Chamber Music Society 2017-18

Music ranging from baroque-era England to modern Latin America, and from solo-violin and -harpsichord music of Bach to songs by Schumann, Hugo Wolf and Peter Warlock, will be performed in the 2017-18 season of the Chamber
Music Society of Central Virginia.

The Chamber Music Society will present 11 programs devised by its artistic director, cellist James Wilson, in six Richmond venues. Four free mini-concerts will be presented in the Gellman Room of the Richmond Public Library’s downtown Main Branch. Three concerts will be staged in the newly renovated Perkinson Recital Hall at the University of Richmond. The winter baroque chamber program will move to a new location, the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design (aka Branch House) in the Fan District.

Performers include Jonathan Woody, a bass-baritone who won the 2016 Tafelmusik Vocal Competition in Toronto, and Johnny Gandelsman, a Moscow-born violinist who since moving to the US in 1995 has worked with a wide variety of artists and ensembles, from Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble and Brooklyn Rider to Bela Fleck, Nigel Kennedy and Suzanne Vega.

The season’s programming features familiar works – Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E flat major, Beethoven’s “Archduke” Piano Trio, Mendelssohn’s Quartet in F minor – alongside more rarely performed pieces such as Anton Arensky’s “Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky” and Verdi’s String Quartet, and works by German, English and Spanish baroque composers.

Six-concert subscription packages (all ticketed concerts except the Branch Museum program) are $151, $130 for seniors 60 and older. Single tickets are $28, $24 for seniors, $5 for students. Branch Museum concert tickets are $40. Tickets go on sale July 1.

For more information, call (804) 304-6312 or visit http://cmscva.org
 
Dates, artist and programs in the Chamber Music Society’s coming season:

Sept. 16 (2 p.m., Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
Aisslinn Nosky & Guillaume Pirard, violins
Max Mandel, viola 
James Wilson, cello
Carsten Schmidt, piano
Jonathan Woody, bass-baritone
“Minds on Fire”
Arensky: “Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky”
songs by Hugo Wolf, Peter Warlock
Schumann: Quartet in F major, Op. 41, No. 2 – Finale
free

Sept. 17 (4 p.m., Perkinson Recital Hall, North Court, University of Richmond)
Aisslinn Nosky & Guillaume Pirard, violins
Max Mandel, viola
James Wilson cello
Carsten Schmidt, fortepiano
Jonathan Woody, bass-baritone
“Kings of Leipzig”
Mendelssohn: Quartet in F minor, Op. 80
Schumann: “Dichterliebe”
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44

Nov. 12 (4 p.m., Perkinson Recital Hall, North Court, University of Richmond)
Johnny Gandelsman, violin
J.S. Bach: Partita in E major, BWV 1006
J.S. Bach: Sonata in C major, BWV 1005
J.S. Bach: Partita in D minor, BWV 1004

Nov. 13 (2 p.m., Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
Johnny Gandelsman, violin
Chioke I’Anson, speaker
Angela Lehman, program curator
“One to One”
program TBA
free

Dec. 10 (7:30 p.m., Branch Museum of Architecture and Design)
Chloe Fedor & Nurit Pacht, violins
Maureen Murchie, viola
James Wilson cello
Mary Boodell, traverso flute
Carsten Schmidt, harpsichord
“Baroque at the Branch Museum”
works TBA by Purcell, Dowland, John Blow

Dec. 12 (7:30 p.m., Holy Comforter Episcopal Church)
Chloe Fedor & Nurit Pacht, violins
Maureen Murchie, viola
James Wilson, cello
Erik Higgins, double-bass
Mary Boodell, traverso flute
Sarah Heunsch & Meg Owens, oboes
Kelsey Schiller, bassoon
Carsten Schmidt, harpsichord
Handel: Concerto grosso in F major, Op. 6, No. 2
Handel: Concerto grosso in G major, Op. 3, No. 3
Handel: “Water Music” Suite No. 3
Handel: Concerto grosso in A minor, Op. 6, No. 4
Handel: Concerto grosso in D minor, Op. 3, No. 5

Feb. 24 (2 p.m., Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
Areta Zhulla, violin
Khari Joyner & James Wilson, cellos
Phillip Bush, piano
“Sense and Sensibility”
Beethoven: Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 102, No. 1
Ravel: Sonata for violin and cello
free

Feb. 25 (4 p.m., Perkinson Recital Hall, North Court, University of Richmond)
Areta Zhulla, violin
Khari Joyner, cello
Phillip Bush, piano
“The Archduke and the Impressionist”
Beethoven: Piano Trio in B flat major, Op. 97 (“Archduke”)
Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor

March 4 (4 p.m., Second Presbyterian Church)
Carsten Schmidt, harpsichord
J.S. Bach: Partita no. 1 in B flat major, BWV 825
J.S. Bach: Partita no. 2 in C minor, BWV 826
J.S. Bach: Partita no. 4 in D major, BWV 828

April 21 (2 p.m., Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library)
Grace Park & Melissa White, violins
Michael Casimir, viola
James Wilson, cello
Mary Boodell, flute
Adam Cockerham, guitar
“Fresh from the Americas”
works TBA by Carlos Chávez, José Augustin Sánchez, Leo Brouwer, others
free

April 22 (4 p.m., First Unitarian Universalist Church)
Grace Park & Melissa White, violins
Michael Casimir, viola
James Wilson, cello
Adam Cockerham, guitar
“Italia/Iberia”
Boccherini: Quintet in C major, Op. 30, No. 6 (“Musica notturna della strade di Madrid”)
Roberto di Marino: Ciaconna
Verdi: Quartet in E minor
Spanish baroque guitar works TBA