.
Says Poeisis of their program: “In collaboration with five emerging QTPOC (Queer/Trans People of Color) composers from our alma mater, Oberlin College & Conservatory, the Oberlin Commission Project expands the string quartet canon with approaches to music-making that are too often unheard. This initiative brings underrepresented voices, genres, and influences to the forefront, and also serves as an act of resistance and perseverance. Composer Zola Saadi-Klein's composition is rooted in the Persian Dastgāh music tradition, and through their work they are "acknowledging our queer and ancestral identities can freely coexist beyond the binaries of classical music and societal expectations." As queer musicians and as Oberlin graduates, this project serves as our way of giving back to the communities who raised us and brought us together.”
May 3: Thomas Mesa, cello + JP Jofre, bandoneon
Two of the most exciting soloists working today, Mesa and Jofre come together for a morning of tango and tango-inspired works that spotlight the unusual combination of their instruments, cello and bandoneon, while allowing each performer to shine.
May 10: Curtis Stewart, violin + composer
GatherNYC favorite, Curtis Stewart, returns to the stage with a preview of his much-anticipated project “24 American Caprices.” The 24 American Caprices are inspired by a kaleidoscope of recorded American music, with some honorary American additions...musical aspects of each inspiration are abstracted and imbued with challenging violin techniques emulating the sounds and styles of their origin. In the full meaning of caprice, these violin fragments dance and sing lightly from inspiration to ornamentation, both with flights of fantasy and fastidious settings of referenced material, creating playful musical dialogue around American lineage and individual perspective in Classical music.
May 17: Catalyst Quartet
The GRAMMY-winning Catalyst Quartet, known for their masterful, comprehensive recordings of music by Black composers throughout history, bring their signature polish and style back to GatherNYC for the second time.
May 24: Aeolus Quartet
The acclaimed Aeolus Quartet presents a touching and thoughtful program for their first performance at GatherNYC. From a Bach chorale composed to unite the voices of church congregations to the expansive Overture and Chorale by Andrea Casarrubios inspired by it; from the textural celebration of Montgomery's Strum to the bubbling virtuosity of Bacewicz’s Quartet No. 3 composed in the new world that arose from the ashes of WWII. In this program, storytelling and silence give way to the tender slow movement of Price’s G Major Quartet rooted in the tradition of Black spirituals.
May 31: Season Finale – Musicians from the NY Phil with Boyd Meets Girl
GatherNYC artistic directors Laura Metcalf and Rupert Boyd once again team up with members of the New York Philharmonic, including returning violist Leah Ferguson, violinist Alina Kobialka and more, to craft an exhilarating program centered around Aaron Jay Kernis’ tour de force for guitar and string quartet, “100 Greatest Dance Hits.” Dance into the summer and celebrate the conclusion of another wonderful season of GatherNYC!
For tickets and information, visit www.gathernyc.org.
Newport Classical Announces Oliver Inteeworn as Executive Director
Newport Classical Announces Oliver Inteeworn as Executive Director
Oliver Inteeworn by Daniel Phillips, above photo and additional photos available in high resolution here.
Newport Classical Announces Oliver Inteeworn as Executive Director
Seasoned Arts Leader to Guide Organization into Next Era of Growth
Information & Tickets: www.newportclassical.org
Newport, RI – December 17, 2025 – Newport Classical, the most active year-round performing arts organization on Aquidneck Island, announces the appointment of Oliver Inteeworn as its new Executive Director, effective January 5, 2026. Inteeworn brings 25 years of leadership in the nonprofit performing arts industry and a proven track record of expanding access to classical music while fostering organizational growth. He succeeds Gillian Fox, who served as Executive Director from 2020 to 2025, and Eric Gershman who serves as interim Executive Director until December 31, 2025.
“Oliver is a visionary leader with a global view. His appointment represents a transformative moment for Newport Classical," says Suzanna Laramee, Board President of Newport Classical. “His expertise in strategic planning, audience development, digital innovation, and fundraising will be instrumental as we pursue our strategic goals and work to continue to transform Newport Classical into an internationally recognized destination. I know that he and our Board see the same bright future ahead of us.”
According to Board Vice President Stephen Huttler, “Newport Classical was fortunate to have received an extraordinary number of applications from highly talented arts leaders from around the world. We selected Oliver because we believe he will produce even higher levels of community enjoyment and inspiration through expanded offerings, artistic stars, and presentation of uplifting classical music to diverse audiences across Aquidneck Island and beyond.”
Most recently, Inteeworn served as Executive Director of the American Symphony Orchestra (ASO) in New York City from 2018 to 2025, where he dramatically expanded the orchestra's mission of “great music for everyone.” During his tenure, the ASO presented more than 40 additional free orchestra and chamber concerts since 2020 across a wide range of New York City venues, reaching thousands of new and underserved listeners. Notable achievements include the largest and most diverse audiences in the orchestra’s history, both in-person and through his launch and continued expansion of ASO Online, which delivers free global streaming of performances, operas, chamber music, and original short films.
“I’m genuinely thrilled by Newport Classical’s incredible reputation for artistic excellence and by the magical setting of Newport, combined with the warm welcome and outstanding leadership of a board that has built such a successful, healthy organization,” Inteeworn says. “In just a few conversations, we’ve already established a shared vision for an even more ambitious future, and I see enormous potential for exponential growth on this already exceptional foundation. I look forward to working with the Board, staff, musicians, and the Newport community to bring to fruition Newport Classical’s ambitious 2025-2028 strategic plan and ensure that classical music continues to thrive here.”
Inteeworn will lead the implementation of Newport Classical’s newly adopted strategic plan, which focuses on four key pillars: expanding national awareness and establishing global recognition, engaging the people of Newport, generating new revenue streams, and maintaining organizational health. The plan represents a roadmap for responsible growth that focuses on increasing meaningful engagement and deepening impact, while staying true to the organization’s mission “to celebrate the living art form of classical music in intimate and iconic locations.”
“As Newport Classical embarks on this exciting new chapter, I could not be more thrilled to welcome Oliver Inteeworn as our next Executive Director,” says Trevor Neal, Newport Classical Director of Artistic Planning. “Oliver brings an inspiring combination of vision, collaboration, and a true passion for the transformative power of music. His leadership and creativity will be invaluable as we partner, to deepen our artistic impact, expand our reach, and create meaningful experiences for our audiences and community. I look forward to working closely with him to shape a vibrant future for Newport Classical.”
Prior to his role as Executive Director, Inteeworn served as General Manager of the American Symphony Orchestra (2007-2018), founding Managing Director of The Orchestra Now at Bard College (2015-2018), and held artistic planning and production positions at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, collaborating with hundreds of the world’s leading ensembles and soloists.
A trained musician with studies in Germany, Oliver Inteeworn holds a Diploma in Music Education (equivalent to a master’s degree) from the University of Music Saarbrücken and a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Columbia University.
Newport Classical’s international executive search was led by a search committee chaired by members of the Board and attracted applicants worldwide
Upcoming Newport Classical Performances
Newport Classical’s Chamber Series continues in 2026 with cellist Jonathan Swensen making his highly anticipated return on January 23 following his memorable 2024 debut as a Festival Artist. Honored with the 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant and joint First Prize at the 2024 Naumburg International Cello Competition, Swensen is described as "a musician of charisma and thrilling physicality" (BBC Music Magazine). The Verona Quartet, celebrated by The New York Times as an "outstanding ensemble... cohesive yet full of temperament," makes their Newport Classical debut on February 20 with a program tracing a vivid stylistic arc from Scarlatti to Beethoven. On March 13, baritone Benjamin Appl, whose voice “belongs to the last of the old great masters of song” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) and whose artistry has been described as “unbearably moving” (The Times), presents Schubert's hauntingly beautiful Die Winterreise with his frequent collaborator, pianist James Baillieu. Ars Poetica, an ensemble of acclaimed instrumentalists and vocalists with a passion for historical music, explores "Dance and Transfiguration" on March 27 with their colorful array of Baroque instruments. Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, praised for his "dark-hued and razor-sharp technique" (The New York Times), makes his Newport Classical debut on April 10 alongside returning pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner in works by Debussy, Prokofiev, and Grieg. Rising-star pianist James Zijian Wei, first-prize winner at the 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition, makes his highly anticipated Newport debut on May 8 with a program featuring Ravel, Liszt, and more. The Chamber Series concludes on June 5 with flutist Amir Hoshang Farsi and pianist Chelsea Wang, both Carnegie Hall Ensemble Connect alumni, presenting a program of sparkling impressionism featuring works by Fauré, Lili Boulanger, and contemporary composers Reena Esmail, Ian Clarke, and Yuko Uebayashi.
The 2026 Newport Classical Music Festival will take place from July 2-19, 2026.
About Newport Classical
Newport Classical is a premier performing arts organization that welcomes people of every age, culture, and background to intimate, immersive musical experiences. The organization presents world-renowned and up-and-coming artistic talents at stunning, storied venues across Newport – an internationally sought-after cultural and recreational destination.
Originally founded in 1969 as Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Inc., Newport Classical has a rich legacy of musical curiosity having presented the American debuts of hundreds of international artists and is most well-known for hosting three weeks of concerts in the summer in the historic mansions throughout Newport and Aquidneck Island. In the 56 years since, Newport Classical has become the most active year-round presenter of live performing arts on Aquidneck Island, and an essential pillar of Rhode Island’s cultural landscape, welcoming thousands of patrons all year long.
Newport Classical invests in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form through its four core programs – the one-of-a-kind Music Festival; the Chamber Series in the Newport Classical Recital Hall; the free, family-friendly Community Concerts Series; and the Music Enrichment and Engagement Initiative that inspires students in local schools and community organizations to become the arts advocates and music lovers of tomorrow. These programs illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.”
In 2021, the organization launched a new commissioning initiative – each year, Newport Classical will commission a new work by a Black, Indigenous, person of color, or woman composer as a commitment to the future of classical music. To date, Newport Classical has commissioned and presented the world premiere of works by Stacy Garrop, Shawn Okpebholo, Curtis Stewart, Clarice Assad, and Cris Derksen.
After a year-long community-driven process, and rooted in the organization’s mission “to celebrate the living art form of classical music in intimate and iconic locations,” Newport Classical released its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, presenting a clear roadmap to become a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant organization that enhances its programs and community engagement, promotes responsible financial growth and sustainability, and centers artistic excellence in every decision, as the organization aspires to open its doors even wider.
Jan 9-14: Sarah Kirkland Snider’s First Opera HILDEGARD Continues Rolling World Premiere in NYC at PROTOTYPE
Jan 9-14: Sarah Kirkland Snider’s First Opera HILDEGARD Continues Rolling World Premiere in NYC at PROTOTYPE
Photo by Angel Origgi. Production photos available in high resolution upon request.
Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider’s First Opera HILDEGARD
Continues Rolling World Premiere in NYC at PROTOTYPE
Friday, January 9, 2026 at 7:30pm | Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 7:30pm
Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 5pm | Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 7:30pm
Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College | 524 W. 59th St. | New York, NY
Tickets & Information: www.prototypefestival.org/shows/hildegard
Co-commissioned by Beth Morrison Projects & Aspen Music Festival and School
“A rapture…its characters and music so easily traverse a millennium’s distance that the High Middle Ages might be the day before yesterday.” – The Los Angeles Times
“A marvel of abundant grace, a work of unforced, almost overwhelming resonance” – The New York Times
“One of Snider's greatest assets is her natural facility in writing vocal music” – NPR
Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider, deemed “one of new music’s leading names” (Gramophone), writes music of direct expression and dramatic narrative that has been hailed as “rapturous” (The New York Times) and “ravishingly beautiful” (NPR). Snider’s highly anticipated first opera, HILDEGARD, for which she also wrote the libretto, continues its rolling world premiere in New York City at the PROTOTYPE Festival with four performances on January 9 (7:30pm), January 10 (7:30pm), January 11 (5pm) and January 14, 2026 (7:30pm) at Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 W. 59th St.). A talkback with the creative team will follow the Saturday, January 10, 7:30pm performance.
Co-commissioned by Beth Morrison Projects and the Aspen Music Festival and School (presenting summer 2026), HILDEGARD is a work of operatic historical fiction about twelfth-century German Benedictine abbess/polymath St. Hildegard von Bingen. November’s capacity run, presented by Los Angeles Opera, was received with overwhelming enthusiasm. The Los Angeles Times called the new opera “[A] rapture…an ecstasy more overpowering than Godly visions” and The New York Times described it as, “a marvel of abundant grace, a work of unforced, almost overwhelming resonance.” Classical Voice of North America praised Snider’s “luminous lines and tangles of gorgeous vocal sound,” while Seen and Heard International raved, “Exquisitely wrought…hypnotic and spiritual… [it] blossoms into high drama, defying expectations and creating real pathos.” Arts Beat LA reported, "Bold, intimate, and deeply poignant, Hildegard proved a triumphant piece and confirms Snider as a major new voice in contemporary opera."
Set in 1147, the opera follows Hildegard as she receives visions from God. While transcribing these visions for Papal evaluation – a process that will decide her prophet or heretic – she enlists the young convalescent Richardis von Stade to illustrate the manuscript. As they develop a transformative collaboration that awakens them in ways both profound and unexpected, the two women must confront the powers that would see them erased from history rather than authoring it. At the same time, Hildegard is haunted by mysterious visions she cannot explain, forcing her to grapple with unacknowledged truths she can no longer deny. Inspired by historical events and the writings of Hildegard von Bingen, HILDEGARD is a meditation on the desire for connection – to spirituality, to humanity, and to our most authentic sense of self – and the conflicts that can compete therein.
For eight years, Snider extensively researched Hildegard's life and work, as well as Benedictine monastic culture and the broader socio-political history of Hildegard’s time. Snider also visited Eibingen Abbey and the ruins of Disibodenberg Monastery, and consulted with renowned Hildegard scholar Barbara Newman. Snider chose to write the libretto herself so that she could develop the text and music simultaneously, and because she had a clear idea of how she wanted to tell Hildegard’s story.
Snider says, “I have chronic migraine, and first learned about Hildegard von Bingen through reading Oliver Sacks’s book Migraine, in which Sacks popularized a theory suggesting that Hildegard’s visions were a result of migraine. I immediately wanted to know more. Thus began a twenty-five-year fascination with Hildegard – her music, visions, and astonishing story. I was awestruck by her triumph over self-doubt, illness, and the otherwise impenetrable social barriers of her time to become the first woman in the history of the Catholic Church to speak and write in the name of God. I wanted to share this story while exploring aspects of her philosophy and the more mysterious realm of her visions, and I thought it would be interesting to do this through the prism of her relationship with fellow nun Richardis von Stade, with whom she shared an impassioned yet complicated love. Opera is an art form that excites me most when it deals with complex, layered emotions. I wanted to explore not only the struggle for intellectual and artistic expression in an oppressive environment, but also what happens when the human desire for connection comes into conflict with socially conditioned notions of right and wrong. Hildegard overcame extraordinary obstacles to lead a self-directed, creatively expansive life. I hope that my treatment of her story will resonate with anyone who has chafed against power structures or societal norms in pursuit of living their authentic truth.”
Beth Morrison is the creative producer of HILDEGARD and Beth Morrison Projects is the producer. The opera is directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer with music director Gabriel Crouch, and stars Nola Richardson (Hildegard von Bingen), Mikaela Bennett (Richardis von Stade), Raha Mirzadegan (Angel), Blythe Gaissert (Margravine von Stade), Roy Hage (Volmar), Patrick Bessenbacher (Mechthild), David Adam Moore (Abbot Cuno), Paul Chwe MinChul An (Otto), and Chloë Engle (Faceless Woman), with NOVUS. The creative team comprises Marsha Ginsberg, scenic designer; Molly Irelan, costume designer; Pablo Santiago, lighting designer; Deborah Johnson, projection designer; Drew Sensue-Weinstein, sound designer; Annie Jin Wang, dramaturg; Laurel Jenkins, movement; and Louise Lessél, video associate.
Of the approach to the production, director Elkhanah Pulitzer says, “The piece is a blend of influences inspired by Medieval religious paintings and iconography, and Hildegards own artwork put through a filter of minimalist, modern design. We emphasize symbolic representation and spirituality while breaking with some of the tropes one carries in mind associated with monastic life in the 12th century. The veil between what is real and what lies in the realm of mystery and metaphor is also celebrated in the work, inspired by Hildegard’s visions.”
With two grants from Opera America, HILDEGARD has been workshopped at Princeton University Lewis Center for the Arts Atelier program (2023), Opera Fusion: New Works at Cincinnati Opera (2024), and Mannes College of Music (2025).
Photo by Anja Schutz available in high resolution here.
About Sarah Kirkland Snider:
Sarah Kirkland Snider’s music has been commissioned and/or performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Cleveland Orchestra; Detroit Symphony Orchestra; National Symphony Orchestra; New York Philharmonic; San Francisco Symphony; Philharmonia Orchestra; Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Residentie Orkest; Birmingham Royal Ballet; Emerson String Quartet; Renée Fleming and Will Liverman; Deutsche Grammophon for mezzo Emily D’Angelo; percussionist Colin Currie; eighth blackbird; A Far Cry; and Roomful of Teeth, among many others. The winner of the 2014 Detroit Symphony Orchestra Lebenbom Competition, Snider’s recent works include Forward Into Light, an orchestral commission for the New York Philharmonic inspired by American women suffragists; Drink the Wild Ayre, the final commission by the legendary Emerson String Quartet; Mass for the Endangered, a Trinity Wall Street-commissioned prayer for the environment for choir and ensemble, programmed by dozens of choirs the world over; and Embrace, an orchestral ballet for the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Snider’s music will be performed around the world during the 2025-2026 season in cities including Paris, France; Offenbach, Germany; Toronto and Kitchener, Ontario, Canada; Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia; and Antwerp, Belgium; as well as across the United States from Brooklyn, New York and Baltimore, Maryland to Wheeling, West Virginia; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Berkeley, California. In addition, in February 2026 Sarah Kirkland Snider will release her fifth full-length LP, a new, all-orchestral album titled Forward Into Light produced by multi-Grammy-winning producer Silas Brown and recorded by Andrew Cyr and the Metropolis Ensemble, which features her work Forward Into Light; the string orchestra version of Drink the Wild Ayre; Eye of Mnemosyne, commissioned by the Rochester Philharmonic; and Something for the Dark, commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The album will be co-released by the label that Snider co-founded, New Amsterdam Records, and Nonesuch Records.
Snider’s four full-length LPs – The Blue Hour (Nonesuch/NewAmsterdam, 2022), Mass for the Endangered (Nonesuch/NewAmsterdam, 2020), Unremembered (New Amsterdam, 2015), and Penelope (New Amsterdam, 2010) – have garnered year-end nods and critical acclaim from The New York Times, NPR, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Gramophone Magazine, Pitchfork, BBC Music Magazine, The Nation, and many others. A founding Co-Artistic Director of Brooklyn-based non-profit New Amsterdam Records, Sarah Kirkland Snider has an M.M.and Artist’s Diploma from the Yale School of Music, and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. She was a Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University in fall 2023. Her music is published by G. Schirmer.
For more information about Sarah Kirkland Snider: www.sarahkirklandsnider.com/bio
Jan. 23: Telegraph Quartet Presented by the University of Michigan – Featuring the Music of Franz Joseph Haydn, Derrick Skye, and Béla Bartók
Jan. 23: Telegraph Quartet Presented by the University of Michigan – Featuring the Music of Franz Joseph Haydn, Derrick Skye, and Béla Bartók
Available in high resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/telegraph-quartet
Telegraph Quartet Presented by the University of Michigan
Featuring the Music of Franz Joseph Haydn, Derrick Skye, and Béla Bartók
Friday, January 23, 2026 at 7:30pm
Stamps Auditorium at the Walgreen Drama Center
1226 Murfin Ave. | Ann Arbor, MI
Free and Open to the Public
More Information
Telegraph Quartet’s New Album
20th Century Vantage Points Vol. 2: Edge of the Storm Out Now
Review downloads & CDs available upon request.
“precise tuning, textural variety and impassioned communication” – The Strad
Mill Valley, CA – On Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 5pm, the Telegraph Quartet (Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violins; Pei-Ling Lin, viola; Jeremiah Shaw, cello), a group The New York Times describes as “full of elegance and pinpoint control,” is presented in concert by Chamber Music Marin. The performance will take place in Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church (410 Sycamore Ave). Known for their technical prowess and appreciation for the history behind music, the Telegraph Quartet bring their fluid synchronicity and refined artistry to a program titled From Countryside to Concert Hall – a concert program that showcases how these three composers adapted, adopted, or fully embodied folk music, bringing the rustic and unassuming spirit of that idiom into the bright light of the concert stage. The program includes Derrick Skye’s American Mirror, Part 1; Béla Bartók’s String Quartet No. 2; and Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 – the first of his “Razumovsky” quartets, nicknamed for Prince Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna who commissioned Beethoven to write these pieces.
According to composer Derrick Skye, "American Mirror reflects on the coming together of cultures in our society, which consists of many generations and descendants of refugees, immigrants, and slaves, and how intercultural collaborations are essential to the well-being of American society.” The piece infuses influences from West African, North African, and Eastern European vocal techniques and ornamentations with open harmonies commonly found in Appalachian folk music. Bartók’s second quartet exhibits his immersion into what he called the “purest music” – that of the remote Hungarian countryside – a style he sought to absorb and recreate as a new form of highly complex concert music. The fourth movement of Beethoven's first "Razumovsky" quartet playfully features a theme from his patron's homeland fulfilling the patron’s request – that Beethoven include a Russian theme in each of the Quartets – in a cheeky fashion.
The Telegraph Quartet formed in 2013 with an equal passion for standard and contemporary chamber music repertoire. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “an incredibly valuable addition to the cultural landscape” and “powerfully adept… with a combination of brilliance and subtlety,” the Telegraph Quartet was awarded the prestigious 2016 Walter W. Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Grand Prize at the 2014 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
Of bringing this folk-oriented program to Chamber Music Marin, the Telegraph Quartet says:
“We're excited to be sharing three different centuries of classical composers who infused each of their chamber works with folk music. While Beethoven impishly transformed a slow somber Russian folk song into a light-hearted finale, Bartok fully absorbed the Hungarian folk idiom to create an "updated" and truly modernist composition reflecting the apprehension of its WWI context. Derrick Skye's American Mirror is a self-professed reflection of many musical cultures mixing together to create one distinctly new voice that nimbly glides between one and the other.”
In August 2023, the Telegraph Quartet released 20th Century Vantage Points: Divergent Paths, the first in a trilogy of recordings on Azica Records exploring the string quartets of the first half of the 20th century – an era of music that the group has felt especially called to perform since its formation. Divergent Paths features two works that (to the best of the Quartet’s knowledge) have never been recorded on the same album before: Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major and Arnold Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op. 7. The Quartet’s new album, 20th Century Vantage Points: Edge of the Storm is out now on Azica Records. Read the press release online here. This second volume of the trilogy examines music from the turbulent war years of 1941-1951 and features a thoughtfully curated program of works by Grażyna Bacewicz, Benjamin Britten, and Mieczysław Weinberg.
More about Telegraph Quartet: The Quartet has performed in concert halls, music festivals, and academic institutions across the United States and abroad, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Masters Series, and at festivals including the Chautauqua Institute, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, and the Emilia Romagna Festival. The Quartet is currently the Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Michigan.
Notable collaborations include projects with pianists Leon Fleisher and Simone Dinnerstein; cellists Norman Fischer and Bonnie Hampton; violinist Ian Swensen; and the St. Lawrence Quartet and Henschel Quartett. A fervent champion of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire, the Telegraph Quartet has premiered works by Osvaldo Golijov, John Harbison, Robert Sirota, and Richard Festinger.
Beyond the concert stage, the Telegraph Quartet seeks to spread its music through education and audience engagement. The Quartet has given master classes at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Collegiate and Pre-College Divisions, through the Morrison Artist Series at San Francisco State University, and abroad at the Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taiwan Normal University, and in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Telegraph has also served as artists-in-residence at the Interlochen Adult Chamber Music Camp, SoCal Chamber Music Workshop, and Crowden Music Center Chamber Music Workshop. In November 2020, the Telegraph Quartet launched ChamberFEAST!, a chamber music workshop in Taiwan. In fall 2020, Telegraph launched an online video project called TeleLab, in which the ensemble collectively breaks down the components of a movement from various works for quartet. In the summers of 2022 and 2024, the Telegraph Quartet traveled to Vienna to work with Schoenberg expert Henk Guittart in conjunction with the Arnold Schoenberg Center, researching all of Schoenberg's string quartets.
For more information, visit www.telegraphquartet.com.
For Calendar Editors:
Concert details:
Who: Telegraph Quartet in Countryside to Concert Hall
Presented by Chamber Music Marin
What: Music by Derrick Skye, Béla Bartók, and Ludwig van Beethoven
When: Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 5pm
Where: Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley, CA 94941
Tickets and information: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/millvalleychambermusicsociety/1632606
Description: The award-winning Telegraph Quartet, a group “full of elegance and pinpoint control” (The New York Times), is presented in concert by Chamber Music Marin. The ensemble will perform a lively concert program titled Countryside to Concert Hall, featuring American Mirror: Part I by Derrick Skye, Quartet No. 2 by Béla Bartók, and Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1 “Razumovsky” by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Jan. 23: Pianist and Composer Hayato Sumino Releases Chopin Orbit Second Album on Sony Classical – New Single Larghetto Out Now
Jan. 23: Pianist and Composer Hayato Sumino Releases Chopin Orbit Second Album on Sony Classical – New Single Larghetto Out Now
Album Artwork (Download)
Chopin Orbit
The Eagerly Anticipated Second Album
by Celebrated Japanese Pianist and Composer
Hayato Sumino (AKA ‘Cateen’)
New Single Larghetto Out Now
Listen Here
Worldwide Album Release Date: January 23, 2026
Pre-Order Available Now
Carnegie Hall Recital Debut on November 18, 2025
Sony Classical has announced the forthcoming release of Chopin Orbit, the second album by the acclaimed, multi-faceted New York-based Japanese pianist and composer, Hayato Sumino (aka ‘Cateen’), set for release on January 23, 2026 and available for pre-order now. A new single from the album, Larghetto, is available now.
For this new recording, Hayato Sumino has turned his gaze on the composer who possibly means the most to him, namely Chopin (1810-1849). It was indeed Sumino’s sensational performances during the 2021 International Chopin Competition where he was a semi-finalist that first brought this fine young musician to wider international attention.
Hayato Sumino explains his concept for Chopin Orbit: “For me, Chopin has always been like an idol, and his music has remained close to my heart since childhood. As I grew as a musician, I began to realize how naturally his influence found its way into my own creations. At some point I thought—why not create an album with Chopin at its center? That moment became the starting point of this project. My pieces were born out of inspiration from Chopin’s works. Sometimes I quote a motif or weave in a melody, but I never set out simply to write “in the style of Chopin.” What I wanted was to bring together his spirit with my own modern sensibility and creativity.
The title Chopin Orbit reflects this idea. I placed Chopin’s music at the center, and from there different responses and offshoots take shape—as if drawn by his gravity, forming new orbits of their own. In respect for Chopin, each of my pieces is paired with the original that inspired it, so the album presents his works and my responses in alternation. And not only with my own works: I also paired Chopin with composers I admire—including Thomas Adès (b. 1971), Leopold Godowsky (1870–1938), and Leoš Janáček (1854–1928)—showing how the resonance of Chopin’s music continues to expand across time.
I imagine the listener roaming freely between these two closely connected worlds, old and new, whilst keeping in mind the twist that pieces composed in the 19th century were themselves considered new and different in their time to the music that had gone before, highlighting that we inhabit an ever-evolving musical space."
The album includes, among others, Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasie op. 61, Nocturne in c-sharp minor, Berceuse and Raindrop Prelude, coupled with Hayato’s own pieces White Keys and Post Rain, Godowsky’s transcription of Chopin's Waltz No. 1 and Janacek’s Good Night! from On an Overgrown Path.
Echoing this imaginative framework, Chopin Orbit showcases Sumino’s distinctive musical style, merging his refined classical sensibilities with his discerning ear as an arranger and his instinctive feel for the new. During his exquisite performances of his carefully curated programme for the album, Sumino adeptly utilises a variety of keyboards, including a concert grand, a vintage piano, a modern upright and celeste.
Chopin Orbit follows this exceptional young musician’s acclaimed Sony Classical debut album Human Universe, released in November 2024, which saw Sumino range effortlessly across a diverse selection of repertoire from Bach to Zimmer via some of his own compositions.
HAYATO SUMINO:
2025-2026 PERFORMANCE DATES
Oct. 24, 2025 Fresno Concert Hall; Fresno, CA
Oct. 26, 2025 Bing Concert Hall; Stanford, CA
Oct. 27, 2025 Bing Concert Hall; Stanford, CA
Nov. 16, 2025 Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center; Chicago, IL
Nov. 18, 2025 Carnegie Hall (DEBUT); New York, NY
Mar 25, 2026 Bowker Auditorium – University of Massachusetts; Amherst, MA
Mar 27, 2026 McKnight Center, Performance Hall; Stillwater, OK
Mar 27, 2026 McKnight Center, Performance Hall; Stillwater, OK
Mar 31, 2026 Carnegie Hall; New York, NY
Apr 4, 2026 Irvine Berkeley Theatre; Irvine, CA
May 9, 2026 The Baker-Baum Concert Hall; La Jolla, CA
May 10, 2026 Visual and Performing Arts Center; Cupertino, CA
ABOUT HAYATO SUMINO
Hayato Sumino is an artistic phenomenon. Also known as ‘Cateen’, he has garnered over 2.2 million followers globally across his social media platforms.
In April 2024, he made a spectacular Royal Albert Hall debut with his performance of Gershwin's ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ and recently performed at the BBC Proms in an historic overnight event, as a personal guest of the evening’s curator, star organist Anna Lapwood. He has enjoyed a string of successful concerts this year, performing at prestigious venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie and the Hollywood Bowl, and is set to make his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York in November.
Following a sold-out performance for 15k spectators at Budokan in July 2024, Sumino will headline the +20,000-capacity K-Arena Yokohama in the fall of 2025—an unprecedented achievement for a classical solo artist. In July 2025, he was awarded the prestigious Bernstein Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to contemporary classical music. At the upcoming 2025 Opus Klassik Awards, he will also be honored with two accolades for his Sony debut album “Human Universe”: ‘Young Talent of the Year’ and ‘Best Live Performance (Soloist)’.
Sumino’s rising international profile has earned him widespread recognition: he was featured in Japan’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2023, named one of Vogue Japan’s #TheOnesToWatch in 2024, spotlighted by Rolling Stone Korea, and most recently selected by Elle Magazine US as one of “9 Artists Shaping Culture in 2025.”
A prodigious composer, Hayato Sumino possesses a unique and captivating style that readily combines his diverse musical interests, ranging from classical and jazz to film music, post-classical, and electronica. He is also much in-demand for film and TV scores in Japan. He also holds a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Information Science and Technology and was honored with the President’s Award for his exceptional achievements in both music and engineering.
Hayato Sumino is one of the leading members of the next generation of boundary-pushing musicians who move seamlessly between genres and across musical borders, and who allow themselves the freedom of musical expression however they see fit, for the benefit of the audience.
Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, Milan Records, XXIM Records, and Masterworks Broadway imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.sonymusicmasterworks.com.
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Jan 24 & 25: California Symphony led by Donato Cabrera presents SCHUBERT IN VIENNA with Cellist Nathan Chan - Music by Mozart, Gulda, Schubert
Jan 24 & 25: California Symphony led by Donato Cabrera presents SCHUBERT IN VIENNA with Cellist Nathan Chan - Music by Mozart, Gulda, Schubert
Photo of Donato Cabrera with the California Symphony by Kristen Loken;
photo of Nathan Chan by Mike Grittani; high resolution photos available here.
California Symphony's 2025-2026 Season Continues with
SCHUBERT IN VIENNA
A lively genre-blending program exploring how and why Vienna became the musical capital of the world
Featuring the classical elegance of instrumental selections from Mozart’s Don Giovanni,
Friedrich Gulda’s outrageous multi-genre Cello Concerto with soloist Nathan Chan,
and Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 “The Great”
Led by Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director
In Concert January 24 at 7:30pm & January 25, 2026 at 4:00pm
At Walnut Creek's Lesher Center for the Arts
Tickets & Information: www.californiasymphony.org
WALNUT CREEK, CA – California Symphony and Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera continue the 2025-2026 season with SCHUBERT IN VIENNA – a lively, genre-blending program featuring the classical elegance of instrumental selections from W.A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Friedrich Gulda’s Cello Concerto with soloist Nathan Chan (an outrageous mix of jazz, rock, blues, classical, and improvisation), and Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 “The Great” on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 7:30pm and Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 4:00pm at Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek).
California Symphony’s first concerts of 2026 tell the story of how and why Vienna became the musical capital of the world. The program begins with instrumental excerpts from Mozart’s brilliantly witty and melody-filled opera Don Giovanni in an 1803 arrangement for the Harmonie (wind ensemble) of Mozart’s day, when bands of wind players would roam the streets of Vienna to promote coming performances at the opera house. Friedrich Gulda’s Cello Concerto, performed by Bay Area native Nathan Chan, is a fusion of jazz, rock, and European folk dance performed with a modified Harmoniemusik wind ensemble with the addition of a jazz rhythm section of guitar, bass, and drum set. Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 – aptly known as “The Great” – is a grand and majestic journey through soaring melodies and lively folk rhythms, all of which are first introduced by the harmoniemusik section of the orchestra.
“Like any historical endeavor, performing music of the past, whether it was composed two hundred years ago or last week, requires a passion and desire for context,” says Donato Cabrera. “These concerts explore the why and how of Vienna being the musical capital of 18th and 19th century Europe. Before the dawn of modern media, the opera houses of Vienna used the wind sections of their orchestra to act as musical billboards throughout the city, playing musical snippets from whatever opera was playing at the time. These wind ensembles, called Harmonie in German, became all the rage when the Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II, declared that there be a “Court Harmonie” in 1782, and this popularity lasted well into the 19th century. I’ve always been fascinated by Schubert’s ‘Great’ C-major symphony. One of its many interesting traits is that the Harmonie section of the orchestra (winds and brass) introduce all of the themes, from the opening horn call, to the final exuberant melodies of the last movement. Building a concert around this symphony became a labor of love. I have known of these Harmonie arrangements of the tunes from Mozart’s operas for many years and they are a perfect counterweight to Schubert’s towering symphony. Sandwiched in between is Gulda’s quirky and completely iconoclastic take on the cello concerto, with the Harmonie ensemble acting as the backing band to the Hendrix-like solo lines of the cello. And I couldn’t think of a more perfect piece to welcome back our friend, Nathan Chan.”
The program opens with Harmonie arrangements of Mozart's masterpiece Don Giovanni, offering a taste of one of the composer's most psychologically complex works. Written in 1787, this "opera of operas" (as composer Richard Wagner later described it) blends comedy and melodrama in its tale of the infamous libertine Don Juan. The woodwinds of the California Symphony enjoy the spotlight in selections from the opera in an 1803 arrangement for Harmonie.
Cellist Nathan Chan, praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as having a "mastery of musical narrative [that] unfolds with unerring clarity," joins the California Symphony for Friedrich Gulda's innovative Cello Concerto. The concerto breaks convention with its eclectic fusion of styles, from lyrical Romanticism to rock and jazz-inflected rhythms. Gulda described it as including “jazz, a minuet, rock, a smidgen of polka, a march, and a cadenza with two spots where the star cellist must improvise.” Chan, recently named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in Seattle, has harnessed the power of technology and social media to draw new audiences to classical music, with over 35 million views across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
California Symphony's January concerts culminate with Schubert's monumental Symphony No. 9 in C major, known as "The Great." This expansive work, which was not performed until ten years after the composer’s death, is a towering achievement of the Romantic era. With its “heavenly length” (as famously described by composer Robert Schumann), glorious melodies, and triumphant spirit, the symphony showcases Schubert's ability to create music of both intimate beauty and grand architectural scale.
California Symphony’s signature approach to creating vibrant concerts, rich in storytelling and spanning the breadth of orchestral repertoire, the 2025-2026 season explores evocative programmatic music including Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and Valentin Silvestrov’s Stille Musik; the fruitful intersection of jazz and classical in music by Jessie Montgomery, Friedrich Gulda, and George Gershwin; the monumental symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Jean Sibelius, and Alexander Borodin; the timelessness of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart including excerpts from Don Giovanni; and world-class soloists in riveting concertos including pianist Robert Thies in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, Nathan Chan in Friedrich Gulda’s Cello Concerto, violinists Jennifer Cho and Sam Weiser in Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa, and pianist Sofya Gulyak in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
This season, California Symphony continues to serve its community beyond the stage through its nationally recognized educational initiative Sound Minds and its innovative lifelong learning program Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed. It will also expand its programs for vulnerable populations at Trinity Center Walnut Creek and continue community partnerships to reach more underserved youth throughout Contra Costa County.
Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Donato Cabrera since 2013. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area. California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere.
Single tickets start at $50 and at $25 for students 25 and under. Season subscriptions and single tickets are available now. More information is available at CaliforniaSymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Ticket Office at (925) 943-7469 (open Wed – Sun, 12pm to 6pm).
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS:
WHAT: California Symphony’s first concerts of 2026 tell the story of how and why Vienna became the musical capital of the world. The lively, genre-blending program features the classical elegance of instrumental selections from W.A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Friedrich Gulda’s Cello Concerto with soloist Nathan Chan (an outrageous mix of jazz, rock, blues, classical, and improvisation), and Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 “The Great,” a grand and majestic journey through soaring melodies and lively folk rhythms.
California Symphony takes the stuffiness out of the concert experience: Take selfies at the photo booth, order a signature cocktail, and sip at your seat. Tickets include a free 30-minute pre-concert talk by award-winning instructor Scott Foglesong, one hour before the show.
WHEN:
Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 7:30pm
Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 4pm
WHERE:
Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek
CONCERT:
SCHUBERT IN VIENNA
Donato Cabrera, conductor
California Symphony
PROGRAM:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Excerpts from Don Giovanni (1787)
Friedrich Gulda: Cello Concerto (1980)
Nathan Chan, cello
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 9 (“The Great”) (1824-26)
TICKETS: Single tickets start at $50 and at $25 for students 25 and under. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit CaliforniaSymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Ticket Office at (925) 943-7469 (open Wed – Sun, 12pm to 6pm).
PHOTOS: Available here
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA SYMPHONY:
Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera since 2013. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that span the breadth of orchestral repertoire, including works by American composers and by living composers. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area.
California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere.
Since 1991, California Symphony's three-year Young American Composer-in-Residence program has provided a composer with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with the orchestra over three consecutive years to create, rehearse, premiere, and record three major orchestra compositions, one each season. Every Composer-in-Residence has gone on to win top honors and accolades in the field, including the Rome Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Awards, and more.
The orchestra's nationally recognized educational initiative Sound Minds impacts students' trajectories by providing instruction for violin or cello and musicianship skills. Sound Minds has proven to contribute directly to improved reading and math proficiencies and character development, as students set and achieve goals, learn communication and problem-solving skills, and gain self-confidence. Inspired by the El Sistema program of Venezuela, the program is offered completely free of charge to the students and families of Downer Elementary School in San Pablo, California.
Through its innovative adult education program Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed, California Symphony provides lifelong learners a fun-filled introduction to the orchestra and classical music. Led by celebrated educator and California Symphony program annotator Scott Foglesong, these live classes are held over four weeks in the summer annually.
In 2017, California Symphony became the first orchestra with a public statement of a commitment to diversity. Its website is available in both Spanish and English.
Reaching far beyond the performance hall, since 2020 the orchestra's concerts have been broadcast nationally on multiple radio series through Classical California (KUSC/KDFC) and the WFMT Radio Network, reaching over 1.5 million listeners across the country.
For more information, visit CaliforniaSymphony.org.
California Symphony’s 2025-26 season is sponsored by the Lesher Foundation.
Feb 6: Newport Classical Announces An Evening with Violinist Rachel Barton Pine at Rosecliff Mansion
Feb 6: Newport Classical Announces An Evening with Violinist Rachel Barton Pine at Rosecliff Mansion
Rachel Barton Pine by Lisa Marie Mazzucco. Photos available in high resolution here.
Newport Classical Announces Special Performance
An Evening with Violinist Rachel Barton Pine & Pianist Matthew Hagle
At Rosecliff Mansion
Friday, February 6, 2026 at 7:30pm
Information & Tickets: www.newportclassical.org
Newport, RI – Newport Classical announces a very special performance, recently added to its spring season – An Evening with Violinist Rachel Barton Pine and Pianist Matthew Hagle – on Friday, February 6, 2026 at 7:30pm at Rosecliff Mansion (548 Bellevue Ave). The concert, which is Pine’s Newport debut, will feature Brahms’ Sonata No. 5 in E-flat major, Amanda Maier’s Sonata in B minor, Clara Schumann’s Three Romances, and Brahms’ Sonata No. 3 in D minor.
Acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine, described by The New York Times as “striking and charismatic” with “bravura technique and soulful musicianship,” has garnered international praise for performances that combine her distinctive sound with a deep connection to musical history. With an infectious joy in music-making, Pine transforms audiences’ experiences of classical music. She has been recognized as “in the top echelon” of today’s performers by The Washington Post.
Pine’s discography consists of over 40 recordings, including 25 for Cedille Records, and her many recital appearances have included Davos, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Marlboro, Ravinia, Salzburg, Bravo! Vail, and Wolf Trap. She performs regularly with the world’s foremost orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, and the Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, and Vienna Symphony Orchestras.
Up next, Newport Classical’s Chamber Series continues in 2026 with cellist Jonathan Swensen making his highly anticipated return on January 23 following his memorable 2024 debut as a Festival Artist. Honored with the 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant and joint First Prize at the 2024 Naumburg International Cello Competition, Swensen is described as "a musician of charisma and thrilling physicality" (BBC Music Magazine). The Verona Quartet, celebrated by The New York Times as an "outstanding ensemble... cohesive yet full of temperament," makes their Newport Classical debut on February 20 with a program tracing a vivid stylistic arc from Scarlatti to Beethoven. On March 13, baritone Benjamin Appl, whose voice “belongs to the last of the old great masters of song” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) and whose artistry has been described as “unbearably moving” (The Times), presents Schubert's hauntingly beautiful Die Winterreise with his frequent collaborator, pianist James Baillieu. Ars Poetica, an ensemble of acclaimed instrumentalists and vocalists with a passion for historical music, explores "Dance and Transfiguration" on March 27 with their colorful array of Baroque instruments. Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, praised for his "dark-hued and razor-sharp technique" (The New York Times), makes his Newport Classical debut on April 10 alongside returning pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner in works by Debussy, Prokofiev, and Grieg. Rising-star pianist James Zijian Wei, first-prize winner at the 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition, makes his highly anticipated Newport debut on May 8 with a program featuring Ravel, Liszt, and more. The Chamber Series concludes on June 5 with flutist Amir Hoshang Farsi and pianist Chelsea Wang, both Carnegie Hall Ensemble Connect alumni, presenting a program of sparkling impressionism featuring works by Fauré, Lili Boulanger, and contemporary composers Reena Esmail, Ian Clarke, and Yuko Uebayashi.
The 2026 Newport Classical Music Festival will take place from July 2-19, 2026.
About Newport Classical
Newport Classical is a premier performing arts organization that welcomes people of every age, culture, and background to intimate, immersive musical experiences. The organization presents world-renowned and up-and-coming artistic talents at stunning, storied venues across Newport – an internationally sought-after cultural and recreational destination.
Originally founded in 1969 as Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Inc., Newport Classical has a rich legacy of musical curiosity having presented the American debuts of hundreds of international artists and is most well-known for hosting three weeks of concerts in the summer in the historic mansions throughout Newport and Aquidneck Island. In the 56 years since, Newport Classical has become the most active year-round presenter of live performing arts on Aquidneck Island, and an essential pillar of Rhode Island’s cultural landscape, welcoming thousands of patrons all year long.
Newport Classical invests in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form through its four core programs – the one-of-a-kind Music Festival; the Chamber Series in the Newport Classical Recital Hall; the free, family-friendly Community Concerts Series; and the Music Enrichment and Engagement Initiative that inspires students in local schools and community organizations to become the arts advocates and music lovers of tomorrow. These programs illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.”
In 2021, the organization launched a new commissioning initiative – each year, Newport Classical will commission a new work by a Black, Indigenous, person of color, or woman composer as a commitment to the future of classical music. To date, Newport Classical has commissioned and presented the world premiere of works by Stacy Garrop, Shawn Okpebholo, Curtis Stewart, Clarice Assad, and Cris Derksen.
After a year-long community-driven process, and rooted in the organization’s mission “to celebrate the living art form of classical music in intimate and iconic locations,” Newport Classical released its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, presenting a clear roadmap to become a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant organization that enhances its programs and community engagement, promotes responsible financial growth and sustainability, and centers artistic excellence in every decision, as the organization aspires to open its doors even wider.
Hidden Portrait by Amanda Brewster Sewell Discovered Beneath Century-Old Painting at Caramoor’s Rosen House
Hidden Portrait by Amanda Brewster Sewell Discovered Beneath Century-Old Painting at Caramoor’s Rosen House
L-R: c. 1901 portrait of Flora Bigelow by Amanda Brewster Sewell; the hidden earlier portrait of Bigelow by the same artist. Images courtesy of Caramoor available in high resolution here.
Hidden Portrait Discovered Beneath Century-Old Painting at Caramoor’s Rosen House
Second painting by early 20th-century American artist Amanda Brewster Sewell revealed during conservation
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | Rosen House
149 Girdle Ridge Drive | Katonah, NY
caramoor.org
KATONAH, NY – Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY, announces the discovery of a complete hidden portrait concealed beneath a painting that has hung in the historic Rosen House for decades. The remarkable find was made by conservator Nadia Ghannam while preparing a circa 1901 portrait of Mrs. Charles S. Dodge (née Flora Bigelow) for treatment.
Both portraits were painted by American artist Amanda Brewster Sewell (1859-1926), and depict the same subject: Flora Bigelow Dodge (1868-1964), mother of Caramoor co-founder Lucie Bigelow Rosen (1890-1968). Amanda Brewster Sewell was an accomplished artist trained in New York and Paris, well-known during her lifetime, whose work has been forgotten in the intervening decades. She was the first woman to receive an award (the Thomas B. Clarke prize) from the National Academy of Design, having been elected an Associate in 1903. Her work featured in numerous early 20th-century exhibitions, including the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, where six of her works were exhibited. She was a medal winner at the Columbian Exposition that year, as well as at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901, Charleston Exposition in 1901-02, and the St. Louis Exposition in 1904.
“Finding a second complete portrait beneath the canvas we sent for conservation was completely unexpected,” said Jessa Krick, Director of Interpretation, Collection and Archives at the Rosen House. “Both paintings offer fascinating insights into Flora Dodge's life during a transformative period, which coincided with her divorce and her evolution as an independent woman at the turn of the 20th century. They are also significant in that they were repeat commissions by a woman from a woman artist, which was very unusual for the time.”
The discovery adds an intriguing layer to the history of Caramoor. Research is ongoing to determine when the earlier portrait was completed and why it was hidden. One possibility is that after her 1903 divorce from Charles Dodge, Flora preferred the more dramatic and seductive pose of the later portrait over the earlier, more formal depiction. Flora Dodge's story appears as a case study in April White's 2021 book The Divorce Colony, which chronicles how wealthy New York women traveled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the early 1900s to obtain no-fault divorces, which were unavailable to them in New York. Another theory suggests the double framing may have helped evade customs when Flora sent the painting from London to her daughter Lucie in New York in 1964.
Lucie Bigelow was eleven years old when Sewell painted her portrait, around the same time as her mother's second portrait. This early exposure to a working female artist appears to have influenced young Lucie, who maintained a lifelong interest in art and artists, seeking out exhibitions of all types and befriending artists in New York and London throughout her adult life.
“The Rosen House has always been at the heart of Caramoor, filled with the music and art the family loved, says Caramoor President and CEO Gillian Fox. “We continue to be intrigued by new discoveries like this one and are honored to conserve and share the House and Collection with the public. We can't wait for visitors to discover Flora Dodge’s hidden portrait for themselves when they come to Caramoor.”
Both portraits are on view in the Rosen House and can be seen during Caramoor's Holiday Rosen House Tours, running December 10 to 21, 2025 at 12:30pm and 1pm daily (by advance ticket purchase only; no tours on December 15). The art-filled Rosen House is decked out for the holidays with decorations inspired by the Rosen family archive. The House itself offers a number of treasures, including complete 18th-century rooms, originally from private villas and chateaux in Italy, France, and England. The Formal Dining Room features doors thought to have been designed by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1695-1770), made for a Venetian palace. The Music Room includes Renaissance furniture and architectural elements such as the intricately carved coffered ceiling from a house in Lecce, Italy; a pair of pink marble twisted columns from Verona, once in the collection of William Randolph Hearst; and a magnificent Franco-Flemish tapestry titled “The Holy Family.”
Caramoor is also producing a short documentary about the discovery of the hidden painting, featuring interviews with experts filmed on location. The film will explore the discovery process and celebrate the remarkable women at the center of this story.
The conservation of the newly discovered portrait was made possible by a grant from the Greater Hudson Heritage Network. A period frame has been acquired and restored by Ammi Ribar of Hudson, New York, to display the newly revealed work alongside its companion piece.
The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Grant Treatment Program is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
About Caramoor
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY. Once the home of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor has evolved into one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performances, cultural engagement, and exploration – a sanctuary for music, art, and nature.
Each year, Caramoor presents an exciting array of concerts across genres – from classical, opera, and chamber music to jazz, American roots, global sounds, and the American songbook. Caramoor’s acclaimed Summer Season brings audiences together for unforgettable outdoor performances from June into August in five distinct settings (the Music Room, Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Friends Field, and the Sunken Garden), while the intimate Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May in the historic Rosen House, a Mediterranean-style villa listed on the National Register of Historic Places and filled with treasures from around the world. With a mission to engage audiences of all ages, Caramoor also offers a selection of concerts and programs for families and our youngest listeners.
Caramoor is a place where music, history, and nature come together to create moments of beauty and connection for all who visit. In addition to hearing concerts, visitors to Caramoor can tour the spectacular Rosen House, explore its intriguing collections, enjoy a picnic, and experience the lush gardens and grounds – including Caramoor’s unique collection of site-specific Sound Art, permanently installed sound sculptures which draw inspiration from their environment. Caramoor also offers a formal afternoon tea service year-round in the Music Room (by reservation), a seasonal concessions tent, and a selection of public programs such as yoga, art classes, and large-scale community events.
Jan. 15: The Jasper String Quartet and Jupiter String Quartet Presented by Chamber Music Napa Valley – Performing Music by Franz Joseph Haydn, Arnold Schoenberg, Reinaldo Moya, and Felix Mendelssohn
Jan. 15: The Jasper String Quartet and Jupiter String Quartet Presented by Chamber Music Napa Valley
The Jupiter String Quartet and Jasper Quartet
Presented by Chamber Music Napa Valley
Performing Music by
Franz Joseph Haydn, Arnold Schoenberg,
Reinaldo Moya, and Felix Mendelssohn
Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 7:30pm
First United Methodist Church | 625 Randolph Street | Napa, CA
Tickets and Information
“an ensemble of eloquent intensity, has matured into one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene.” – The New Yorker
www.jasperquartet.com | www.jupiterquartet.com
Napa, CA – On Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 7:30pm, the Jasper String Quartet, which The Strad describes as “sonically delightful and expressively compelling”—and the Jupiter String Quartet – internationally acclaimed winners of the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, who are known for their “compelling” performances (BBC Music Magazine) – will be presented together in concert by Chamber Music Napa Valley in First United Methodist Church (625 Randolph Street).
The Jasper and Jupiter quartets celebrate many years of deep connections that go beyond the joy of playing music together. There are siblings – J Freivogel from the Jasper is the younger brother of Jupiter members Meg and Liz Freivogel; and spouses – Rachel Henderson Freivogel and J are married in the Jasper, and Daniel McDonough and Meg are married in the Jupiter, all with a spirit of friendship and unity forged together in performance. In 2021, the two quartets celebrated the release of a collaborative album on Marquis Classics, produced by GRAMMY® Award-winner Judith Sherman, which features Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, a work the groups will perform together as part of this concert program.
The two quartets bring their combined musical prowess to four works shaped by vivid imagery, lived experiences, and emotive compositional style. The program takes listeners on a journey across four centuries.Selections include: String Quartet in C Major, Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird” by Franz Joseph Haydn (1781) performed by the Jupiter Quartet; Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (1899), performed by members of the Jupiter and Jasper Quartets; Reinaldo Moya’s Yara (2025), performed by the Jasper Quartet; and Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20 (1825).
”It is such a joy to get to perform together with the Jasper Quartet,” says the Jupiter Quartet. “It is always special to collaborate with another string quartet, and the concerts we get to play with the Jaspers are a special pleasure because of our deep and long-term relationship to them. This connection always lends an extra energy to the experience of cooperative music making.”
“Our longstanding Jupiter and Jasper Quartet collaboration inspires tremendous creativity within our quartets, spurred by our deep musical and familial affinity,” says the Jasper Quartet. “Performing together for Chamber Music Napa Valley presents exciting premieres on many fronts - our first joint performance for the series, our first performance with wonderful new Jupiter Quartet violinist, Mélanie Clapiès, and the West Coast premiere of one of our Jasper SQ 2025-26 commissions, Yara, by composer Reinaldo Moya. It will be a thrilling evening!”
Watch the Jupiter and Jasper Quartets performing Felix Mendelssohn’s String Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20 at Rockport Chamber Music Festival
Felix Mendelssohn composed his String Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, an intricate masterpiece, in 1825, at the age of sixteen. The work is known for its joyous energy. Rather than treating the two quartets as separate entities, Mendelssohn weaves all kinds of deft and subtle conversations among the eight musicians, in every possible combination.
The “Bird” is one of the most popular of Haydn’s six Opus 33 string quartets. It is filled with joy and playfulness, often imitating the sprightly and singsong qualities of birds (hence the nickname). Haydn’s good-natured creativity is on full display here, throughout the vivacity of the opening and closing movements, the quirky scherzo, and the wonderfully lyrical slow movement.
Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) is one of Schoenberg’s most popular works. It is inspired by a poem of the same name, written by Richard Dehmel and published in the collection Weib und Welt (1896; “Woman and World”). The work is full of extreme drama and extraordinary beauty, and reflects vividly the struggle between despair and acceptance featured in the underlying poem. The journey leads gradually to a transformation from darkness into light.
Venezuelan-American composer Reinaldo Moya (b. 1984) is a graduate of Venezuela’s El Sistema music education system and of The Juilliard School. His works have been performed by orchestras worldwide and his music often reflects deeply expressive, personal, and thought-provoking messaging tied to lived experiences, intricate stories, and complex individuals. His new string quartet Yaya is inspired by María Lionza, the figure at the center of a legendary story and cult in Venezuelan culture. The Jasper Quartet gave the world premiere performance on October 16, 2025.
About the Jasper Quartet: Celebrated as one of the preeminent American string quartets of the twenty-first century, the prizewinning Jasper String Quartet is hailed as being “flawless in ensemble and intonation, expressively assured and beautifully balanced” (Gramophone). The Quartet is highly regarded for its “programming savvy” (Cleveland Classical), which strives to evocatively connect the music of underrepresented and living composers to the canonical repertoire through thoughtful programs that appeal to a wide variety of audiences.
A recipient of Chamber Music America’s prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award (2012), the Quartet’s playing has been described as “sonically delightful and expressively compelling” (The Strad). The ensemble has released eight albums, including its most recent release, Insects and Machines: Quartets of Vivian Fung, named CMA’s 2025 Album of the Year. Strings Magazine praised the Quartet on the album as “intensely dramatic throughout demonstrating both their advocacy of new music and their transcendent mastery.” The Quartet’s 2017 release, Unbound, was named by The New York Times as one of the year’s 25 Best Classical Recordings.
The Quartet will release new recordings in 2026, including Lamenting Earth with tenor Nicholas Phan and pianist Myra Huang, Reinaldo Moya’s Pájaros Garabatos with soprano Maria Brea, and an album of chamber works by Richard Festinger. In celebration of its Twentieth Anniversary in 2026-27, the Quartet has commissioned new works from composers Patrick Castillo, Brittany J. Green, Reinaldo Moya and Michelle Ross.
The Jasper String Quartet is passionate about connecting with audiences beyond the concert hall and is the Professional Quartet-in-Residence at Temple University’s Center for Gifted Young Musicians and Director of the annual Saint Paul Chamber Music Institute.
The Quartet is Artistic Director of Jasper Chamber Concerts, a series in Philadelphia dedicated to encouraging curiosity, community, and inclusivity through world-class chamber performances. The Jasper String Quartet is named after Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada and is represented by Suòno Artist Management. For more information, please visit jasperquartet.com
More About Jupiter String Quartet: The Jupiter Quartet has performed in some of the world’s finest halls, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes, Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center and Library of Congress, Austria’s Esterhazy Palace, and Seoul’s Sejong Chamber Hall. Their major music festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival and School, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, Rockport Music Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, Music at Menlo, Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival, the Banff Centre, the Seoul Spring Festival, and many others. In addition to their performing career, they have been artists-in-residence at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 2012, where they maintain private studios and direct the chamber music program.
Their chamber music honors and awards include the grand prizes in the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition; the Young Concert Artists International auditions in New York City; the Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America; an Avery Fisher Career Grant; and a grant from the Fromm Foundation. From 2007-2010, they were in residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Two.
The Jupiter String Quartet feels a strong connection to the core string quartet repertoire; they have presented the complete Bartok and Beethoven string quartets on numerous occasions. Also deeply committed to new music, they have commissioned string quartets from Nathan Shields, Stephen Andrew Taylor, Michi Wiancko, Syd Hodkinson, Hannah Lash, Dan Visconti, and Kati Agócs; a quintet with baritone voice by Mark Adamo; and a piano quintet by Pierre Jalbert.
The quartet's latest album is a collaboration with the Jasper String Quartet (Marquis Classics, 2021), produced by Grammy-winner Judith Sherman. This collaborative album features the world premiere recording of Dan Visconti’s Eternal Breath, Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat, Op. 20, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round. The Arts Fuse acclaimed, “This joint album from the Jupiter String Quartet and Jasper String Quartet is striking for its backstory but really memorable for its smart program and fine execution.” The quartet’s discography also includes numerous recordings on labels including Azica Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In fall 2024, the Jupiter Quartet will record their next album with Judith Sherman, featuring the world premiere recordings of Michi Wiancko’s To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores, Stephen Taylor’s Chaconne/Labyrinth, and Kati Agócs's Imprimatur, which were all composed for the Jupiters.
The quartet chose its name because Jupiter was the most prominent planet in the night sky at the time of its formation and the astrological symbol for Jupiter resembles the number four.
For more information, visit www.jupiterquartet.com.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: The Jupiter Quartet, described by The New Yorker as “an ensemble of eloquent intensity,” and the Jasper String Quartet, which The Strad describes as “sonically delightful and expressively compelling,” are presented together in concert by Chamber Music Napa Valley. The two award-winning ensembles will perform a program that showcases their individual and collaborative quartet chemistries with emotive and intricate works written between the late 18th century and the present day – one of the works having its world premiere performance this past October. The concert program will include: Joseph Franz Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 33, No. 3 “Bird;” Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht; Reinaldo Moya’s Yara for String Quartet, and Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20.
Concert details:
Who: Jupiter String Quartet and Jasper String Quartet
Presented by Chamber Music Napa Valley
What: Music by Franz Joseph Haydn, Arnold Schoenberg, Reinaldo Moya, and Felix Mendelssohn
When: Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 7:30pm
Where: First United Methodist Church, 625 Randolph Street, Napa, CA 94559
Tickets and information: http://www.chambermusicnapa.org/this.html#jupiter
Dec. 21: Pianist Sarah Cahill in Terry Riley at 90: A Piano Celebration Featuring the Music of Terry Riley – Presented by the San Francisco Public Library
Dec. 21: Pianist Sarah Cahill in Terry Riley at 90: A Piano Celebration Featuring the Music of Terry Riley – Presented by the San Francisco Public Library
L-R Sarah Cahill, Terry Riley
Photo of Sarah Cahill by Kristen Wrzesniewski available in high-resolution at jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/sarah-cahill
Pianist Sarah Cahill in Terry Riley at 90: A Piano Celebration
Featuring the Music of Terry Riley
Presented by the San Francisco Public Library
Sunday, December 21, 2025 at 2pm
San Francisco Public Library (Latino Room on the Lower Level)
100 Larkin Street | San Francisco, CA
Free and Open to the Public - More Information
“As tenacious and committed an advocate as any composer could dream of”
– San Francisco Chronicle
Watch Sarah Cahill’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert
San Francisco, CA – Pianist Sarah Cahill, described as “a sterling pianist and an intrepid illuminator of the classical avant-garde” by The New York Times, will be presented in concert by the San Francisco Public Library on Sunday, December 21, 2025 at 2pm. Cahill will perform a program dedicated to the music of Terry Riley. The concert will take place in the Latino Room of the San Francisco Public Library (100 Larkin Street). The performance is free and open to the public.
Sarah Cahill honors the artistry of Terry Riley in a special program celebrating the American composer for his 90th birthday. Riley, a California native from the Sierra foothills, became well known and celebrated for his cutting edge, experimental and minimalist styles of composition. Cahill has worked closely with Riley for three decades and commissioned six compositions from him. Cahill also commissioned eight younger composers to write music in tribute to Riley for his 80th birthday. The resulting works were recorded by Cahill, and fellow pianists Regina Myers and Samuel Adams in 2017, as a 4-CD set entitled Eighty Trips Around the Sun: Music by and for Terry Riley (Irritable Hedgehog Music).
Cahill says of this special program honoring Terry Riley:
“It's such a great pleasure to celebrate Terry Riley at the San Francisco Public Library, a welcoming community space with a long history of supporting innovative new music, with a program ranging from his 1964 Keyboard Studies to new works written in his honor.”
Of the works found on the album that will be part of this program, Allan Kozinn writes in the Wall Street Journal, “[Fandango on the Heaven Ladder] explore[s] Mr. Riley’s fascination with the harmonic gauziness of Impressionism, and the Fandango. . .embrace[s] Latin rhythms filtered through, and altered by, Mr. Riley’s free-ranging sensibilities. Be Kind to One Another (2008, revised 2014), a work composed for Ms. Cahill, tells us something about [Terry Riley’s] passion for jazz—he is a freewheeling improviser—by gradually transforming a sweet, gracefully ornamented melody, at first couched in a late-Romantic salon style, into several varieties of ragtime and stride. Minimalism is represented by only a single selection, Ms. Cahill’s own combined edition of “Keyboard Studies Nos. 1 & 2” (1965) with elements from each study superimposed (at Mr. Riley’s suggestion).”
The Walrus in Memoriam is based on tunes written by The Beatles and was commissioned by Aki Takahashi for her Hyper-Beatles project.Samuel Adams’ Shade Studies examines the counterpoint between the acoustic resonance of the piano and sine waves. The music is quiet and built of cadences, silences, and repeated gestures. As the work unfolds, the two resonance systems engage through masking and illumination, creating a brief exploration of musical “shade.” This work was generously commissioned by Russ Irwin and is dedicated to Sarah Cahill and Terry Riley.
Danny Clay says of Circle Songs: When Sarah [Cahill] and I discussed the possibility of writing a piece in celebration of Terry Riley’s 80th birthday, I was both thrilled and daunted. To be honest, as I’m writing this, just a few hours away from the double bar line, I still feel a bit at sea regarding what this piece is about. I don’t know Terry personally, and yet I owe him a tremendous debt musically - his sounds, his ideas, and the warmth of his music have seeped into my subconscious (and, when lucky, my music) in ways that I am just now beginning to unravel. I think what I’ve ended up writing is ultimately a set of love songs. The more I think about it, the more I feel like there may not be any other kind of tune worth writing. The sheer act of composing is about falling in love, after all - whether it be with a sound, an idea, or a feeling of indescribable warmth. That's ultimately what I thank Terry and Sarah for the most - bringing to the world of music a seemingly endless wealth of all these things, especially love.”
About Sarah Cahill: Sarah Cahill, hailed as “a sterling pianist and an intrepid illuminator of the classical avant-garde” by The New York Times, has commissioned and premiered over seventy compositions for solo piano. Composers who have dedicated works to Cahill include John Adams, Terry Riley, Frederic Rzewski, Pauline Oliveros, Julia Wolfe, Roscoe Mitchell, Annea Lockwood, and Ingram Marshall. She was named a 2018 Champion of New Music, awarded by the American Composers Forum (ACF).
Cahill’s latest project is The Future is Female, an investigation and reframing of the piano literature featuring more than seventy compositions by women around the globe, from the Baroque to the present day, including new commissioned works. Recent and upcoming performances of The Future is Female include concerts at The Barbican, Metropolitan Museum, Carolina Performing Arts, National Gallery of Art, Carlsbad Music Festival, Detroit Institute of Arts, University of Iowa, Bowling Green New Music Festival, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, North Dakota Museum of Art, Mayville State University, the EXTENSITY Concert Series’ Women Now Festival in New York, and the Newport Classical Music Festival. Cahill also performed music from The Future is Female for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series.
Sarah Cahill’s discography includes more than twenty albums on the New Albion, CRI, New World, Tzadik, Albany, Innova, Cold Blue, Other Minds, Irritable Hedgehog, and Pinna labels. Her three-album series, The Future is Female, was released on First Hand Records between March 2022 and April 2023. These albums encompass 30 compositions by women from around the globe, from the 17th century to the present day, and include many world premiere recordings.
Cahill’s radio show, Revolutions Per Minute, can be heard every Sunday evening from 6 to 8pm on KALW, 91.7 FM in San Francisco. She is on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory and is a regular pre-concert speaker with the San Francisco Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
For more information, visit www.sarahcahill.com.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: Pianist Sarah Cahill, described as “a sterling pianist and an intrepid illuminator of the classical avant-garde” by The New York Times, is presented in concert by the San Francisco Public Library. Cahill will celebrate Terry Riley's ninetieth birthday year with his music combined with works composed by Samuel Adams and Danny Clay in honor of Terry Riley.
Concert details:
Who: Pianist Sarah Cahill - Terry Riley at 90: A Piano Celebration
Presented by the San Francisco Public Library
What: Music by Terry Riley
When: Sunday, December 21, 2025 at 2pm
Where: San Francisco Public Library (Latino Room on the Lower Level), 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
More information (Free and open to the public): https://sfpl.org/events/2025/12/21/performance-terry-riley-90-piano-celebration
Dec. 27-28: Violinist Itamar Zorman in Music of the Spheres: A Concert Exploring the Connection Between Music and Space – Presented by The INTUITIVE® Planetarium
Dec. 27-28: Violinist Itamar Zorman in Music of the Spheres: A Concert Exploring the Connection Between Music and Space – Presented by The INTUITIVE® Planetarium
Violinist Itamar Zorman in Music of the Spheres
A Concert Exploring the Connection Between Music and Space
Presented by The INTUITIVE® Planetarium
at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center
Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 5pm
Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 7:30pm
Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 5pm
Doors: 1 Hour Before Showtime
U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) | One Tranquility Base | Huntsville, AL
Tickets and information
“There is a stunning sincerity and freshness in [Itamar Zorman’s] playing” – Violinist.com
Huntsville, AL – Internationally acclaimed violinist Itamar Zorman will give three performances of Music of the Spheres, an immersive live performance presented by The INTUITIVE® Planetarium at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL), in December. Music of the Spheres is a unique concert experience dedicated to exploring the connection between music and space. Zorman will give two performances on Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 5pm and 7:30pm, followed by a third performance on Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 5pm. Doors will open one hour prior to showtime for all three concerts.
Itamar Zorman is one of the most soulful, evocative artists of his generation, distinguished by his emotionally gripping performances and gift for musical storytelling. Since his emergence with the top prize at the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition, he has wowed audiences all over the world with breathtaking style, causing one critic to declare him a “young badass who’s not afraid of anything.” His “youthful intensity” and “achingly beautiful” sound shine through in every performance, earning him the title of the “virtuoso of emotions.”
In this awe-inspiring solo violin performance, Itamar Zorman will perform music with connections to space by an array of composers from across centuries of human history, accompanied by stunning visuals on the planetarium dome. Johann Sebastian Bach's Gavotte en Rondeau, which was chosen to represent humanity on the "Golden Record" –– a disk on the Voyager spacecraft containing sounds and images of earth –– is set to images taken by the Voyager on its journey through the solar system. Philip Glass' Knee Play 2 from Einstein on the Beach, is accompanied by animation of black holes, a phenomena Einstein had predicted in his General Theory of Relativity. Claude Debussy's Clair de Lune features a slow flight across the moon's surface. Bart Howard’s Fly Me to the Moon is paired with stunning new images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Eugène Ysaÿe's L'Aurore is performed alongside footage of a supernova explosion, Missy Mazzoli’s Vespers for violin is set to breathtaking images of Nebulae, where new stars are born; and Bach’s Monumental Chaconne, constructed by the cell of a four-note descending bassline, is accompanied by a journey from Atoms to Galaxies.
David Weigel, Director of the INTUITIVE® Planetarium, describes the program as “a cosmic journey like no other.”
“Itamar came to us with this vision of putting together spectacular violin [music] with cosmic visualizations, crafted specifically to the songs he has chosen,” Weigel says. “Our team has worked with him to put together these immersive, cinematic visualizations for an elegant yet comfortable evening.”
Of the personal significance behind creating this program, Zorman says,
“Throughout the ages, the connection between music and space has sparked the curiosity of humans. The ancient Greeks celebrated the concept of Music of The Spheres, regarding the harmonic movement of celestial bodies as a form of music. Music and astronomy were both included in the medieval Quadrivium of liberal arts, and Johannes Kepler's 1619 book Harmonices Mundi discusses a celestial choir of planets.
As a fan of science fiction and popular science, I have always been curious about the emotions that the vastness and mysteries of the co3smos evoke in humans. By combining space imagery with music, I was hoping to go both outwards to the universe, and inwards, taking inspiration from Carl Sagan's famous quote: ‘The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself,’
This is also a program which travels across space and time like no other. I find it moving that we see images from billions of light years away, while listening to music written hundreds of years in the past. There is also an interesting gamut of human invention and instruments involved, as images taken by the recently launched James Webb telescope are partnered with music created by a Guarneri violin made nearly three hundred years ago.This is one of my artistic projects of which I am most proud. It is made for a wide audience, space-lovers and music-lovers alike. I couldn't have imagined a better partner for it than the team at the INTUITIVE® Planetarium of the US Space and Rocket Center, who have put as much work, creativity, and passion into it as I have.”
More about Itamar Zorman: Since his emergence with the top prize at the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition, Itamar Zorman has wowed audiences all over the world with his “youthful intensity” and “achingly beautiful” sound, earning him the title of the “virtuoso of emotions”. Awarded the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award for 2014, violinist Itamar Zorman is the winner of the 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant.
Mr. Zorman has performed as a soloist with such orchestras as the Mariinsky Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, KBS Symphony Seoul, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, German Radio Philharmonic, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Kremerata Baltica, RTE National Symphony Orchestra (Dublin), American Symphony. In 2024 he performed with the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in their traditional televised Christmas concert, following the Pope’s blessing. He has worked with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Michael Tilson-Thomas, David Robertson, Valery Gergiev, James DePreist, Karina Canellakis, Yuri Bashmet, and Nathalie Stuztmann. Mr. Zorman has performed around the world in halls such as Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Zurich Tonhalle, and Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow.
As a recitalist he performed at Carnegie Hall’s Distinctive Debut series, Wigmore Hall, People’s Symphony Concerts, the Louvre Museum, Suntory Hall, and HR-Sendesaal Frankfurt. Mr. Zorman was invited to the Marlboro, Verbier, Rheingau, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, MITO SettembreMusica, and Radio France Festivals. He has also collaborated with several legendary artists such as Mitsuko Uchida, Richard Goode, Steven Isserlis and Jörg Widmann.
Mr. Zorman is currently on faculty at Indiana University's Jacob's School of Music. He plays on a 1734 Guarneri del Gesù, from the collection of Yehuda Zisapel.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: Internationally acclaimed violinist Itamar Zorman is presented by The INTUITIVE® Planetarium at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Music of the Spheres, a unique concert experience dedicated to exploring the connection between music and space. Accompanied by stunning cosmic visuals displayed on the planetarium dome, Zorman will perform the music of several bold composers from throughout history, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Eugène Ysaÿe, Philip Glass, Claude Debussy,Missy Mazzol, and Bart Howard.
Concert details:
Who: Violinist Itamar Zorman
What: Music of the Spheres: A Concert Exploring the Connection Between Music and Space Featuring the Music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Eugène Ysaÿe, Philip Glass, and Missy Mazzoli
When:
Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 5pm
Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 7:30pm
Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 5pm
Where: U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) One Tranquility Base Huntsville, AL 35805
Tickets and Information: https://www.rocketcenter.com/content/music-spheres-itamar-zorman2025
All images courtesy of the artist from a Music of the Spheres performance at The INTUITIVE® Planetarium in February 2025.
Sarah Kirkland Snider Releases New Album Forward Into Light - February 27 on New Amsterdam/Nonesuch Records
Sarah Kirkland Snider Releases New Album Forward Into Light - February 27 on New Amsterdam/Nonesuch Records
Album art and photos available here.
Sarah Kirkland Snider Releases Forward Into Light
A New Album Featuring Four Orchestral Works
Out February 27 on New Amsterdam/Nonesuch Records
Recorded by Metropolis Ensemble
Andrew Cyr, Artistic Director/Conductor
“Her music can sound ageless and contemporary at once, with an emotional impact that's direct and immediate.” – Gothamist
Two Album Tracks Out Today:
Forward Into Light & “Of Rise and Renewal” from Something for the Dark
Listen Now
Review CDs and downloads available upon request.
Sarah Kirkland Snider’s fifth full-length LP, a new, all-orchestral album titled Forward Into Light, produced by multi-GRAMMY-winning producer Silas Brown and recorded by GRAMMY-nominated Metropolis Ensemble led by artistic director/conductor Andrew Cyr, will be co-released by Nonesuch Records and the label that Snider co-founded, New Amsterdam Records, on February 27, 2026.
The new album features four of Snider’s orchestral works: Forward Into Light, a commission for the New York Philharmonic inspired by the American women’s suffrage movement; the string orchestra and harp (Noël Wan) version of Drink the Wild Ayre, a reimagining of the string quartet Snider wrote for the Emerson String Quartet as the ensemble’s final commission; Eye of Mnemosyne, a multimedia orchestral work on memory, innovation, and culture as refracted through the lens of photography, commissioned by the Rochester Philharmonic; and Something for the Dark, a meditation on resilience, commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra after Snider won its Lebenbom Competition in 2014. Two singles from the album are out today – the title track, Forward Into Light, and “Of Rise and Renewal” from Something for the Dark.
Snider, deemed “one of new music’s leading names” (Gramophone), writes music of direct expression and dramatic narrative that has been hailed as “rapturous” (New York Times), “groundbreaking” (Boston Globe), and “ravishingly beautiful” (NPR). With an attention to detail that is “as intricate and exquisite as a spider’s web” (BBC Music Magazine), her music synthesizes diverse influences to render a nuanced command of immersive storytelling.
“I chose to create an album of these four works because they share themes of perseverance, alliance, and evolution through dark and light – concepts that have been at the forefront of my mind in recent years,” Sarah Kirkland Snider says. “Beyond that, there are musical connections: three of the works feature certain motivic ideas that have haunted me over the past few years, appearing in different guises across projects.”
The album has been recorded with 21st century listeners in mind. Snider states:
“Some of my most vivid memories of feeling awake and alive – whether walking city streets as an adult or lying in the dark on the floor in my childhood bedroom – have been inspired by listening to orchestral music recordings on headphones. In some ways, I’ve loved listening this way even more than live, because it feels private and personal – like a dream you can revisit in any way, at any time. Since childhood, I’ve longed to be on the other side of that alchemical exchange, creating sonic journeys that a listener can personalize in even the most mundane settings.
When I began thinking about recording my own orchestral music, I knew I wanted a sonically immersive, dynamic, and intricate listening experience – one in which the subtlest orchestration details and tempo changes could be fully realized. To that end, Metropolis and I recorded this music with intentionally idiosyncratic approaches to isolation and tempo mapping, maximizing control over individual lines without sacrificing musicality or expressivity. With that freedom, the mix became painstakingly detailed – but also deeply gratifying.”
Andrew Cyr, Metropolis Ensemble's artistic director and conductor, shares this vision for the recording process. He says, “At Metropolis, the studio is another stage, and recording is its own artistic medium. What draws me to it is the potential for a different kind of closeness: an intensely shared attentiveness between performer and listener. On one end, the composer, musicians, and engineers shape every breath and balance; on the other, technology carries that intention directly to the ear. For this album, we lived with the music for eight months – playing, listening, refining. From tracking to post-production, we worked with a panoramic syntax, engineered for Atmos and modern playback, letting depth, focus, and perspective carry Sarah’s orchestration and vision.”
The new album joins Sarah Kirkland Snider’s previous full-length LPs – The Blue Hour (New Amsterdam/Nonesuch, 2022), Mass for the Endangered (New Amsterdam/Nonesuch, 2020), Unremembered (New Amsterdam, 2015), and Penelope (New Amsterdam, 2010) – which have garnered year-end nods and critical acclaim from The New York Times, NPR, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Gramophone Magazine, Pitchfork, BBC Music Magazine, The Nation, and many others.
About Sarah Kirkland Snider: Sarah Kirkland Snider’s music has been commissioned and/or performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Cleveland Orchestra; Detroit Symphony Orchestra; National Symphony Orchestra; New York Philharmonic; San Francisco Symphony; Philharmonia Orchestra; Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Residentie Orkest; Birmingham Royal Ballet; Emerson String Quartet; Renée Fleming and Will Liverman; Deutsche Grammophon for mezzo Emily D’Angelo; percussionist Colin Currie; eighth blackbird; A Far Cry; and Roomful of Teeth, among many others. In addition to the music on this album, Snider’s recent works include Mass for the Endangered, a Trinity Wall Street-commissioned prayer for the environment for choir and ensemble, programmed by dozens of choirs the world over; and Embrace, an orchestral ballet for the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Highlights of Snider’s 2025-2026 concert season include the milestone premieres of three major new works – her first opera, HILDEGARD, for which she also wrote the libretto, co-commissioned by Beth Morrison Projects and the Aspen Music Festival and School and presented in rolling world premieres by Los Angeles Opera (November 5-9, 2025) and PROTOTYPE Festival in New York (January 9-17, 2026), with subsequent performances at the Aspen Music Festival and School (Summer 2026); a new work for dance for the New World Symphony and Miami City Ballet (April 17-19, 2026); and the professional world premiere performances of Snider’s latest orchestral work Marmoris by the Monterey Symphony (May 16-17, 2026). Her music will be performed around the world this season in cities including Paris, France; Offenbach, Germany; Toronto and Kitchener, Ontario, Canada; Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia; and Antwerp, Belgium; as well as across the United States from Brooklyn, New York and Baltimore, Maryland to Wheeling, West Virginia; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Berkeley, California.
A founding Co-Artistic Director of Brooklyn-based non-profit New Amsterdam Records, Sarah Kirkland Snider has an M.M.and Artist’s Diploma from the Yale School of Music, and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. The winner of the 2014 Detroit Symphony Orchestra Lebenbom Competition, Snider was a Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University in fall 2023. Her music is published by G. Schirmer. For more information about Sarah Kirkland Snider: www.sarahkirklandsnider.com/bio
About Metropolis Ensemble: Metropolis Ensemble is a GRAMMY-nominated, New York City-based orchestral collective and non-profit production house shaping today’s musical landscape. Founded in 2006 by GRAMMY-nominated conductor-producer Andrew Cyr, Metropolis champions exceptional composers and performers at pivotal moments – turning ideas into premieres, site-specific experiences, and definitive recordings. Metropolis provides the scaffolding artists need – bespoke ensembles, creative productions, multi-genre collaborations, and direct on-ramps to global stages – launching careers and inspiring new audiences. The ensemble has been presented by BAM’s Next Wave, The Met, Lincoln Center, Celebrate Brooklyn, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New Victory Theater, and Prototype. Cross-genre collaborators include Questlove & The Roots, Wye Oak, Deerhoof, Emily Wells, Caroline Rose, and the Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, with stages from the Hollywood Bowl and Brooklyn Steel to Sounds from a Safe Harbour and Eaux Claires Hiver. Its recordings have earned wide acclaim – including Canada’s JUNO Award for Vivian Fung’s Violin Concerto (2013 Best Contemporary Composition) and GRAMMY recognitions for Avner Dorman’s Mandolin Concerto (2010 Best Solo Instrumental Performance), Timo Andres’s Home Stretch (part of David Frost’s 2013 Producer of the Year), and Timo Andres: The Blind Banister (2025 Best Engineered Album, Classical), which also landed on year-end lists from The New York Times, NPR Music, and Gramophone. Recognized as one of New York City’s most prolific incubators of new talent, Metropolis is a national model for artist-driven innovation. For more information about Metropolis: www.metropolisensemble.org
ALBUM TRACK LISTING:
Forward Into Light
Sarah Kirkland Snider | Metropolis Ensemble | Andrew Cyr
New Amsterdam/Nonesuch Records | Release Date: February 27, 2026
All Music by Sarah Kirkland Snider
1. Forward Into Light [15:04]
2. Drink the Wild Ayre [12:45]
Noël Wan, harp
Eye of Mnemosyne
3. Prelude: Eye of Mnemosyne [2:28]
4. Mnemonic: Wheel of the Muses [1:41]
5. Mori: Memory of the Dead [1:43]
6. Vivere: Power of the Snapshot [3:21]
7. Memento: Defense Against Time [3:17]
8. Nostos: War Story [2:57]
9. Ephemera: Fragmented Memory Psyche [1:36]
10. (Epilogue): Lens of Nostalgia [4:13]
Something for the Dark
11. The Promise [6:28]
12. Of Rise and Renewal [5:36]
Total time: 61:09
Produced by Silas Brown and Andrew Cyr
Engineered by Silas Brown, Wellington Gordon, Charles Mueller, Mike Tierney, Doron Schachter, and Ryan Streber
Mixed by Silas Brown; Silas Brown and Mike Tierney (Drink the Wild Ayre)
Mastered by Silas Brown/Legacy Sound
Recorded at Drew University, FSU College of Music, Field Notes, Sandbox Percussion, Oktaven Audio (January-June, 2025)
Graphic Design by David (DM) Stith
Photography by Anja Schütz
GatherNYC Presents Concerts Every Sunday Morning - Up Next Kayla Williams, Natalie Tenenbaum, Renaissance String Quartet, harpist Bridget Kibbey
GatherNYC Presents Concerts Every Sunday Morning - Up Next Kayla Williams, Natalie Tenenbaum, Renaissance String Quartet, harpist Bridget Kibbey
GatherNYC Continues Expanded 2025-2026 Season in NYC
at Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in Columbus Circle
31 Concerts – Now Held Weekly, Every Sunday Morning at 11AM through May 31, 2026
Up Next:
November 30: Kayla Williams + Friends
December 7: GatherNYC Downtown – Natalie Tenenbaum, piano
December 14: Renaissance String Quartet
December 21: Bridget Kibbey, harp
“thoughtful, intimate events curated with refreshing eclecticism by its founders, the cellist Laura Metcalf and the guitarist Rupert Boyd, complete with pastries and coffee – The New Yorker
“A sweet chamber music series” – The New York Times
“Impressive Aussie/American led concert series proves music can be a religion.”
– Limelight Magazine
Museum of Arts and Design | The Theater at MAD | 2 Columbus Circle | NYC
Tickets & Information: www.gathernyc.org
New York, NY – GatherNYC, a revolutionary concert experience founded in 2018 by cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd, continues its expanded 2025-2026 season at the series’ home venue, Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) (2 Columbus Circle). For the first time, GatherNYC is offering weekly concerts, held every Sunday morning at 11am, in The Theater at MAD. Coffee and pastries are served before each performance at 10:30am. Admission for children under 12 is free. The series will present an astonishing thirty-one concerts between October 2025 and May 2026.
Guests at GatherNYC are served exquisite live classical music performed by New York’s immensely talented artists, artisanal coffee and pastries, a taste of the spoken word, and a brief celebration of silence. The entire experience lasts one hour and evokes the community and spiritual nourishment of a religious service – but the religion is music, and all are welcome.
Spoken word artists perform briefly at the midpoint of each concert, many of whom are winners of The Moth StorySLAM events. “It’s an interesting moment of something completely different from the music, and it often connects with the audience,” Metcalf told Strings magazine in a feature about the series. “Then we have a two-minute celebration of silence when we turn the lights down, centering ourselves in the center of the city. Then the lights come back on, and the music starts again out of the silence. We find that the listening and the feeling in the room changes after that.”
Metcalf and Boyd say, “We are thrilled to be offering 31 concerts throughout our expanded 2025-2026 season, by far our largest lineup yet. In these challenging times, we feel it’s essential to provide our community with a gathering place each week where we can enjoy world-class artists together in an intimate, unique setting – complete with spoken word, silence, coffee and a communal, welcoming environment. We look forward to welcoming new and old friends week after week.”
Up Next – All Concerts Take Place on Sundays at 11AM:
November 30: Kayla Williams + Friends
Violist, vocalist, and composer Kayla Williams explores a multidisciplinary approach to contemporary chamber music. Her ensemble strives to bridge the gaps between classical, jazz, folk, and roots music bringing each of these musical communities into conversation and collaboration.
December 7: GatherNYC Downtown – Natalie Tenenbaum, piano
In this special offsite performance taking place in a private loft in Manhattan, the superstar pianist Natalie Tenenbaum, known for her fluency in a wide variety of musical styles including classical, jazz, pop, Broadway and more, will share an intimate acoustic set of her original works and improvisations.
December 14: Renaissance String Quartet
Founded in 2021 by violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass, the New York City based quartet was formed on the basis of over a decade of friendship at The Perlman Music Program and The Juilliard School. The quartet feels a responsibility to command a diverse repertoire of classic, underrepresented, and new works, so they can contribute to the reclamation, redefinition, and continuation of a musical tradition that belongs to all of us. They represent and articulate an inclusive vision of the future of classical music, which sees a culture of music wherein all lives and histories are welcomed and celebrated. For their first appearance at GatherNYC, the quartet performs music from its debut album Love & Levity.
December 21: Bridget Kibbey, harp
GatherNYC welcomes back acclaimed harpist Bridget Kibbey for her second appearance on the series. In a virtuosic and charming holiday baroque program, Kibbey plays a set of solo transcriptions by J.S. Bach and Domenico Scarlatti alongside her own improvisations and arrangements celebrating the holiday season.
2026 GatherNYC Schedule:
January 4: Devony Smith, mezzo-soprano + Jesse Blumberg, baritone with Boyd Meets Girl
GatherNYC rings in the new year with a pair of powerhouse vocalists known for their creativity and curiosity. Mezzo-soprano Devony Smith and baritone Jesse Blumberg join GatherNYC artistic directors Rupet Boyd and Laura Metcalf for an eclectic program of music by Schubert, Mazzolli, Falla and more.
January 11: Yasmin Williams, guitar
Yasmin Williams, a young guitar and plucked string virtuoso who is taking the world by storm with her captivating performances, will present a solo performance of her own original compositions, including her distinct and innovative approach to playing the guitar, in a unique blend of folk, blues, classical and Appalachian influences.
January 18: Ember (violin + cello + harp)
GatherNYC is proud to present this newly-formed ensemble consisting of harpist Emily Levin, violinist Julia Choi and cellist Christine Lamprea, in a concert featuring repertoire from their debut album Birds of Paradise, released in fall 2025 to great critical acclaim. With this release, the ensemble challenges the role of the harp as an instrument of femininity and domesticity, centering it in a position of power and strength.
January 25: Isabel Hagen, viola + comedy
Isabel Hagen is a stand-up comedian and classically trained violist. As a stand-up, she has been featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon multiple times, and as a New Face of Comedy at the prestigious Just for Laughs festival in Montréal. Isabel started stand-up immediately after earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in viola performance from the Juilliard School. As a violist, she has played in the orchestra of many Broadway shows, and worked with artists such as Vampire Weekend, Bjork, Max Richter, and Steve Reich. You might be wondering if Isabel ever combines comedy and viola. The answer: sometimes!
February 1: Empire Wild
Empire Wild, founded by Juilliard-trained cellists Mitchell Lyon and Ken Kubota, joins forces with acclaimed jazz pianist Addison Frei for a genre-bending program that fuses pop, folk, jazz, and classical traditions into an electrifying, original sound. Honored with the Concert Artists Guild Ambassador Prize, the ensemble captivates audiences with inventive compositions, reimagined classics, and the limitless possibilities of cross-genre collaboration.
February 8: Sonnambula
Praised as “remarkable” and “superb” by the New Yorker, Sonnambula is a historically-informed ensemble that brings to light unknown music for various combinations of early instruments with the lush sound of the viol at the core. The ensemble is currently the 2025-26 ensemble in residence at The Frick Collection, and will share music from their recently-released and critically-acclaimed album Passing Fancy: Beauty in a Moment of Chaos. Do not miss the chance to hear these rare and beautiful instruments up close!
February 15: Tallā Rouge
Tallā Rouge's brings selections from their debut album, Shapes in Collective Space, to GatherNYC, weaving together a narrative of love, loss, childlike glee, and reflection. Featuring diverse and genre-defying compositions by inti figgis-vizueta, Kian Ravaei, Karl Mitze, and Leilehua Lanzilotti, Tallā Rouge sonically explores the raw emotions that shape our collective humanity — beckoning us to embrace and cherish the impermanence of life.
February 22: Boyd Meets Girl
GatherNYC’s own artistic directors, cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd, take the stage to share several world premieres for the unique combination of cello and guitar by Stephen Goss, Reinaldo Moya and more, as well as works from their upcoming third album release.
March 1: Exponential Ensemble
Exponential Ensemble, led by clarinetist Pascal Archer, is one of the most innovative ensembles on the NYC music scene. Exponential Ensemble’s mission includes commissioning and premiering works by living composers that are inspired by math, science and literacy, and their GatherNYC debut showcases the woodwind players from the Ensemble performing works by French and American composers, including “Wild Birds” by Brad Balliett inspired by wild birds living in New York City’s Central Park!
March 8: Inbal Segev, cello
Inbal Segev, a formidable cello soloist who stands out not only for her captivating sound and stage presence, but also for her curiosity and creativity. She has commissioned and premiered numerous concertos for cello and orchestra, and for this intimate solo performance she invites us into her compelling sound world, playing both her own compositions and music of Anna Clyne, Missy Mazzolli and more.
March 15: Palaver Strings
GatherNYC is proud to present this masterful and creative Portland, ME- based string chamber orchestra. Their program “The Apple of Their Eyes” explores the African-American experience in classical music, through the eyes of Black composers. It begins with William Grant Still’s lush and lyrical Mother and Child, and continues with Perry’s understated Prelude for Piano, arranged for strings. At the heart of the program is Edmund Thornton Jenkins Romance and Reverie Phantasy for Violin and String Orchestra, restored, edited, and arranged by Tuffus Zimbabwe, featuring Palaver violinist Maïthéna Girault. The Apple of their Eyes encapsulates the African-American experience, and celebrates the richness and depth of Black classical music.
March 22: The Knights – An Interactive Family Concert
Following their wildly successful family concert in November 2024, The Knights return to GatherNYC with a new program, also designed for the whole family. “Toy Bricks” is an interactive family concert that highlights playful interactions between stringed instruments, both large and small! Musical games and friendly competition bring friends together in a range of repertoire, culminating in a performance of Paul Wiancko’s Toy Bricks for violin, two cellos, and bass. This program is created and hosted by Knights cellist Caitlin Sullivan.
March 29: String Trios – Miranda Cuckson, violin + Jessica Meyer, viola + Laura Metcalf, cello
This program brings together four electrifying contemporary string trios by living female composers: Jessica Meyer, Missy Mazzolli, Nina C. Young, and Dobrinka Tabakova. These powerful works push the boundaries of what is possible on three stringed instruments.
April 5: Rachell Ellen Wong, violin + David Belkovski, harpsichord
Following their much-loved performance at GatherNYC in 2023 as part of the early music collective Twelfth Night, Wong and Belkovski return to the stage for a charming and intimate recital featuring impeccably performed Baroque gems.
April 12: Boyd Meets Girl and Friends play Clarice Assad & Osvoldo Golijov
This exciting program for flute, guitar and string quartet pair works by two superstar Latin-American composers whose styles contrast and compliment each other. Golijov’s achingly beautiful Tenebrae is juxtaposed with Clarice Assad’s exhilarating Sephardic Suite. Boyd Meets Girl is joined by violinists David Felberg and Jennifer Choi and violist En-Chi Cheng.
April 19: Kebra-Seyoun Charles, bass + composer
Kebra-Seyoun Charles is a distinguished double bass soloist and composer lauded for their counter-classical musical language and their ability to aptly communicate complex ideas and emotions to audiences. For their GatherNYC debut, they will perform a new work entitled “Shango” for bass and percussion duo, interspersed with virtuosic double bass solos.
April 26: Poeisis Quartet
Fresh off their win at the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition (arguably the most important competition of its kind in the world), this fast-rising young string quartet will treat audiences to its vital and energetic approach to music-making and programming.
Says Poeisis of their program: “In collaboration with five emerging QTPOC (Queer/Trans People of Color) composers from our alma mater, Oberlin College & Conservatory, the Oberlin Commission Project expands the string quartet canon with approaches to music-making that are too often unheard. This initiative brings underrepresented voices, genres, and influences to the forefront, and also serves as an act of resistance and perseverance. Composer Zola Saadi-Klein's composition is rooted in the Persian Dastgāh music tradition, and through their work they are "acknowledging our queer and ancestral identities can freely coexist beyond the binaries of classical music and societal expectations." As queer musicians and as Oberlin graduates, this project serves as our way of giving back to the communities who raised us and brought us together.”
May 3: Thomas Mesa, cello + JP Jofre, bandoneon
Two of the most exciting soloists working today, Mesa and Jofre come together for a morning of tango and tango-inspired works that spotlight the unusual combination of their instruments, cello and bandoneon, while allowing each performer to shine.
May 10: Curtis Stewart, violin + composer
GatherNYC favorite, Curtis Stewart, returns to the stage with a preview of his much-anticipated project “24 American Caprices.” The 24 American Caprices are inspired by a kaleidoscope of recorded American music, with some honorary American additions...musical aspects of each inspiration are abstracted and imbued with challenging violin techniques emulating the sounds and styles of their origin. In the full meaning of caprice, these violin fragments dance and sing lightly from inspiration to ornamentation, both with flights of fantasy and fastidious settings of referenced material, creating playful musical dialogue around American lineage and individual perspective in Classical music.
May 17: Catalyst Quartet
The GRAMMY-winning Catalyst Quartet, known for their masterful, comprehensive recordings of music by Black composers throughout history, bring their signature polish and style back to GatherNYC for the second time.
May 24: Aeolus Quartet
The acclaimed Aeolus Quartet presents a touching and thoughtful program for their first performance at GatherNYC. From a Bach chorale composed to unite the voices of church congregations to the expansive Overture and Chorale by Andrea Casarrubios inspired by it; from the textural celebration of Montgomery's Strum to the bubbling virtuosity of Bacewicz’s Quartet No. 3 composed in the new world that arose from the ashes of WWII. In this program, storytelling and silence give way to the tender slow movement of Price’s G Major Quartet rooted in the tradition of Black spirituals.
May 31: Season Finale – Musicians from the NY Phil with Boyd Meets Girl
GatherNYC artistic directors Laura Metcalf and Rupert Boyd once again team up with members of the New York Philharmonic, including returning violist Leah Ferguson, violinist Alina Kobialka and more, to craft an exhilarating program centered around Aaron Jay Kernis’ tour de force for guitar and string quartet, “100 Greatest Dance Hits.” Dance into the summer and celebrate the conclusion of another wonderful season of GatherNYC!
For tickets and information, visit www.gathernyc.org.
Announcing the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Winter/Spring 2026 Weekend Concert Series
Announcing the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Winter/Spring 2026 Weekend Concert Series
Press photos available here.
Announcing the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s
Winter/Spring 2026 Weekend Concert Series
Fifteen Performances at Calderwood Hall from January through May
Information & Tickets: gardnermuseum.org/about/music
BOSTON, MA – The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum announces its Winter/Spring 2026 Weekend Concert Series, a fifteen-concert season curated by Abrams Curator of Music George Steel running from January 25 through May 17, 2026, featuring world-class artists in the Museum’s extraordinary Calderwood Hall—a 300-seat “sonic cube” with three levels of balconies designed so that 80% of seats are front row, creating a uniquely intense and intentional listening experience.
George Steel’s music programming for the Museum continues founder and legendary arts patron Isabella Stewart Gardner’s vision of bringing together musicians and audiences for inspiring gatherings. Dating to 1927, the Gardner’s Weekend Concert Series is the longest running museum music program in the country. Much like Isabella Stewart Gardner did in her time, Steel champions unknown repertoire and embraces new works, creates connections and builds community among musicians, and supports them by presenting them in new endeavors and collaborations. His programming also frequently draws on the history of the Gardner Museum, featuring instruments from the Museum’s collection and music by composers who were associated with its founder. In honoring Isabella Stewart Gardner’s musical legacy, Music at the Gardner remains strongly committed to broadening the repertoire of music presented to include previously overlooked and marginalized composers as well as performers of all backgrounds.
The Gardner Museum's Winter/Spring 2026 Weekend Concert Series includes: Rachell Ellen Wong, the first Baroque violinist to receive an Avery Fisher Career Grant, making her Calderwood Hall debut with collaborators from her Twelfth Night Ensemble (January 25); a chamber music program created especially for the Gardner Museum by violinist Romuald Grimbert-Barré, cellist Tommy Mesa, and pianist Albert Cano Smit (February 1); the celebrated Claremont Trio returning with Louise Farrenc's Piano Quintet No. 1 alongside music by Ravel and Shulamit Ran (February 8); the impossibly talented Attacca Quartet performing a Museum-commissioned Boston premiere by David Lang paired with works by Mendelssohn and Bartók (February 22); Boston piano star Gloria Chien joining the young German stars of the Goldmund Quartet for Amy Beach's Piano Quintet alongside music by Haydn and Grażyna Bacewicz (March 1); the great American lutenist Hopkinson Smith in a special 400th anniversary celebration of John Dowland (March 8); Boston's beloved Borromeo String Quartet in Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" and works by Vijay Iyer, Caroline Shaw, and Jessie Montgomery (March 15); longtime Gardner Museum collaborators Castle of Our Skins presenting a portrait concert of violinist-composer Daniel Bernard Roumain (March 29); superstar guitarist Paul Galbraith performing on his remarkable eight-string “Brahms Guitar” (April 5); the return of virtuoso violinist Randall Goosby in a program of music by Beethoven, Debussy, and Amy Beach (April 12); Boston Children's Chorus honoring the legacy of civil rights icon Melnea Cass (April 18); the remarkable Imani Winds in a varied program including music by Simon Shaheen, Stevie Wonder, Valerie Coleman, and Fazil Say (April 19); the Diderot String Quartet performing Haydn and Beethoven on period instruments (April 26); stellar pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason in a thoughtful program including Beethoven's "Moonlight" and "Waldstein" sonatas, Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit, and selections by Dobrinka Tabakova (May 10); and the Renaissance String Quartet (violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass) with works by Florence Price, Brahms, and Daniel Hass (May 17).
“I am very excited about our Winter/Spring season in Calderwood Hall,” George Steel says. “Violinist Randall Goosby returns for two concerts: a solo recital and a performance with his group Renaissance String Quartet. We have guitar and lute recitals—Calderwood Hall is the ideal venue for those. And a wonderful range of chamber music: piano quintets from Amy Beach and Louise Farrenc, string quartets from Schubert, Mendelssohn, Haydn, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and more. Please join us for a season of beauty and rediscovery.”
Winter/Spring 2026 Weekend Concert Series Overview
The Winter/Spring 2026 Weekend Concert Series opens on January 25 with Rachell Ellen Wong, the first Baroque violinist ever to receive an Avery Fisher Career Grant, making her overdue Gardner Museum debut in a program of trio sonatas with collaborators from her group, the excellent (and seasonally named) Twelfth Night Ensemble. Wong is a major talent—eloquent, virtuosic, and always musicianly. The program spans the great era of Baroque violin music, from Biber’s Sonata V in F major through Corelli’s celebrated “La Folia” Sonata, Tartini’s diabolical Sonata in G minor (nicknamed “The Devil’s Trill”), J.S. Bach’s Sonata No. 2 in A major for violin and harpsichord, and other gems by Veracini, Royer, and Leclair.
On February 1, violinist Romuald Grimbert-Barré, who comes from a family of exceptional French/Caribbean musicians, presents a program of chamber music created especially for the Gardner Museum, joined by two equally talented colleagues—the Spanish/Dutch pianist Albert Cano Smit and Tommy Mesa, the Cuban American cellist who won the 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant on the heels of winning the 2023 Sphinx Competition. Their program ranges from Clara Schumann’s Three Romances and Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 3 in C Minor, to Debussy’s Sonata for cello and piano, Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste, and Jessie Montgomery’s contemporary Duo for violin and cello.
The celebrated Claremont Trio returns to the Gardner Museum on February 8, joined by violist Rosemary Nelis and bassist Bradley Aikman, for a performance of 19th-century French composer Louise Farrenc’s Piano Quintet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 30. Farrenc, whose music is only now receiving the attention it deserves, was a formidable pianist and composer whose piano quintet stands alongside the finest chamber works of her era. The trio will also take on Ravel’s luscious piano trio and Shulamit Ran’s yearning Soliloquy, which grew out of her work on an operatic adaptation of The Dybbuk by S. An-sky.
The impossibly talented Attacca Quartet returns to Calderwood Hall on February 22, bringing Bartók’s pungent fourth quartet, which mixes Hungarian folk music and modernism with foot-stomping ferocity. Mendelssohn’s Apollonian musicianship will be on display in his elegant String Quartet in E minor. The program is balanced by the Boston premiere of a Museum-commissioned work by David Lang, daisy, from the composer who created his “in-ear opera” true pearl for the Gardner Museum’s Tapestry Room in 2018. Lang’s music continues to surprise and delight with its inventive approaches to texture and form.
Boston piano star Gloria Chien returns to the Gardner Museum on March 1 to join the young German stars of the Goldmund Quartet in composer Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet, one of the finest works by the greatest of Boston’s “Second New England School” of composers. The Goldmunds will offer Haydn’s String Quartet in E-flat major, nicknamed his “Joke” quartet, from his astonishing Opus 33 set of quartets, along with the fourth quartet of Polish mid-century modernist Grażyna Bacewicz. Her music, only now finding a wider audience, balances Baltic intensity and Mendelssohnian wit.
On March 8, the great American lutenist Hopkinson Smith celebrates the life and music of John Dowland, the great Elizabethan songwriter and performer. This concert, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Dowland’s death in 1626, will be built around lute transcriptions of Dowland’s celebrated Lachrimae Pavanes, a set of exquisite variations on his own song, Flow My Tears, one of the supreme examples of glorious Tudor musical melancholy. Smith’s artistry and deep understanding of this repertoire make him the ideal guide to Dowland’s world. This is a special event not to be missed.
Boston’s beloved Borromeo String Quartet pays a visit to the Gardner Museum on March 15 with a program built around Schubert’s monumental “Death and the Maiden” quartet, one of his supreme late masterpieces and a paragon of the Romantic spirit. The Borromeos also bring a quartet by jazz pianist and composer Vijay Iyer, who is Harvard’s Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts and a MacArthur Fellow. Nicholas Kitchen has arranged a pair of preludes and fugues from Bach and Shostakovich, while Entr’acte by Museum-favorite Caroline Shaw and Jessie Montgomery’s Source Code round out this adventurous and eclectic program that showcases the quartet’s remarkable range.
The Gardner’s longtime collaborators, Castle of Our Skins, perform a portrait concert on March 29 of violinist, composer, and musical firebrand Daniel Bernard Roumain, joined by the composer himself on electric violin along with Val-Inc as sound chemist. This concert includes three string quartets from Roumain’s cycle of musical portraits of major Black figures: String Quartet No. 1, “X” (1993); String Quartet No. 2, “King” (2001); and String Quartet No. 4, “Angelou” (2004). Roumain’s music thrillingly mixes classical American music, jazz, and hip-hop, all transformed through his own unique voice. His quartets are powerful testimonies to the lives and legacies of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Maya Angelou.
On April 5, the Gardner Museum presents superstar Paul Galbraith, one of the great guitarists of our time and a superb interpreter. With the music of J.S. Bach and Albéniz at the heart of his program, Galbraith will perform on his remarkable eight-string “Brahms Guitar,” which he holds like a cello. His instrument and his artistry are sui generis. There is simply no one else doing what Galbraith does. The program ranges from Dowland’s Elizabethan gems through J.S. Bach’s French Suites and Partitas, to a sonata by Haydn, Albéniz’s masterpieces Suite Española and España, Ravel’s Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn, and Lennox Berkeley’s Quatre pièces. There is no better place to hear Galbraith’s miraculous playing than in the superb acoustics of Calderwood Hall.
Virtuoso violinist Randall Goosby returns on April 12 with pianist Zhu Wang for an intimate recital of epic music. Two major sonatas bookend the program: Debussy’s elusive and gorgeous sonata is paired with Beethoven’s sunny F major essay in the form. The concert also includes Southland Sketches by Harry Burleigh, who was key in forging a quintessential American musical language, modifying the gorgeous modal inflections of spirituals with the chromatic ambiguities of Wagner’s harmony. Romance by Boston’s Amy Beach, the best of the Second New England School of composers, gorgeously drinks from a similar Wagnerian well. Dvořák’s Four Romantic Pieces provide a bridge between these worlds, showing how Romanticism and folk traditions can be seamlessly interwoven.
Boston Children’s Chorus honors the remarkable legacy of Melnea Cass, the “First Lady of Roxbury,” on April 18. A tireless advocate for justice, Cass championed women’s suffrage, Black employment, early childhood education, care for the elderly, and civil rights leadership as president of Boston’s NAACP. Her lifelong commitment to equity shaped generations in Boston and her influence continues to resonate today. Audiences are invited to celebrate the enduring impact of this powerful yet often unsung Boston icon through a program of music that reflects her spirit of activism, community, and hope.
The celebrated wind quintet Imani Winds returns to the Gardner Museum on April 19 with a typically wide-ranging program showcasing works by composer-performers. Including the great American ‘oud player Simon Shaheen, Turkish pianist Fazil Say, the nonpareil Stevie Wonder, and Imani’s own Valerie Coleman, this program demonstrates the quintet’s commitment to expanding the wind repertoire with music that crosses cultural and stylistic boundaries. From Wonder’s jubilant Overjoyed to Coleman’s evocative Red Clay & Mississippi Delta, from Finnish composer Kalevi Aho’s substantial Wind Quintet No. 1 to Paquito D’Rivera’s A Little Cuban Waltz, this wonderful program is full of color and invention.
Four superlative musicians (all colleagues in the Baroque ensemble ACRONYM) come together as the Diderot String Quartet on April 26 to perform crowning glories of the Classical era on period instruments with gut strings. Haydn’s Opus 20 “Sun” Quartets may be his finest works for string quartet. These players will know how to bring out the contrapuntal splendors of Haydn’s writing—the second quartet concludes with a witty fugue on four subjects. The program is completed by Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat major, the last of his Opus 18 set, showing the younger composer already pushing at the boundaries Haydn had established.
The stellar pianist member of the great English Kanneh-Mason family of musicians, Isata Kanneh-Mason, takes a moment away from the concerto stage on May 10 to bring this thoughtfully constructed program to Calderwood Hall: two of Beethoven’s best-loved sonatas, the “Moonlight” and the “Waldstein;” Ravel’s astonishing three-movement tour-de-force Gaspard de la nuit, inspired by the dark poetry of Aloysius Bertrand; and pair of shorter works, Halo and Nocturne, by Bulgarian-British composer Dobrinka Tabakova.
The Gardner Museum is thrilled and fortunate to present the Renaissance String Quartet on May 17, for the closing performance of the Winter/Spring 2026 Weekend Concert Series. These four terrific musicians (violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass) find time in their busy touring lives as soloists and chamber musicians to perform together as a quartet. Brahms’ String Quartet No. 2 in A minor anchors the program with its characteristic blend of passion and intellectual rigor. The concert also includes the great American composer Florence Price’s String Quartet No. 1 in G Major. Price had a special gift for quartet writing; the exquisite and eloquent slow movement of her first quartet shows her love of American song, especially Black spirituals. The program closes with String Quartet No. 1, “Love and Levity,” by Daniel Hass, the cellist in the Renaissance String Quartet. He describes the piece as “Beethovenian in its thematic and structural tautness, but even more so in its motion towards excess.”
Winter/Spring 2026 At-a-Glance Concert Schedule
January 25: Twelfth Night Ensemble
February 1: Romuald Grimbert-Barré, violin; Tommy Mesa, cello; Albert Cano Smit, piano
February 8: Claremont Trio
February 22: Attacca Quartet
March 1: Goldmund Quartet with Gloria Chien, piano
March 8: Hopkinson Smith, lute
March 15: Borromeo String Quartet
March 29: Castle of Our Skins with Daniel Bernard Roumain, electric violin and Val-Inc, sound chemist
April 5: Paul Galbraith, guitar
April 12: Randall Goosby, violin with Zhu Wang, piano
April 18: Boston Children’s Chorus: The Road She Paved
April 19: Imani Winds
April 26: Diderot String Quartet
May 10: Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano
May 17: Renaissance String Quartet
All concerts take place on Sundays at 1:30 pm (except for the Boston Children’s Chorus which performs on Saturday, April 18 at 2pm) in Calderwood Hall at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (25 Evans Way, Boston, MA).
Ticketing Information
Tickets are available at gardnermuseum.org/about/music or by calling the Box Office at 617 278 5156. For additional information including about accessibility, please contact boxoffice@isgm.org.
About the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum invites you to escape the ordinary in a magical setting where art and community come together to inspire new ways of envisioning our world. Embodying the fearless legacy of its founder, the Museum offers a singular invitation to explore the past through a contemporary lens, creating meaningful encounters with art and joyful connections for all. Modeled after a Venetian palazzo, unforgettable galleries surround a luminous Courtyard and are home to masters such as Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian, Michelangelo, Whistler, and Sargent. The Renzo Piano Wing provides a platform for contemporary artists, musicians, and scholars and serves as an innovative venue where creativity is celebrated in all of its forms.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum • 25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115 • Hours: Open Weekends from 10 am to 5 pm, Weekdays from 11am to 5 pm and Thursdays until 9 pm. Closed Tuesdays. • Admission: Adults $22; Seniors $20; Students $15; Free for members, children under 18, everyone on their birthday, and all named “Isabella” • $2 off admission with a same-day Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ticket • For information 617 566 1401 • Box Office 617 278 5156 • www.gardnermuseum.org
Music at the Gardner is supported by Manitou Fund. The Museum thanks its generous concert donors: The Coogan Concert in memory of Peter Weston Coogan; Fitzpatrick Family Concert; James Lawrence Memorial Concert; Alford P. Rudnick Memorial Concert; David Scudder in memory of his wife, Marie Louise Scudder; Wendy Shattuck Young Artist Concert; and Willona Sinclair Memorial Concert. The piano is dedicated as the Alex d’Arbeloff Steinway. The harpsichord was generously donated by Dr. Robert Barstow in memory of Marion Huse, and its care is endowed in memory of Dr. Barstow by The Barstow Fund. Music at the Gardner is also supported in part by Barbara and Amos Hostetter, Nicie and Jay Panetta, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which is supported by the state of Massachusetts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Dec. 5: Pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason Announces Jane Austen's Piano on Sony Classical – New Single Dawn by Dario Marianelli Out Today
Dec. 5: Pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason Announces Jane Austen's Piano on Sony Classical - New Single Dawn by Dario Marianelli Out Today
Expressive Young Pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason
Explores Jane Austen’s Musical World on New EP
Jane Austen’s Piano
New Single:
Dawn (from the Pride & Prejudice Soundtrack) by Dario Marianelli
Listen Here
Celebrates the 250th Anniversary of the Beloved Author’s Birth in 2025
Worldwide Release Date: December 5, 2025
Pre-Order Available Now
To which books does a busy professional musician turn for relaxation in between the hectic whirl of rehearsals, performances and travel?
In the case of young rising star pianist, Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, whose debut album Fantasie was praised by Gramophone for its “poetry and confidence” and by BBC Music Magazine for its “sparkle and self-possession”, it’s the novels of Jane Austen (1775-1817) that provide her with an unending source of enjoyment and contentment as well as revelry in the understated humour and social commentary contained therein.
So much so that Jeneba started to reflect on references to music in Jane Austen’s works and more broadly on the music of the time. It started a new train of thought for her: known to be a pianist herself, with which music may Jane Austen have been familiar? Which pieces might she have performed privately?
Happily, Jeneba had two important lines of enquiry to follow: the original Austen family music book collection dating from Jane Austen’s lifetime is extant and was able to provide some direction. Furthermore, Jane Austen is also very likely to have visited the annual local Hampshire Music Meeting, for which records exist. In fact, Jane Austen’s own piano teacher Dr George Chard, assistant organist at Winchester Cathedral (where Jane Austen is buried), was someone who helped organise the festival and curate the programme, all of which no doubt had a lasting musical influence on his private pupils.
The result of Jeneba’s fascination with the music of Jane Austen’s time is this brand-new recording for solo piano: Jane Austen’s Piano, scheduled for release on December 5, 2025 via Sony Classical, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth on December 16, 1775. New single, Menuet by George Frideric Händel, is out now - listen here. Accompanying the announcement is a new music video as well - watch here.
The recording consists of six pieces overall, mirroring the fact that Jane Austen wrote six full, famous and much-loved novels: ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (published in 1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), Persuasion (1817) and Northanger Abbey (1817).
Jane Austen’s Piano includes music hand-picked by Jeneba either because of its specific link to Jane Austen or for its significance to the time. It features music by George Frideric Händel (1732-1809), Joseph Haydn (1685-1759), George Kiallmark (1781-1835) and Johann Baptiste Cramer (1771-1858) plus a bonus Jane Austen-related work composed by Dario Marianelli (b. 1963).
Jeneba has chosen Händel’s Suite in B flat major/Menuet and his Suite in D minor/Allemande for inclusion on the recording. Jane Austen would have been very familiar with Händel’s music, as his works were regularly featured at the local music festival and several arrangements of his vocal works formed part of her family’s own personal music collection.
In showcasing Haydn, Jeneba performs the Piano Sonata in C major, first published in 1780 but only published in London in 1792. It is extra-special to Jeneba as a copy of this work in Jane Austen’s own hand appears in the Austen family music collection. It is therefore highly likely that the author herself performed this work.
As for music specifically referenced in Jane Austen’s work, Jeneba has included the Robin Adair Variations by British violinist and composer George Kiallmark, as mentioned in Jane Austen’s fourth novel ‘Emma’. This version of the Irish folk tune appears in the Austen family music collection, signed by Jane’s sister, Cassandra and is likely the version Jane would have had in mind when referencing the piece in her novel. Kiallmark was also someone well-known to the audiences of the local music festival, performing there in 1803 and 1805 and appointed by Jane’s teacher George Chard to be one of the principal instrumentalists at the event.
Johann Baptist Cramer was a famous English pianist and composer of German origin, some of whose music is also contained in the Austen family music collection. He is the only composer to be named by Jane Austen in all her novels (also in ‘Emma’, referenced there as “something quite new”). His Etude No. 3 in A minor, although not in the family collection, is a welcome addition, introducing early flares of romanticism into Jane Austen’s mostly very classical piano literature.
Finally, sitting alongside the music of the period is Dario Marianelli’s Dawn from his Oscar-nominated 2005 soundtrack to the film Pride and Prejudice, directed by Joe Wright. Jeneba has included it as a modern cinematic homage to Jane Austen’s world, bridging historical inspiration with contemporary interpretation, and also marking the 20th anniversary of the film.
About her new recording, Jeneba Kanneh-Mason notes: “I am an avid reader and from a very young age, I have thoroughly enjoyed Jane Austen’s novels and being immersed in the world that she inhabits. When I read her books, I always find myself imagining a soundtrack to each novel. Curating this collection has therefore been such a joy, as the music has all been in my head for a very long time.”
Jan. 16: Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing Releases New Sony Classical Album Colors Of Bach – New Single Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben Variation Out Today
Jan. 16: Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing Releases New Sony Classical Album Colors Of Bach – New Single Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben Variation Out Today
©
Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing
Reveals Entirely New Colors in Bach’s Music on New Sony Classical Album
Colors Of Bach
New Single Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben Variation Out Today
Listen Here
Worldwide Album Release Date: January 16, 2026
Pre-Order Available Now
On her new Sony Classical album, Colors Of Bach, set for release on January 16, 2026 violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing reimagines the depth and richness of J.S. Bach’s music through entirely new arrangements, offering fresh emotional perspectives and contemporary soundscapes.
Intricate, layered, and ultimately playful, the album draws inspiration from the structural ingenuity and expressive beauty that define each of the 20 selected masterpieces. By quite literally bringing new colors into Bach’s works—through tone, harmony, and emotion—renowned arrangers Tim Allhoff, Jan-Peter Klöpfel, and Jarkko Riihimäki cast familiar masterpieces in a renewed light. At the core of this project lies a shared artistic philosophy: to expand, rethink, and reshape Bach’s music without ever diminishing it. The arrangers draw strength from the positive and universal nature of his themes and harmonies, aiming to preserve the inherent optimism that runs through his work. From the whimsical brilliance of the “Partita No. 3 Variation” to the profoundly emotional reimagining of Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto,” iconic melodies breathe renewed vitality, opening new emotional dimensions while maintaining deep respect for the original compositions. Some arrangements introduce fresh harmonic contexts, while others explore entirely new instrumentations. The dense and melodic treatment of the “Organ Prelude in C Major” transitions seamlessly into a virtuosic solo violin and string orchestra rendition, creating a captivating musical experience. “Air” adopts the elegance of an Italian concerto, while the beloved “Erbarme Dich” from the “St. Matthew Passion” is reimagined as an intimate instrumental ballad. Together, these inventive arrangements showcase the adaptability and timelessness of Bach’s music, resulting in a striking kaleidoscope of musical colors.
“Bach is such a genius composer,” Eldbjørg Hemsing reflects, “that there are endless ways to look at the shapes and forms that make up his pieces. Every melody Bach composed contains an intriguing duality of being highly technical, yet profoundly emotional; and, thus, there are endless possibilities for reinterpretation.” COLORS OF BACH is a tribute to his perennial musicality—one that invites the listener on a journey of playful exploration. Through a kaleidoscope of emotional imagery, with its vibrant swells and lyrical releases, each piece recaptures and recolors its original form.
At its heart, the album exudes joy, hope, and, ultimately, playfulness. “We wanted to create an opportunity for the audience to reconnect with such important pieces of history,” Eldbjørg notes. “And, perhaps, this time, discovering their own interpretation of it in the process.”
One of the album’s most emotional transformations is “Air.” Often associated with funerals and farewells, it holds a deeply personal meaning for Eldbjørg: “This piece is one of the most important ones I’ve ever played,” she shares. “It was performed at my father’s funeral, and I’ve always associated it with the devastation of having lost him. But that’s not how I want to remember him. Music is so powerful that it can determine our emotional associations. So, by giving this piece a new perspective, I have the opportunity to decide how I want to connect with the music. And that’s truly the spirit of this album.”
By offering fresh ways to connect with timeless pieces, COLORS OF BACH brings Bach from the past into the present. With its joyful surprises and soulful arrangements, this album invites both new and experienced listeners to rediscover the infinite colors within Bach’s music.
COLORS OF BACH was recorded in the studio of the Oslo Opera House with an all-star ensemble featuring some of the city’s finest string players: Elise Båtnes, 1st violin; Liv Hilde Klokk-Bryhn and Maria Carlsen, 2nd violins; Ida Bryhn, viola; Louisa Tuck, cello; Kenneth Ryland, bass. Tim Allhoff joins them on piano, with Christian Kjos on harpsichord.
ELDBJØRG HEMSING: COLORS OF BACH – Release Date: January 16, 2026
Tracklist:
Bach Partita Variation (After Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 100: I. Preludio) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Tim Allhoff
Ertönt uns durch dein Güte Variation (After Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22, No. 5: Ertöt uns durch dein Güte) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Jan-Peter Klöpfel
Ave Maria Variation (After The Well-Tempered Clavier I: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846: I. Prelude) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet and Piano by Tim Allhoff
Minuet in G Major Variation (After Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, BWV Anh.116, No. 7: Menuet in G Major) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Jan-Peter Klöpfel
Concerto in A Minor Variation (After Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, BWV 1041: II. Andante) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Jan-Peter Klöpfel
Melancholy Variation (After Concerto for Violin & Oboe in C Minor, BWV 1060R: III. Allegro) Arr. for Violin, Accordion, String Quintet & Piano by Jan-Peter Klöpfel
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben Variation (After Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: VI. Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Jan-Peter Klöpfel
Air Variation (After Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068: II. Air) Arr. for Violin & String Quintet by Tim Allhoff
Bach Brandenburg Concerto Revisited (After Brandenburg Concerto No.1 in F Major, BWV 1046: I. Allegro) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Jarkko Riihimäki
Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier, BWV 469 Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Jan-Peter Klöpfel
Aria Goldberg Variation (After Goldberg Variations, BVW 988: Aria) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Tim Allhoff
Prelude in C Major Variation (After Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 553: I. Prelude) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Tim Allhoff
Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit Variation (After Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein, BWV 734) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Jarkko Riihimäki
Invention in F Major Variation (After Invention in F Major, BWV 779) Arr. for Violin & String Quintet by Jan-Peter Klöpfel
Organ Sonata Variation (After Organ Sonata No. 4 in E Minor, BWV 528: II. Andante) Arr. for Violin & String Quintet by Tim Allhoff
Befiehl du deine Wege Variation (After Matthäuspassion, BWV 244, No. 53: Befiehl du deine Wege) Arr. for Violin & String Quintet by Tim Allhoff
Erbarme dich, mein Gott Variation (After Matthäuspassion, BWV 244, No. 47: Erbarme dich, mein Gott) Arr. for Violin, String Quintet & Piano by Tim Allhoff
Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ Variation (After Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639) Arr. for Violin, Cello & Piano by Tim Allhoff
Concerto in D Minor Variation (After Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974: III. Presto) Arr. for Violin & String Quintet by Jan-Peter Klöpfel
Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Minor, BWV 1042
20. I. Allegro
21. II. Adagio
22. III. Allegro assai
23. Choral Aria Variation (After Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54: I. Aria) Arr. for Violin & String Quintet by Tim Allhoff
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Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, Milan Records, XXIM Records, and Masterworks Broadway imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.sonymusicmasterworks.com/.
Jensen Artists: Selected 2025 Albums for Year-End Roundup Consideration
Jensen Artists: Selected 2025 Albums for Year-End Roundup Consideration
Selected 2025 Albums for Year-End Roundup Consideration
Lei Liang
Dui (Islandia Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Mystery Sonata
Aequora (Sono Luminus)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Anna Thorvaldsdottir
UBIQUE (Sono Luminus)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Leandra Ramm
Watching glass, I hear you (Ablaze Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Matthew Aubin & the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
Fernande Decruck / Concertante Works, Vol. 2 (Claves Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Anton Mejias & Philip Lasser
The Art of Memory (Deutsche Grammophon)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Ariel Quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete String Quartets Vol. 1 (Orchid Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Sarah Cahill and Regina Myers
UP by Riley Nicholson
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Benjamin Appl
For Dieter: The Past and The Future (Outhere Music)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Simone Dinnerstein
Complicité (Supertrain Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Maya Beiser
Salt (Islandia Music Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Tamar Sagiv
Shades of Mourning (Sono Luminus)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Telegraph Quartet
Edge of the Storm (Azica Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Ember
Birds of Paradise (Azica Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Arlene Sierra
Birds and Insects Vol. 4 (Bridge Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Christopher Stark
Fire Ecologies (New Focus Recordings)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Ensemble Galilei
There I Long to Be (Sono Luminus)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Clarice Jensen
In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness (FatCat / 130701)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
Ariel Quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete String Quartets Vol. 2 (Orchid Records)
Listen on Apple Music
Lei Liang – Dui | February 14, 2025 (Islandia Records)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
The Best New Albums Out February 14, 2025 – NPR Music, All Songs Considered
“Chinese-American composer Lei Liang’s eclectic collection of ten thematic tracks could pass as a soundtrack to an artistic, surrealist film or an intense, psychological drama.” – John Tamillo, The Arts Fuse
“[Dui] is intensely absorbing in the way it invites prolonged immersion and engagement. It is, simply put, a recording of fulsome rewards, and listeners will come away from it feeling well-compensated for their investments of time and attention.” – Ron Schepper, Textura
Dui, is a portrait album of the music of Chinese-American composer Lei Liang. The new record features performances by Maya Beiser, cello; Wu Man, pipa; Steven Schick, percussion; Cho-Liang Lin, violin; Zhe Lin, percussion; Mark Dresser, contrabass; and loadbang (Andy Kozar, trumpet; William Lang, trombone; Carlos Cordeiro, bass clarinet; and Jeffrey Gavett, baritone). The album’s title Dui, 對, means “to face.” Dui stages instruments and performance as elements of surprise from distant worlds.
Lei Liang is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, an Aaron Copland Award, a Koussevitzky Foundation Commission, a Creative Capital Award, and the Goddard Lieberson Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He writes about the music on this album, “Composing offers me a chance to explore and foster deeply personal relationships, including the relationship with my own cultural and spiritual heritage. It also presents me the opportunity to face seemingly insurmountable challenges. Who am I without my cultural heritage and without my friendships? I like to think of my music as the ultimate tribute to the past and present bonds that have shaped my life and given it meaning. All of the works on this album were written for and performed by artists who have inspired me. The challenge in composing each piece, however, is unique.”
Mystery Sonata – Aequora | February 28, 2025 (Sono Luminus)
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“Carrettin and Gajić work seamlessly as a team, and they bring expressive acuity and technical prowess” – Donald Rosenberg, Gramophone
The Best New Albums Out February 28, 2025 – NPR Music, All Songs Considered
“These composers [on Aequora] may be known to those who follow the contemporary Iceland scene, but most, with the possible exception of Anna Thorvaldsdottir, are going to be new to listeners. That is just one good reason to check the album out; another is the crystal clear sound from Sono Luminus, catching Carrettin's delicate work in his highest register.” – James Manheim, AllMusic
Until the release of Aequora on Sono Luminus, pianist Mina Gajić and violinist Zachary Carrettin have recorded under their given names, occasionally performing live under the duo’s moniker, Mystery Sonata, especially in non-classical settings presenting a diversity of repertoire and styles. Aequora is the first recording the married duo have released as Mystery Sonata, embracing the inherent mystery in presenting contemporary music and new arrangements for the first time. The album is inspired by Iceland and the cultural legacy of its music, featuring works by several prominent Icelandic composers, including Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Daníel Bjarnason, María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, and Páll Ragnar Pálsson.
Mina Gajić writes, “Zachary and I traveled to Iceland to experience the landscapes and to meet with several composers, exploring their work and observing where the connections between their interests and ours as a duo seemed congruous. María had been wanting to rework her Aequora, adding a violin to the piano and electronics, and Páll Ragnar Pálsson had been imagining adapting the harp part for piano in his work Notre Dame. Both turned out to be remarkably successful, and rewarding to study and perform. In exploring works to program alongside these, Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Reminiscence and Daníel Bjarnason’sFirst Escape worked beautifully – solos complementing the other works while providing refreshing contrast to the duo works. We asked Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir to create an entirely new work for us with the goal of providing a contemplative environment for the audience, as a shared meditation, a community-building ritual. She composed an utterly gorgeous work, Re/fractions, casting light on what is possible when the intention is, as she so eloquently stated when we first met, ‘to refrain from adding noise to an already noisy world.’”
Anna Thorvaldsdottir – UBIQUE | February 28, 2025 (Sono Luminus)
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
“If you don’t know Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s music, you’re in for a real treat. If you had to create a soundtrack for geologic plate tectonics or the lifespan of dwarf stars, and galaxies, and black holes, you might go to Anna Thorvaldsdottir. She’s concerned with big blocks of sound and textures and here, this small group of instruments sounds much bigger than it is.” – Tom Huizenga, NPR Music, All Songs Considered
“There’s an elusive mixture of ritual and instinct to the writing that eschews traditional structure; and while it may not draw direct inspiration from nature in the way that much of Thorvaldsdottir’s music does, there’s no missing its raw unpredictability, with passages of lyric contemplation dissolving into harrowing dissonance.” – Peter Margasak, Bandcamp Daily
“[Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s] music has a uniquely powerful magnetism.” – Peter Burwasser, The Absolute Sound
Anna Thorvaldsdottir releases the world premiere recording of UBIQUE on Sono Lumiunus, an evening-length chamber work, which was co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall, the Cheswatyr Foundation, Kurt Chauviere, and Density Arts for Claire Chase’s Density 2036 project. The world premiere was given in May 2023 at Carnegie Hall, performed by Claire Chase, flutes; Katinka Kleijn and Seth Parker Woods, cellos; and Cory Smythe, piano; with Levy Lorenzo, live sound. The same musicians recorded the music for this new album.
Anna writes of the piece, “UBIQUE is inspired by the notion of being everywhere at the same time, an enveloping omnipresence, while simultaneously focusing on details within the density of each particle, echoed in various forms of fragmentation and interruption and in the sustain of certain elements of a sound beyond their natural resonance – throughout the piece, sounds are both reduced to their smallest particles and their atmospheric presence expanded towards the Infinite. As with my music generally, the inspiration is not something I am trying to describe through the music as such – it is a way to intuitively approach and work with the core energy, structure, atmosphere and material of the piece.”
Leandra Ramm – Watching glass, I hear you (Featuring the World Premiere Recording of Centuries in the Hours by Lisa Bielawa) | February 28, 2025 (Ablaze Records)
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“Each song [in Centuries in the Hours] is given the first name of the woman whose diary notes are being used. The moods and subjects vary and the women featured age from thirteen to thirty-eight years. These are beautifully written and the vocal and piano writing is very effective.” – Geoff Pearce, Classical Music Daily
The world premiere recording of Centuries in the Hours, a song cycle by composer, producer, and vocalist Lisa Bielawa, is on Watching glass, I hear you, the new album from mezzo-soprano Leandra Ramm, released on Ablaze Records. Bielawa’s song cycle illuminates the lives of American women by setting selections from women’s diaries spanning three centuries. The album also includes song cycles by composers Cyril Deaconoff, Daron Hagen, Douglas Knehans, and David T. Little. All of the works except for Deaconoff’s songs are premiere recordings.
Of the origin of Centuries in the Hours, Bielawa says, “While at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, MA, I uncovered an entire alternative American history, woven together through the experiences of women from all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, of all ages, from all corners of the US and its nascent territories, and from all chapters of our history. I eventually read 72 diaries, representing staggering diversity . . These women showed me an America that was completely unknown to me, invisible yet fully lived, behind the doors and in the corners, for centuries.”
Each song in Bielawa’s Centuries in the Hours reflects the experiences of a different American woman whose life circumstances rendered her historically invisible. The stories of the women represented include Emily French, a divorced and impoverished house cleaner in the 1890s; Betsey Stockton, a formerly enslaved woman en route to Hawai’i in the 1820s; Angeles Monrayo Raymundo, a Filipina teenager in the 1920s with great ambition; Sallie McNeill, a plantation owner’s daughter in Civil War-era Texas; and Sarah Wister, a Revolutionary War-era girl whose family fled Philadelphia. The project meditates on the theme of invisibility: How do we, through performance, make visible the invisible, make things vivid in unexpected ways? To that end, it brings to light written words of women who were “invisible” in their social milieu.
Matthew Aubin & The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra – Fernande Decruck / Concertante Works, Vol. 2 | March 7, 2025 (Claves Records)
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“This is not just another good recording of music with which you are already familiar, it’s an excellent recording of excellent music that you’ve never heard before but would most likely enjoy if you did – and is thus most enthusiastically recommended.” – Karl Nehring, Classical Candor
”[...] All the soloists play with flair and engagement and the Jackson Symphony acquits itself well, Aubin directing with awareness of the modest emotional parameters of Decruck’s music. The recording has been aptly judged too and the conductor’s notes are helpfully to the point." – Jonathan Woolf, Musicweb International
Claves Records releases the world premiere recordings of four works by French composer Fernande Decruck (1896-1954) on Concertante Works Volume 2, featuring the Jackson Symphony Orchestra (Michigan) alongside soloists Jeremy Crosmer, cello; Mitsuru Kubo, viola; and Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord, conducted by Matthew Aubin. The album includes the first commercial recordings of Decruck’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1932); Sonata in C# for Alto Saxophone (or Viola) and Orchestra (1943) with viola soloist; The Bells of Vienna: Suite of Waltzes (1935); and The Trianons: Suite for Harpsichord (or Piano) and Orchestra (1946).
For the last decade, Dr. Matthew Aubin (Music Director of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra), has championed efforts to bring Decruck’s music back to orchestral performances, giving orchestras further access and insight into her brilliant work through these recordings and by editing and creating critical editions of her music, published by Éditions Billaudot. As the foremost scholar on Decruck’s music, he has earned multiple research grants to study her significant life and work, and has worked closely with her family
“The works on this album are a diverse representation of Decruck's many compositional voices,” Aubin says. “They're sure to find a place on many a future orchestral program.”
Anton Mejias & Philip Lasser – The Art of Memory | March 28, 2025 (Deutsche Grammophon)
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The Best New Albums Out March 28, 2025 – NPR Music, All Songs Considered
“[T]he rumors about Mejias are true. He keeps up a combination of high energy and deep detail in these much-recorded pieces, and his work is quite pianistic without applying pedals or much else other than articulation. One awaits both further recordings from Mejias and especially his further format experiments.” – James Manheim, AllMusic
“As for Mejias’ Bach pianism, there’s much to savor.” – Jed Distler, Gramophone (June, 2025)
On The Art of Memory – a bold, live recording from the Dresdner Musikfestspiele – Finnish-Cuban pianist Anton Mejias deftly interweaves the music of Philip Lasser and J.S. Bach for his first solo album. Mejias takes listeners on a journey that reveals both composers' music in a new light. Lasser’s Twelve Preludes: The Art of Memory was co-commissioned for Mejias by the Dresdner Musikfestspiele and Newport Classical. The album features the world premiere recording of Philip Lasser's Twelve Preludes: The Art of Memory, a companion piece to Book II of J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier.
J.S. Bach has fascinated Anton Mejias, who is considered one of the most exciting talents on the international classical scene, since his childhood. He says, “In performing Bach I strive to emphasize the incredibly rich emotional side and the heart of the music, without overlooking the intellectual side and the style of the music. The most beautiful thing is that these two sides belong together and it is not about one or the other, but about the fact that both can enrich the other enormously.”
Ariel Quartet – Complete Beethoven String Quartets Vol. 1 | April 7, 2025 (Orchid Records)
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“[A]n invigorating take [by the Ariel Quartet,] on a repertory staple that restores a sense of lightness and unpredictability to works written by a composer who was just getting started in revolutionizing the string quartet genre.” – Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, The New York Times
“Yet no one [can] deny the physical and intellectual energy of the Ariel [Quartet’s] playing or their sheer technical brilliance. That counts for a lot in Beethoven.” – Richard Wigmore, Gramophone (July 2025)
The Ariel Quartet (Alexandra Kazovsky, violin; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; Jan Grüning, viola; and Amit Even-Tov, cello) – distinguished by its virtuosity, probing musical insight, and impassioned performances – will release the complete Beethoven String Quartets over two years, culminating in 2027, the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death. For the first volume of the series, the recording includes: Beethoven’s Op. 18 string quartets over 2 CDs – on CD 1, String Quartet in F major, Op.18 No.1; String Quartet in D major, Op.18 No. 3; and String Quartet in B-flat major, Op.18 No. 6; and on CD 2, String Quartet in G major, Op.18 No. 2; String Quartet in C minor, Op.18 No. 4; and String Quartet in A major, Op.18 No. 5.
Formed when the members were just teenagers studying at the Jerusalem Academy Middle School of Music and Dance in Israel, the Ariel Quartet has a long history with the quartets of Beethoven. His String Quartet in C minor, Op.18 No.4 was the very first piece that the group tackled together as thirteen year olds, and the members credit the work for hooking them on the genre, for life.
Of Beethoven’s Op. 18 set, composed between 1798 and 1800, the Ariel writes, “[W]e hear a young Beethoven proving himself on the battleground of his teachers and peers, Haydn and Mozart, while signaling a bold move toward new musical horizons. . . Zooming in and familiarizing ourselves with Haydn’s and Mozart’s quartets of the time, we quickly understand that Beethoven’s set – while adhering to the same rules and principles – is distinctly ‘Beethovenian.’ While this impression can be broken down into factors such as motive-driven development, emotional contrasts, his characteristic expanded harmonic language, structural experimentation etc., the big achievement was his ability to unify these elements into a compositional language that expresses extraordinary emotional depth.”
Sarah Cahill and Regina Myers – UP (by Riley Nicholson) | April 25, 2025 (Independent)
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“I was impressed by the quality of reproduction of the thick textures of this keyboard music.” – Stephen Smoliar, The Rehearsal Studio
Featured on One Jazz as part of Fuse, with Debra Richards (March 29, 2025)
Pianists Sarah Cahill and Regina Myers have recorded composer D. Riley Nicholson’s UP for two pianos, a work that they commissioned in 2020. Cahill and Myers gave the world premiere performance of the piece at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in September 2022, before recording UP at SFCM in 2024.
Nicholson writes of the work, “UP’s one unifying theme is simply that, ‘up.’ The piece moves ‘up’ in so many directions: literally, opening with an upward motif that gets pinged between pianos in a groovy, dizzying counterpoint; gradually with increasing frequency moving up the circle of fifths; with upbeat syncopations and tempi; constantly one upping itself with a burgeoning energy that trips over itself with virtuosic fits; and many other upward motions and themes. Loosely akin to a theme and variations, each movement is a different interpretation of the theme ‘up,’ and given the frenetic energy of every moment, tranquil interludes provide a necessary buffer between the movements, and give the performers a chance to catch their breath. Even with the addition of these palette cleansing interludes, the entirety of the work is a manic trip that both explores joyous energy and that darker underbelly of positivity when energy and motion become simply too much to be contained.”
Of their shared experience commissioning, performing, and recording UP, Cahill and Myers say,
“When we first spoke with Riley about commissioning a new work from him, we had no idea that it would turn into an epic four-movement piece, which we have grown to know and love as a great work of artistic expression. UP reflects Riley's own style at the piano, with brilliant rapid passagework and interlocking patterns, and it took us several years to find our way into his stylistic approach with all its complexity and intricacy. It's a beautifully powerful piece, and even a global pandemic couldn't stop its path of coming into the world. We are so fortunate to work with Riley, both as a marvelous composer and as an excellent producer of this new album!”
Benjamin Appl – For Dieter: The Past and The Future | May 23, 2025 (Outhere Music)
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“For Dieter is a loving and emotional tribute. And one that will have you not only exploring more of Appl’s work, but also Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s.” – Craig Byrd, Cultural Attaché
“Benjamin Appl’s tone and expressivity is gorgeous, and you couldn’t ask for better accompaniment than the playing of James Baillieu. But this album is more than that, a meticulous tribute to the great Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau that paints a portrait of the baritone’s life, from pieces he made famous, to obscure songs written by his own family members. A beautiful tribute to one of the most important artists of the 20th century.” – Weston Williams, WFMT
German baritone Benjamin Appl pays tribute to his teacher and mentor, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (1925-2012), with For Dieter: The Past and The Future, released by Alpha Classics.The repertoire on this monumental release is structured to reflect the major stages of Fischer-Dieskau’s incredible life and includes compositions by his family members Albert and Klaus Fischer-Dieskau, repertoire he sang as a soldier during World War II and as an American Prisoner of War in Italy, and pieces that were composed especially for him, as well as favourite lieder by Schubert. Appl is joined on the recording by one of his frequent collaborators, pianist James Baillieu.
Appl writes of his experience working on this project: “It is thanks to curating this 100th anniversary celebratory album and related concerts that I have been able to spend countless hours over the past months and years studying an immense number of his letters, contracts, programmes, diary entries, photo albums and books. These were very personal moments for me, as they brought me closer not only to Fischer-Dieskau the artist but even more so to the man himself; they sharpened my memories of character traits I knew so well and also allowed me to observe new facets of his multi-lavered personality. This project is intended to provide a subjective representation of Fischer-Dieskau as well as to give an insight into the man behind all the great successes and accolades, and onto what moved him and what shaped him as a human being.”
Simone Dinnerstein – Complicité | May 30, 2025 (Supertrain Records)
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“[Simone Dinnerstein and Baroklyn] spend a pleasant hour gently experimenting with and rethinking a neatly chosen sequence of compositions by Bach.” – Lindsay Kemp, Gramophone
“With Dinnerstein spearheading the project, Complicité registers strongly. Not only are the performances terrific, the music impresses for being more than faithful replications of existing scores but instead arresting re-imaginings that take Bach's pieces into dynamic new realms. The pianist's talent for inspiring those around her is also clearly evident in the engaged performances by [Baroklyn] and the contributions of [Peggy] Pearson and [Jennifer Johnson] Cano.” – Ron Schepper, Textura
“I was seduced by the sound world of this album. There is a relaxed yet sincere quality to the performances that conveys the artists’ desire to make this music feel contemporary and accessible. This is music among friends with the listener feeling very welcome and wishing the evening would not end.” – Oliver Camacho, WFMT
Complicité, out now on Supertrain Records, is the fifteenth album from GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein. This is Simone's first album with the string ensemble she founded and directs, Baroklyn (a portmanteau of Baroque and Brooklyn, her home borough).
It includes Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in E Major, BWV 1053 and his chorales Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf, BWV 617 and Der Leib war in der Erden, BWV 161 (both arranged by Dinnerstein and Baroklyn); Bach’s Cantata 170, Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust with continuo realization by Philip Lasser; and In the Air, Lasser’s recomposition of Bach’s Air on the G String. Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano and Peggy Pearson, oboe d’amore, join Simone's and Baroklyn on this deeply felt recording, which embodies Dinnerstein’s artistic vision that music should always be creative and new.
Of the album title, Simone says, “Complicité is a term that I first heard from my son, who studied the teachings of the French theatre practitioner, Jacques Lecoq. Three important ideas that Lecoq communicated to his students were le jeu (playfulness), complicité (togetherness), and disponsibilité (openness). I was so intrigued by these ideas, and the different exercises that my son learned in order to cultivate these skills within ensemble acting, that I decided to try a Lecoq approach with my own musical ensemble, Baroklyn.”
Maya Beiser – Salt | August 1, 2025 (Islandia Music Records)
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“Beiser has built a career around challenging traditional notions of how her instrument is played and thought about in a sometimes stiflingly rigid classical music industry that has traditionally imposed higher barriers on women.” – Leila Fadel, NPR Morning Edition
“Salt is an emotionally charged meditation on memory, mourning and mythic womanhood.” – Thomas May, The Strad
“an extraordinary album that reinforces [Maya] Beiser’s status as one of the most innovative—and intriguing—string players on the contemporary music scene.” – Greg Cahill, Strings
Cellist and producer Maya Beiser, hailed as a “force of nature” by The Boston Globe, released her newest solo album, Salt, on her Islandia Music Records label. This conceptually rich collection centers around the biblical figure of Lot's Wife, exploring themes of memory, witness, and the cost of remembering. On her new album, Maya gives voice to this nameless biblical figure who, for her, became “a symbol of all the women who have been punished for remembering, for feeling too much, for refusing to move on. I imagined her not as a cautionary tale, but as a witness. A woman who couldn’t unsee what she had loved. A woman who dared to turn around.”
The album features Missy Mazzoli's Salt, a powerful mini-opera for alto voice, amplified cello and electronics, featuring text by celebrated screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson and vocals by the extraordinary performer Helga Davis; Bieser’s arrangements of Gluck’s Melody from Orfeo ed Euridice, Tavener's Lament to Phaedra and Monteverdi's Lamento d'Arianna; Salt Air, Salt Earth by Clarice Jensen; and Bieser’s reimagining of Meredith Monk's Hocket; her reconstruction of Shedemati, a song from Beiser’s childhood in Israel, performed with the compelling vocal artist Odeya Nini; and Purcell's When I Am Laid in Earth, Purcell's When I Am Laid in Earth.
Tamar Sagiv – Shades of Mourning | August 8, 2025 (Sono Luminus)
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The Best New Albums Out August 8, 2025 – NPR Music, All Songs Considered
“Stylistically, [Tamar Sagiv’s] solo music is melodic and oddly timeless, and indeed placeless, somehow evoking both Bach and Dave Holland.” – Roger Thomas, BBC Music Magazine
“An impressive debut that fuses performance talents and composition in an unusual and fresh way.” – James Manheim, All Music
“Shades of Mourning showcases [Tamar Sagiv’s] virtuosic command of the cello, and she uses that technique to amplify the emotional expression of the material.” – Ron Schepper, Textura
New York City-based cellist and composer Tamar Sagiv releases her new album, Shades of Mourning, on the GRAMMY-winning label Sono Luminus. The album features nine original compositions by Sagiv that explore the multifaceted nature of grief and mourning through deeply personal musical landscapes. Violinist Leerone Hakami and violist Ella Bukszpan collaborate with Sagiv on four of the tracks.
Described by New York Weekly as "an innovative cellist [whose] versatility sets her apart from her peers," Sagiv was drawn to music's unique ability to convey the nuance of complex emotions and lived experiences. Each work on the album illuminates different aspects of the grieving process, from profound loss to unexpected moments of renewal.
Shades of Mourning began in the most intimate of circumstances. "This album began, unknowingly, at my grandmother's deathbed," Sagiv writes in her liner notes. "I didn't realize then that the piece I wrote while she was taking her last breaths would grow into an album, nor did I yet know I was a composer." That first piece became the album's opening track – a passacaglia that Sagiv describes as "a farewell to a woman who shaped my life in ways I'm still uncovering."
Tina Davidson – Let Your Heart Be Broken (Audiobook) | August 12, 2025 (Boyle & Dalton)
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“The real music here is in the words, which cascade across these pages with a gentle, precise rhythm reflected in Davidson’s luminous musical scores. Let Your Heart Be Broken is not the story of a solitary artist obsessed with a craft but rather of the life that informs the art: a humanistic, worldly spirit, creating beauty amid an often-maddening, yet ever-hopeful, world.” – Peter Burwasser, Broad Street Review
Composer and author Tina Davidson’s memoir, Let Your Heart Be Broken, is now available in audiobook format on all major platforms via publisher Boyle & Dalton. The audiobook, read by Davidson herself, features her music woven throughout, interspersed in sections where she discusses the compositions’ creation. This rare look inside a composer’s creative process juxtaposes recordings of Davidson’s music, memories, journal entries, and insights into the life of an artist and mother at work. Let Your Heart Be Broken was published in hardback and paperback in 2023.
“Part of my commitment as a composer is to bring others into my musical world, both through the music itself and by writing about my creative process,” says Tina Davidson. “By weaving my compositions into the chapters of this audiobook containing my journals, I'm creating a bridge between my inner creative practice and the finished work, opening the door for listeners to understand and connect more deeply.”
Davidson, a highly regarded American composer, creates music that stands out for its emotional depth and lyrical dignity. Lauded for her authentic voice, The New York Times has praised her “vivid ear for harmony and colors.”
Telegraph Quartet – 20th Century Vantage Points: Edge of the Storm | August 22, 2025 (Azica Records)
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“Nimble and cohesive, the Telegraph Quartet plays these works with utter conviction, revealing music that, haunted by destruction, insists on forward motion.” – Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, The New York Times
“Edge of the Storm builds on the Telegraph’s reputation for intellectually searching and emotionally charged interpretations. Now quartet-in-residence with the University of Michigan, the ensemble – violinists Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violist Pei-Ling Lin, and cellist Jeremiah Shaw – approaches this music not simply as a historical document, but as a living challenge to engage with the past.” – Thomas May, The Strad
“An impressive series of performances that are not for the faint-of-heart.” – Gary Lemco, The Arts Fuse
The Telegraph Quartet (Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violins; Pei-Ling Lin, viola; Jeremiah Shaw, cello) releases its new album, Edge of the Storm, on Azica Records. Edge of the Storm follows the Telegraph Quartet's acclaimed 2023 album Divergent Paths as the second volume in its 20th-Century Vantage Points series. Where the first volume featuring the quartets of Ravel and Schoenberg explored the century's opening decade of unbridled creativity, this new installment examines the turbulent years of war and its aftermath from 1941-1951 through string quartets by Grażyna Bacewicz, Benjamin Britten, and Mieczysław Weinberg.
On Edge of the Storm, the Telegraph delves into the brief but historically significant ten-year period of 1941-51. As Kai Christiansen writes in the liner notes, “Each composer featured on the album lived a unique wartime life that unmistakably influenced their equally unique quartet masterworks of the period.” Together, these quartets form a powerful triptych of wartime experience: Britten's exile and displacement, Weinberg's direct confrontation with genocide and loss, and Bacewicz's emergence from underground resistance into post-war renewal. Each composer's unique response to this defining historical moment creates a cohesive artistic statement about creativity's persistence through one of humanity's darkest periods.
Ember – Birds of Paradise | September 12, 2025 (Azica Records)
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“Written in 1901, [Henriette Renié's] Trio's four movements draw on the style of late 19th century French Romanticism with elements of the modernist ideas that were also developing, conveyed here in an interpretation that is evocative but never mannered.” – Roger Thomas, BBC Music Magazine
“It would be reductionist to say that this is an album showcasing women’s voices. It is so much more than that. Birds of Paradise is a wonderfully evocative and engaging 48 minutes of music performed exquisitely.” – Craig Byrd, Cultural Attaché
“The principal composition on the album is a trio in B-flat major composed by Henriette Renié…The instrumentation allows for a piano in place of a harp, but the plucked-string sonorities of the harp make for an engaging contrast with the two bowed instruments.” – Stephen Smoliar, The Rehearsal Studio
Ember (harpist, Emily Levin, violinist Julia Choi, and cellist Christine Lamprea) is an ensemble of modern trailblazers championing new works by living composers and forging paths of connection and community through intimate, personalized concert experiences. The trio’s debut album – Birds of Paradise, released on Azica Records – showcases three compelling works: French harpist and composer Henriette Renié's groundbreaking Trio in B-flat Major (1901), the first major composition written for harp, violin, and cello; the world premiere recording of Angélica Negrón’s Ave del paraíso (2023); and the first recording of Reena Esmail’s Saans (2017) in this new arrangement for harp, violin, and cello created for Ember.“
Birds of Paradise directly confronts the historical stereotyping of the harp as a "feminine" domestic instrument. As Emily Levin explains in the album notes, while the harp was once "considered suitable for the domestic sphere,” its transition to the concert hall was largely championed by male performers playing works by male composers, often overlooking the revolutionary contributions of women performers and composers.
Arlene Sierra – Birds and Insects Vol. 4 (Featuring the World Premiere Recording of Birds and Insects: Book 3 by Sarah Cahill) | September 5, 2025 (Bridge Records)
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"This is music that you need to hear for yourself... Arlene Sierra’s gift is unquestionably brilliant." – Dominy Clements, MusicWeb International
“This is rigorously modern music that is directly appealing, something that is no small accomplishment.” – James Manheim, AllMusic
"Whether you are familiar with the sounds of the titmouse or the black and white warbler or tawny owls, Sierra’s approach to giving them a musical work is enjoyable and provocative.” – Craig Byrd, Cultural Attaché
Arlene Sierra’s Birds and Insects Vol. 4 is out now on Bridge Records. This is the fourth volume of Sierra’s work recorded as part of Bridge Records’ Portrait Series. The album features pianist Sarah Cahill’s world premiere recording of Birds and Insects: Book 3, as well as the world premiere recordings of Birds and Insects Books 1 and 2, recorded by pianist Steven Beck. Sierra composed Birds and Insects: Book 3 for Cahill in 2022, commissioned by London’s Barbican Centre as part of Cahill’s The Future is Female project.
Sierra's Birds and Insects comprises three books of 5 movements each, composed across a twenty-year period. Like much of her work, it centers on the natural world, addressing the subjects of landscape, evolutionary biology, and the sounds, processes and behavior of birds and insects. Sierra writes, “Each piece features distinct characteristics to fit its title: spelling the name in pitches, employing a transcription of an animal’s song from nature, recalling its physical movement in various ways, or developing ideas drawn from an animal’s cultural symbolism.”
Cahill says: “It was an honor to work with Arlene Sierra on these fascinating pieces which she wrote for my project The Future is Female at the Barbican in 2022, and to make the first recording of them. Arlene was inspired by the female Lovely Fairywren and Canyon Wren who sing. She explains that birdsong was always considered the exclusive domain of male birds because they were only studied by male ornithologists, but that recently female ornithologists have proven that female birds sing as well.”
Christopher Stark – Fire Ecologies | September 19, 2025 (New Focus Recordings)
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The Best New Albums Out September 19, 2025 – NPR Music, All Songs Considered
“The blend of music and recordings begins its life in the haunting opening track. The subsequent pieces reflect tones that are whimsical, ominous and conclude with a sense of renewal.” – Craig Byrd, Cultural Attaché
“You can be dazzled in the comfort of your home, as Unheard-of//Ensemble has released a stunning recording of [Christopher] Stark’s piece.” – Jeremy Shatan, anEarful
Fire Ecologies is the new album from Christopher Stark – Rome Prize-winning composer, curator, and Associate Professor of Composition at Washington University in St. Louis. This new recording is released on New Focus Recordings and performed by New York based chamber group Unheard-of Ensemble – Ford Fourqurean (clarinet), Matheus Souza (violin), Iva Casian-Lakoš (cello), Daniel Anastasio (piano). The work was premiered on September 18, 2021 by Unheard-of Ensemble at the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY.
In the nearly four years since its premiere, Fire Ecologies has been performed several times throughout the United States with two of its most noteworthy performances taking place at two New York City based EPA Superfund sites. These locations add to the statement of the work itself, aiming to move the conversation about climate change beyond the walls of the concert hall and into nature, striving to bring more attention to the places that need more urgent preservation efforts.
Fire Ecologies incorporates field recordings of the 2020 California wildfires and sounds from Stark’s travels around the U.S. “Nature has always been a central theme in my work because I grew up in western Montana in a very small town at the base of the Rocky Mountains and on the southern shore of a large glacial lake,” Stark writes in an article for Washington University in St. Louis. “But in recent years the inspiration I take from nature has become more complicated as climate change has begun to haunt our planet.”
Made up of six “scenes,” Fire Ecologies evokes many contrasting moods through each one.
“They take their titles from pre-existing, nature-inspired music in an attempt to recontextualize these old pieces through the contemporary lens of global warming,” writes Stark. “For example, the second scene is called Jeux d’eau ( Water Games) after Maurice Ravel, and the fifth scene is called “Dypt inne i barskogen” (“Deep in the Forest”) after Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt.”
Carolyn Surrick & Ensemble Galilei – There I Long to Be | September 26, 2025 (Sono Luminus)
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The Best New Albums Out September 26, 2025 – NPR Music, All Songs Considered
“[Ensemble Galilei’s] sound defies genre classification.” – Frank Housh, Media Room
Ensemble Galilei is a small ensemble specializing in a wide range of music for their particular instrumentation, and includes Isaac Alderson (uilleann pipes, Irish flute, whistles, tenor saxophone), Jesse Langen (guitar), Kathryn Montoya (recorders, whistle, shawm), Jackie Moran (banjo, bodhrán, egg shaker; and founder Carolyn Surrick (viola da gamba). The group performs Renaissance and Baroque, Ancient and recent Celtic (including Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Breton, and Galician music), and Irish music, including some works especially written for them. The ensemble is named after Vincenzo Galilei (ca. 1520-1592), a pioneer in the Greek-inspired movement that created “opera in musica.” He is credited as both simplifying and bringing passion back into music, and was also a leading theoretician of his time. (His son, Galileo Galilei, was the great astronomer.)
Featuring 47 tunes across 34 tracks on two discs, There I Long to Be, the new album from esteemed folk collective Ensemble Gllilei, contains an abundance of jigs, reels, traditional tunes, and early music, as well as works by members of the Ensemble. In addition to the five regular Ensemble members, this recording also features Hanneke Cassel (fiddle, and Ensemble Galilei emeritus member), Tim Langen (fiddle), Ronn McFarlane (lute), and James Oxley (tenor).
Recorded over the course of two years, the music on There I Long to Be encompasses a wide range of musical styles, cultures, and time periods – a combination of the musicians’ individual interests and the group’s focus. What unites it is an artistic vision that is inspired and undeterred, and unique to Ensemble Galilei.
Clarice Jensen – In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness | October 17, 2025 (FatCat/130701 Records)
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“With this album, [Clarice] Jensen reminds us how past and present can combine in potent, emotionally charged ways — how Bach's old school traditions and our new age of electronics can make arresting bedfellows.” – Tom Huizenga, NPR Music
“There is music with the power to transport you instantly into another world—and Clarice Jensen's new album, In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness, is most certainly among it. Even the title (inspired by a line from Rilke) feels like a promise: something emerging from the darkness, radiant, dressed in festive attire. And that is precisely how it's supposed to be, when you allow yourself to be drawn into Jensen's soundscapes.” – Sounds Vegan
“Even the most accessible work in the evolving oeuvre of cellist and composer Clarice Jensen is experimental, because it’s about venturing somewhere new. In holiday clothing out of the great darkness moves her sound forward through improvisation, as she uses cello, pedals, and electronics to create loops and layers. The result is a wealth of tonal variety[.]” – Marc Masters, Bandcamp
Cellist and composer Clarice Jensen releases her fourth solo album, In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness, via FatCat Records’ 130701 imprint. The new album showcases Jensen’s distinctive compositional approach, in which she improvises and layers her cello through shifting loops and a chain of electronic effects, exploring a series of rich, drone-based sound fields. Pulsing, visceral and full of color, her work is deeply immersive, marked by a wonderful sense of restraint and an almost hallucinatory clarity. Jensen recorded In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness as part of the Visiting Artist Programme at Studio Richter Mahr, the creative space co-founded by Yulia Mahr and Max Richter in Oxfordshire, England.
With In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness, Jensen sets new parameters – placing the acoustic sound of the cello at the fore and affecting the sound only through a few effects (octave displacement, delay, tremolo and looping). Jensen considers the solo cello works of J.S. Bach as a central backdrop to this new album. Bach’s Solo Cello Suites display a rich range of voices created by one instrument. Having found ways to expand the sound and voice of the instrument through electronics, Jensen found it fitting to return to Bach's works – music she has played for many years – as a way to touch back in with the tradition of the instrument. She notes, “It felt necessary to return to the rich acoustic sound of the cello that I've loved and produced for nearly my entire life, and to return to an expression of emotion that's multi-dimensional and sincere.”
Ariel Quartet – Complete Beethoven String Quartets Vol. 2 | November 7, 2025 (Orchid Records)
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“One of the finest musical ensembles performing today, noted for its sophisticated, passionate sound.” – Frank Housh, Media Room
The Ariel Quartet (Alexandra Kazovsky, violin; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; Jan Grüning, viola; and Amit Even-Tov, cello) – distinguished by its virtuosity, probing musical insight, and impassioned performances – will release volume two of their Complete Beethoven String Quartets trilogy on November 7, 2025 via Orchid Classics, with volume three arriving in June 2026 and a special box set release in March 2027.
Volume two of the cycle, recorded across three CDs, includes Beethoven’s Razumovsky Quartets – String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59 No. 1; String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59 No. 3; and String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2 – as well as his String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat major, Op. 74; and String Quartet No.11 in F minor, Op. 95, “Quartetto serioso.”
The Quartet recounts an early experience with Beethoven’s Op. 59, the Razumovsky Quartets, which left a long-lasting impression.
They write, “A memorable milestone in our personal journey with Beethoven was a concert at Frankfurt’s Kaisersaal during the 1999-2000 season, where we performed all three Razumovsky Quartets in a single evening. At sixteen, we approached the challenge with youthful excitement, and through countless hours in rehearsal we began to understand the depth and demands of this music – gradually developing not only the stamina, but the artistic maturity required to bring over two hours of this intricate music to life. Youthful enthusiasm (let’s be honest: fearlessness) alone allowed us to commit to the repertoire for this important concert without hesitation – and luckily, all went well. In hindsight, preparing this music for increasingly demanding opportunities played a crucial role in forging a confident and lasting relationship with this extraordinary canon.”