Composer

Duos and Trios

Chamber Music Palisades

In the 20th century, the nations of Central Europe experienced both glory and terror – and composers responded with music that blazes with energy and imaginative power. For LPO Principal Conductor Edward Gardner, it’s a source of pure inspiration, and tonight, in the first of two Phoenix Lands concerts, he shares his passion. Janáček retells bloody folktales, Grażyna Bacewicz strikes a note of defiance, and Lutosławski and Martinů each do their own deliriously imaginative thing. These composers have a thousand tales to tell, and with the aid of the superb young Czech violinist Josef Špaček, their story starts here.

Bohemian Rhapsodies

Southbank Centre

Curiosities

Bochumer Symphoniker

From introspection to exhilaration, experience a rich tapestry of chamber music that bridges centuries and styles. The concert opens with J.S. Bach’s iconic Chaconne, arranged for two cellos — a powerful transformation of a solo Baroque classic into a rich dialogue. Martinů’s String Quartet No. 4 follows, bursting with rhythmic drive and modern energy. The evening concludes with Ravel’s mesmerizing Piano Trio, a dazzling display of color, nuance and French impressionism. 

EPSG:4326

Baroque And Beyond

Cincinnati Music Hall

The British cellist Raphael Wallfisch, son of Holocaust survivor and cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, performs with pianist Simon Callaghan in major works by composers of diverse musical backgrounds and approaches who were caught up in the suffering and upheaval of the Second World War.

Raphael Wallfisch: Composers in Exile

Martinů and Mozart

Downtown Ithaca Alliance (The Ithaca Commons)

Each season, the Czech Chamber Music Society introduces its audience to the brightest rising stars—winners of prestigious competitions held over the past year. Who will take the spotlight this time remains to be seen; the coming months will reveal all.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Concert of competition winners

Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague

The Pavel Haas Quartet from Prague is one of Europe’s leading string quartets, with a particular focus on Czech and Slovak music. This concert features an all-Czech programme.

Pavel Haas Quartet

Stockholm Concert Hall

Finnish composer Ida Moberg’s Sunrise vividly portrays the sun’s morning ascent, setting a serene yet dynamic tone. Haydn’s Symphony No. 39, Storm at Sea, contrasts erratic bursts with sudden silences, blending Sturm und Drang with Romantic foreshadowing. Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony shifts between drama and lightness, while Martinů’s Rhapsody Concerto combines Romantic warmth with lyrical elegance. The spotlight falls on violist Antoine Tamestit, whose artistry brings Martinů’s effervescent concerto to life alongside the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra.

The sound of the Czech Republic with Antoine Tamestit

Queen Elisabeth Hall

Music Center De Bijloke

Between his performances of The Well-Tempered Clavier, this season’s curator Mahan Esfahani will make room to honour his reputation as a bold musical explorer. In a thoughtfully assembled programme, he brings together Czech and international works of the 20th-century — paying tribute to Viktor Kalabis and shining a light on the inventive, though lesser-known, Henry Cowell. The evening’s climax will be Falla’s Harpsichord Concerto, interpreted by some of the Czech Republic’s finest musicians.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Mahan Esfahani

Rudolfinum

Our principal conductor once praised the "natural quality" of our orchestra, saying that we "never play routinely" and therefore it "never sounds boring." He particularly appreciates our great enthusiasm for discovering the often still unknown music of his homeland, and so we will once again delve with him into the Czech repertoire, which has become irresistible to us – with exciting works such as the "Suita rustica" by Vítězslava Kaprálová, who was not only a highly gifted composer but also the first female conductor of the Czech Philharmonic. She came from Brno but died in exile in France at the young age of 25. In 1938, she wrote her impressive suite, inspired by the folklore of her homeland, which we will present with great joy and energy. 

Jakub Hrůša, Julia Hagen

Bamberger Symphoniker

“A passion for musical discovery”— that is what the members of L’Armonia Terrena say unites them. What this ensemble has uncovered in the contrasting musical worlds of Haydn, Ravel and Martinů will be revealed in largest instrumental group performance to take place during this season’s matinee series. The ensemble will be led by Zdeněk Klauda, with Czech Philharmonic cellist Eduard Šístek appearing as soloist.

Czech Chamber Music Society • L'Armonia Terrena

Mixed instrumental ensembles—from quartets to nonets—perform a diverse range of chamber works from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Color & Light

Alice Pratt Brown Hall

Since 2010, chamber music ensembles of the Staatskapelle have been performing at the Bode Museum, a jewel of Berlin's museum landscape. Matinee concerts lasting just over an hour in the Gobelin Hall, with diverse programs that include music from the Baroque and Classical periods as well as works from the Romantic and Modern periods, can easily lead into further hours in the museum—for example, with a guided tour of the exhibition and the "Artwork of the Day," a private tour, or a culinary finale in the stylish museum café.

Museum Concert II

UNESCO Weltkulturerbe Museumsinsel

The third chamber music concert will focus on a lesser known musical form presented less often at chamber music evenings, namely the piano quartet. The concert program consists of three seminal pieces in this genre by the most qualified composers Antonín Dvořák, Robert Schumann and Bohuslav Martinů.

Schumann. Martinů. Dvořák

The Professed House, Prague

The dynamic duo of violinist Adam Millstein and pianist Dominic Cheli performs works by innovative composers who profoundly impacted the trajectory of 20th-century music.

Adam Millstein & Dominic Cheli

Colburn School

The dynamic duo of violinist Adam Millstein and pianist Dominic Cheli performs works by innovative composers who profoundly impacted the trajectory of 20th-century music. 

The dynamic duo of violinist Adam Millstein and pianist Dominic Cheli performs works by innovative composers who profoundly impacted the trajectory of 20th-century music.

Recovered Voices: Adam Millstein, Violin and Dominic Cheli, Piano

Famous for its passionate and tempestuous sound, the Pavel Haas Quartet is primarily dedicated to the rich repertoire of its native Czech lands. In this concert, they bring together three string quartets from the 1930s that not only tell a tragic love story but also demonstrate the diversity of the musical landscape of the time.

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

We open this program with a piece by a Lebanese composer, Houtaf Khoury. He studied in Tripoli, Lebanon, and in Kiev, Ukraine. He has composed five symphonies, several concertos for various instruments, as well as chamber and solo music. What you are about to hear is a touching, beautiful, rich, and honest work called The Journey. It is scored for solo violin and strings. It is a magical work that will feature our concertmaster, Roger Wilkie, on solo violin.

Beethoven & Beyond

Terrace Theater, Long Beach Performing Arts Center

Revue pour six

Werksviertel-Mitte

This high-octane program celebrates the magnetic style of Tony Award-winning choreographer Justin Peck—where ballet meets pop, pattern and pulse.

Peck: Miami in Motion

Ziff Ballet Opera House

Bratislava Music Festival: The Epic of Gilgamesh

Slovak Philharmonic

Our tribute to Robert and Clara Schumann culminates in a concert featuring works by both spouses. Clara Wieck-Schumann was a pioneering pianist—one of the first to perform from memory—and a gifted composer, balancing her artistry with raising eight children. Robert, an accomplished composer, writer, and pianist, damaged his hands through obsessive technical practice.

From the opening notes of Clara’s Piano Concerto, the deep connection between them is unmistakable—a bond unmatched in the 19th century. Robert’s Cello Concerto, no less moving and contemplative, seems to call out Clara’s name in the final movement’s intervals, according to cellist Mischa Maisky. This music unfolds like a personal film, with the cello’s lyrical voice and the orchestra’s rich palette painting vivid scenes.

Dvořákova Praha: A Tribute to the Schumanns & Gilgamesh

Dvořák Hall Rudolfinum

The opening concert of the Chamber Music Series will present an unusual program with an unusual instrumentation. The world-renowned Zemlinsky Quartet will be complemented by oboe, clarinet and double bass, which forms the basis of folk music. Symbolically, the concert will also feature Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 15 in G major, Op. 161, which was composed in 1826 and is one of Schubert’s masterpieces.

Milhaud. Martinů. Schubert

St. Wenceslas Music Festival: Mahan Esfahani & Prague Philharmonia

Kostel Sv. Cyrila a Metoděje

Many consider Martinů’s eighth opera to be his finest work. Based, like Ariane, on a French play by Georges Neveux, Julietta is a surreal psychological drama that explores the intersection of dreams and reality. In 2019, Leon Botstein helmed the opera’s overdue American premiere at Carnegie Hall, where he led “a winning cast and the American Symphony Orchestra in a vibrant concert performance” that was selected as a “Critic’s Pick” by The New York Times. Now, the Festival presents the conductor and ASO in a semi-staged revival of the opera, featuring three members of that same winning cast: tenor Aaron Blake and bass-baritones Philip Cokorinos and Alfred Walker, who also appears in this year’s mainstage SummerScape opera. So too does soprano Erica Petrocelli, who headlines Julietta, lending her “searing intensity” (Los Angeles Times) to the opera’s title role. Anchored by Botstein and the ASO, their performance draws the Bard Music Festival—and all seven weeks of Bard SummerScape—to a gripping close.

Bard Music Festival — Program 11

Sosnoff Theater

This program comprises choral and orchestral music by Martinů and perhaps his finest student, Moravia’s Jan Novák. Set to his own Latin text, Novák’s moving cantata Ignis pro Ioanne Palach commemorates a desperate young activist who immolated himself to protest the end of the Prague Spring. As a former professional violinist, Martinů wrote for the instrument with intimate understanding, and his Second Violin Concerto stands among his mature masterpieces. It was commissioned by the great Mischa Elman, who premiered the work with Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony, before performing it for many years, as did Isaac Stern and Josef Suk. Completing the program are an aria from Martinů’s one-act opera Ariane, a surrealist take on the Theseus myth that was inspired by Maria Callas, and The Epic of Gilgamesh, the composer’s only large-scale oratorio. Scored for narrator, soloists, choir, and orchestra, this takes its text from an English translation of the Mesopotamian saga, and is notable for some of Martinů’s most inspired choral writing.

Bard Music Festival — Program 9

Martinů, Smetana, Beethoven

Benaroya Hall

Maggie Carter, from Portland, Ore., a student of Edgar Meyer and Hal Robinson, is the Samuel and Sarah Fuchs Fellow and entered Curtis in 2024.

Broadcast: Beethoven, Debussy, and Martinů

Spoiled by this local father-daughter treasure, Maddie’s style is emotional, sophisticated, and forward-thinking, while Jim is one of the more versatile composers living today. In the Martinů, La Revue de Cuisine, kitchen dishes and utensils come to life in a stunning Bohemian ballet. This celebratory concert will include a family style sit down dinner.

Benefit Concert: Stephensons' Sounds of Summer

Church of the Holy Spirit

Dvořák and Beethoven

Palace of Culture

Our Festival-in-Residence series brings the spirit of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival beyond metro Detroit, offering performances in Ann Arbor and Windsor. These concerts embody our commitment to accessibility, collaboration, and artistic excellence—bringing world-class chamber music to new communities.

Festival in Residence: Windsor

Capitol Theatre Windsor

It is tradition for the Czech Philharmonic to end its season with a free Open Air Concert on Hradčany Square. The orchestra will be joined by the winner of the Jiří Bělohlávek Prize, clarinetist Anna Paulová. She will shine especially in the world premiere of Pauliana for clarinet and orchestra by Jiří Gemrot. After a successful debut last year, conductor Dalia Stasevska will take up the baton.

Czech Philharmonic • Open Air Concert

Hradcany Square

Le Roi David is one of the masterpieces by the Swiss composer Arthur Honegger, written in 1921. It represents a significant milestone in his musical development. This oratorio is based on the biblical figure of King David from the Old Testament. Le Roi David is a notable work not only for its musical qualities but also for its ability to create an emotional and dramatic space in which the biblical story comes alive as an intense experience for the audience.

Smetana’s Litomyšl Festival: Arthur Honegger — Le Roi David

Courtyard of the castle, Litomyšl

Jewels

Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud

At our espresso concerts in the early afternoon, we serve two kinds of caffeine - in cups and, of course, musically: outstanding young musicians present surprise programs that really wake you up - in this case on the podium of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin and as a viola soloist!

Espresso concert with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Konzerthaus Berlin

Alongside many smaller-scale pieces, the “Bohemian Beethoven” J.V.H. Voříšek left us a beautiful Symphony in D major, often compared with those by Beethoven himself, and the Grand Rondeau for piano trio and orchestra. Both show that although his footing was still firmly in the Classical era, he was ready to step out into the world of Romanticism – the same, indeed, applies to Beethoven.

Beethoven, “bohemian Beethoven” And Martinů

Besední dům

The three best oboists are looking for victory in the Prague Spring competition, accompanied by the Prague Philharmonia in works by Bohuslav Martinů, Jiří Gemrot and B. A. Zimmermann. Experience the adrenaline rush at a concert which will transform the professional life of one of our young finalists. Witness a thrilling contest between three of the finest oboe players, who made it through to the final round of the Prague Spring competition.

Prague Spring | Competition Finals: Oboe

Philharmonic Hour Chamber Concert

Görreshaus

District Concert Winzerla No. 2

 Gemeinschaftsschule "Galileo" Winzerla

Experience intimate chamber music programs curated and performed by small ensembles of SF Symphony musicians.

Chamber Music At Davies Symphony Hall

Davies Symphony Hall

Sink into some seriously relaxing weekend vibes as you experience intimate performances from some of your favorite NACO musicians. Surrounded by the architectural marvels of the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre — revered for its top-notch acoustics — you'll feast on a program of musical delights from around the world.

Ludwig Spohr's Nonet for strings and winds gives each instrument the chance to showcase its unique voice and character. This work of lyrical beauty also inspired compositions of the same size and structure from two Eastern European composers featured on this program, Bohuslav Martinů's Nonet and George Enescu's Dectet for Winds.

Music for a Sunday Afternoon: Spring Edition

Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre

Sink into some seriously relaxing weekend vibes as you experience intimate performances from some of your favorite NACO musicians. Surrounded by the architectural marvels of the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre — revered for its top-notch acoustics — you'll feast on a program of musical delights from around the world.

Antonín Dvořák used a popular folk dance and a song that is now sung as the Czech national anthem as themes in his overture “My Home” – a partly lyrical, partly fast-paced declaration of love for his homeland.

The connection to Slavic folk music can also be heard in the 1952 Rhapsody Concerto by Dvořák's Czech compatriot Bohuslav Martinů, which is one of the most frequently played viola concertos of the 20th century.

symphony concert

Theater Duisburg

The snare drum has its big appearance in this chamber concert program. Due to its resonant skin covered with wires, the snare drum is known in English as a snare drum and is a central percussion instrument in many musical genres, from marching music to jazz and rock music to classical music. With its bright sound, it creates clear accents in the orchestra and provides rhythmic definition in the percussion ensemble. Whether as a percussive addition in combination with clarinet, horn and violoncello, as a rhythmic motor in the percussion ensemble or as a soloist - the percussionists of the Munich Philharmonic demonstrate the diverse tonal nuances of the snare drum with this program compilation.

Small Drum, Very Big

Gasteig HP8

A chamber group with the range of an orchestra minus percussion, the nine-member Frisson Nonet is a string quartet with bass, plus a woodwind quintet. The unusual program will include Walter August’s “Octet for Strings and Winds,” Gershwin’s “Three Preludes for Clarinet and Strings,” Martinu’s “Nonet for Strings and Winds” and, for a rousing finale, Ravel’s “Bolero” transcribed for Nonet.

Frisson Nonet

Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church

Julietta is a mysterious woman. In the opera of the same name by Bohuslav Martinů, she is the main character, but does not actually appear in the plot. Because she apparently only exists in Michel's memory and imagination. He sets out to find this enigmatic Julietta and gradually has to ask himself: Does Julietta really exist or is she only in his imagination? Is he in a dream or in reality? Is he even slowly going crazy?

2nd Youth Concert

Opernplatz

The musical works in this concert are united by an honest expression of the deep, inner life of man. They promise a journey into the souls of 20th century composers, which they reveal and allow us to empathise with through their expressive sounds. Dmitri Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto is like a great emotional sigh of relief after decades of strict art censorship by Joseph Stalin's regime. Sergei Rachmaninoff's luxuriant Third Symphony was written in American exile and reveals much of the Russian composer's homesickness. Bohuslav Martinů's opera Julietta is about the lost connection to reality ; the accompanying orchestral suite describes wandering in endless dream worlds. Martinů's musical language here is even more personal and intimate than, for example, in his opera The Greek Passion , which will premiere at the State Opera in April.

5th Symphony Concerto: Inner Life

Applaud guest conductor Gemma New as she returns to Kansas City in this highly imaginative and deeply satisfying program. The Symphony’s Principal Oboe Kristina Fulton takes a star turn in Bohuslav Martinů’s elegant Oboe Concerto. Packed with zesty melodies and rich orchestral accompaniment, the Concerto’s warm ambiance is inviting. You’ll be amazed at the solo virtuosic flourishes while sparkling syncopations will make you want to dance.

Classical Series Concert #9

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

### Event Description: Crossing Generations - LPO

**Event Title:** Crossing Generations - LPO

**Date and Time:** Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 7:30 PM

**Venue:** Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

**Ticket Prices:** £7.50 - £45

**Event Overview:**
Join the London Philharmonic Orchestra for an evening of musical exploration and cultural fusion in "Crossing Generations." This concert, conducted by the acclaimed Kevin John Edusei, features a diverse program that bridges different eras and styles, showcasing the works of Frank Zappa, Bohuslav Martinů, and Dinuk Wijeratne.

**Program:**
1. **Frank Zappa** - The Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat Outrage at Valdez G-Spot Tornado (15 minutes)
2. **Dinuk Wijeratne** - Clarinet Concerto (European Premiere, 27 minutes)
3. **Bohuslav Martinů** - Symphony No. 6 Fantaisies symphoniques (25 minutes)

**Performers:**
- **Kevin John Edusei** - Conductor
- **Kinan Azmeh** - Clarinet

**Event Highlights:**
- Experience the psychedelic sounds of Frank Zappa, a pioneer of 1960s pop culture.
- Witness the European premiere of Dinuk Wijeratne's Clarinet Concerto, performed by the phenomenal Syrian clarinettist Kinan Azmeh.
- Enjoy the lush, fantastical symphony of Bohuslav Martinů, a Czech composer in exile.

**Special Notes:**
- Kinan Azmeh's rhapsodic clarinet performance is described by the Los Angeles Times as having the ability to "seduce with a rare intimacy and explode in ecstasy."

**Offers & Discounts:**
- **Multi-Buy Series Discounts:** Save up to 30% on full-price tickets at the Southbank Centre, London.
- **Group Bookings:** Book 10 or more seats to access discounted tickets for Southbank Centre concerts.

**Booking Information:**
- **Book Now:** [Link to booking page]

**Additional Information:**
- Sign up to our mailing list for updates and exclusive offers.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience a concert that transcends generations and cultural boundaries, brought to life by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and world-class artists.

Crossing Generations

Insomnia Flowers

St. Paul's Episcopal Church Brookline

Hamilton Hall

### Event Description: BSO: Heyward Conducts Beethoven’s Fifth

**Event Title:** BSO: Heyward Conducts Beethoven’s Fifth

**Date and Time:** Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 8:00 PM

**Location:** The Music Center at Strathmore

**Event Overview:**
Join the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for an evening of profound musical exploration as Jonathon Heyward conducts Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. This iconic piece, known for its dramatic journey from darkness to light, will be performed alongside other significant works, creating a rich tapestry of sound and emotion.

**Program:**
- **BERG:** Violin Concerto
- **MARTINŮ:** Memorial to Lidice
- **BEETHOVEN:** Symphony No. 5

**Featured Artists:**
- **Conductor:** Jonathon Heyward
- **Violinist:** Augustin Hadelich

**Event Highlights:**
- **Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony:** A powerful narrative of fate and faith, this symphony is a cornerstone of classical music, renowned for its emotional depth and dramatic structure.
- **Berg’s Violin Concerto:** A hallmark of the violin repertoire, this concerto offers a mysterious, autumnal sound world, masterfully interpreted by virtuoso Augustin Hadelich.
- **Martinů’s Memorial to Lidice:** A poignant tribute to the victims of a Nazi massacre, this piece intertwines elements of Beethoven’s Fifth and the St. Wenceslas Chorale, serving as both a tender hymn and a fervent prayer.

**Additional Information:**
- **Tickets:** Available for purchase on the BSO website.
- **Note:** This event is not presented by Strathmore.
- **Accreditation:** Strathmore is Global Biorisk Advisory Council STAR accredited.

**Plan Your Visit:**
For more details on health, safety, and security measures, as well as directions, parking, and dining options, please visit the Strathmore website.

**Share This Event:**
- **Facebook**
- **Twitter**

Experience an unforgettable night of classical music that delves into the depths of human emotion and historical reflection. Secure your tickets now and be part of this extraordinary performance.

Heyward Conducts Beethoven’s Fifth

The Music Center at Strathmore

In a surge of passion and drama, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony traces a clear narrative of darkness to light, probing the eternal questions of fate and faith. A hallmark of the violin repertoire, Berg's concerto delves into a mysterious, autumnal sound world, played to perfection by celebrated virtuoso Augustin Hadelich. Just as Berg sought spiritual solace by quoting a chorale by J.S. Bach, Martinů draws upon Beethoven's Fifth and the St. Wenceslas Chorale in this memorial to a Nazi massacre, both a tender hymn and a fervent prayer.

Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony & Augustin Hadelich

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Join us for an unforgettable evening of classical music at the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music's Festival Day 2, happening on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 7:30pm in the Leo Rich Theater. This night promises an exquisite lineup of performances by world-renowned musicians, featuring compositions from Mozart, Shostakovich, Martinů, and Schubert.

The program will open with Mozart's Oboe Quartet in F Major, K.370, brought to life by the talents of Martin Beaver on violin, Clive Greensmith on cello, Masumi Per Rostad on viola, and Steven Banks on oboe. Following this, the evening will continue with Shostakovich's Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67, performed by the Sitkovetsky Trio, including Alexander Sitkovetsky on violin, Wu Qian on piano, and Isang Enders on cello. The night will also feature Martinů's Variations on a Slovak Theme, H.378, with Clive Greensmith returning on cello alongside Wu Qian on piano. The grand finale will be Schubert's String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D.887, presented by the Miró Quartet, featuring Daniel Ching and William Fedkenheuer on violins, John Largess on viola, and Joshua Gindele on cello.

Tickets are available for both in-person attendance and online streaming, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to experience this magnificent showcase of chamber music. Whether you're a long-time classical music enthusiast or new to the genre, this event is sure to leave you mesmerized by the beauty and complexity of chamber music performed at its highest level. Don't miss this highlight of the 2025 festival season!

Festival Day 2

Tucson Convention Center

Join us for an unforgettable experience at the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music's Festival Day 1, taking place on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 3:00pm in the Leo Rich Theater. This premier event marks the beginning of a series of captivating concerts showcasing the brilliance of chamber music.

Festival Day 1 promises an exceptional lineup of performances by world-renowned musicians. The afternoon will commence with the stirring sounds of Bohuslav Martinů's Duo No. 1, H. 157, featuring the remarkable talents of Clive Greensmith on cello and Martin Beaver on violin. The musical journey will continue with Johannes Brahms' Viola Quintet in G Major, Op. 111, brought to life by the virtuosic Masumi Per Rostad on viola and the esteemed Miró Quartet, comprising Daniel Ching and William Fedkenheuer on violins, John Largess on viola, and Joshua Gindele on cello.

The program will also highlight Camille Saint-Saëns' Oboe Sonata in D Major, Op. 166, with an innovative interpretation by Steven Banks on saxophone and Bernadette Harvey on piano. The day will conclude with Anton Arensky's Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 32, performed by the acclaimed Sitkovetsky Trio, featuring Alexander Sitkovetsky on violin, Wu Qian on piano, and Isang Enders on cello.

Tickets are available for both in-person attendance and online streaming, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to partake in this musical feast. Whether you're a long-time classical music enthusiast or new to the chamber music scene, Festival Day 1 offers a perfect blend of timeless compositions and breathtaking performances.

Don't miss this chance to immerse yourself in the beauty of chamber music at the Leo Rich Theater. Secure your tickets now for an afternoon of exquisite musical artistry.

Festival Day 1

Fascinating expedition: Thanks to Jakub Hrůša, we and our audience regularly get to enjoy gems from the rich treasure trove of Bohemian music repertoire. He loves to bring the stories to the stage that the composers from there have set to music so ingeniously. Smetana in particular was a master of symphonic poems, and in this programme we play no fewer than three of them. They were all composed decades before his famous cycle »Má vlast« and are far too rarely heard in Germany. Based on literature by Shakespeare, Schiller and Adam Oehlenschläger, they revolve around different characters: »Richard III«, »Wallenstein’s Camp« and »Haakon Jarl«. They were inspired around 1860 by an encounter with Franz Liszt – who once praised Smetana with the words: »Here you have the composer with the true Bohemian heart, the artist gifted by God.« To set the mood for these dazzling tone poems, we also present two richly nuanced works: firstly Stravinsky’s magnificent wind symphonies, in his words a »ceremony in which different groups meet in short litany-like dialogues«. Our Chief Conductor has chosen these pieces, first performed in 1921, because he loves the sound of our wind section so much – and is thus able to present them in a perfect light. There is also a work from the pen of the Czech modernist composer that Jakub Hrůša has long been fond of and therefore always wants to draw attention to: together with the accomplished pianist Jan Bartoš, we will perform Martinů's imaginative fifth and final piano concerto from 1958 – a charming example of the emotional power of his music.

Jakub Hrůša, Jan Bartoš

Bamberg Concert Hall

»Listen carefully to all folk songs! They are a treasure trove of the most beautiful melodies and open your eyes to the nature of different cultures.« Robert Schumann once noted these wise words in his collection of »Musical House and Life Rules« – and Jakub Hrůša loves to rummage through the various treasure chests of late Romanticism with its manifold folkloristic styles. He constantly includes pieces by his beloved composer Dvořák on the programme – even the lesser-known ones, as he sees him as an artist »who is always interesting, in every work«. And so we now have the rarely performed »Heldenlied« to discover: a tone poem from 1898, which grippingly revolves around different moods from happiness to sorrow.

Public moderated rehearsal

Our audience is familiar with these outstanding musicians but not in this configuration. Owen Dalby and Christopher Costanza are violinist and cellist with the St. Lawrence String Quartet. This season they will team up with pianist Ilya Yakushev on a bravura program including Martinu, Rachmaninoff, Nadia Boulanger, Casarrubio-Silbo, Shostakovich, and the spectacular Brahms Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8.

Dalby, Costanza, And Yakushev Trio

Experience an evening of profound musical artistry with the celebrated cellist Steven Isserlis and the distinguished pianist Connie Shih. Renowned for his wide-ranging curiosity and expressive skill, Steven Isserlis stands out as a unique figure in the world of classical music. His performances are known for their depth and meaning, crafted with uncanny nuance and creativity. Connie Shih, one of Canada's most outstanding pianists, brings her exceptional talent and extensive experience to the stage, having performed with numerous world-renowned musicians and at prestigious venues across the globe.

The program for the evening promises a rich tapestry of classical masterpieces, featuring Beethoven's Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, Martinů's Sonata No. 2, Nadia Boulanger's Three Pieces for Cello and Piano, and Grieg's Sonata. Each piece will be brought to life through the spontaneous and lyrical collaboration between Isserlis and Shih, a partnership praised for its musical delight and spontaneity.

Steven Isserlis's illustrious career includes performances with leading orchestras and conductors worldwide, as well as a significant role in historical performance and contemporary music. His extensive discography and numerous awards, including a CBE and the Schumann Prize, attest to his exceptional contributions to music. Connie Shih's remarkable journey began with her orchestral debut at the age of nine and has since included performances at major festivals and concert halls, as well as collaborations with prominent artists.

Together, Isserlis and Shih create an unforgettable musical experience, blending technical mastery with profound emotional expression. Their performance is a testament to their individual brilliance and their extraordinary synergy as a duo.

Steven Isserlis Cello & Connie Shih Piano

War Memorial and Performing Arts Center

Eva Krestová, leader of the viola section of the Czech Philharmonic, presents her instrument in two different settings. While the usual combination of viola and piano is found in sonatas by Shostakovich and the British composer Rebecca Clarke, in Bohuslav Martinů’s Three Madrigals, a viola and violin duo will be heard.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Eva Krestová

Superstar cellist Steven Isserlis comes to DTLA for a special duo recital with longtime collaborator Connie Shih on piano. “A musical force to be reckoned with” (Toronto Star), the pair brings a program of virtuoso cello sonatas by Beethoven, Martinů, and Grieg, plus a short piece by Nadia Boulanger. This “musical collaboration of rare intensity” (Bachtrack) is not to be missed!

Colburn Presents: Steven Isserlis, Cello, and Connie Shih, Piano

Watch the performance on this page at the scheduled date and time. This performance won’t be available to stream afterward on demand. Should you have trouble accessing the stream via this page, please visit juilliard.live to stream this program.

Juilliard Orchestra Conducted by Ruth Reinhardt

Lincoln Center

Acclaimed worldwide for his profound musicianship and technical mastery, British cellist Steven Isserlis presents his long-awaited PCMS recital. “Few cellists can mold a line with such attention to both light and shade… for a performance that distills the sweetness at the music’s heart” (The Telegraph).

Steven Isserlis, cello Connie Shih, piano

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

»Listen carefully to all folk songs! They are a treasure trove of the most beautiful melodies and open your eyes to the nature of different cultures.« Robert Schumann once noted these wise words in his collection of »Musical House and Life Rules« – and Jakub Hrůša loves to rummage through the various treasure chests of late Romanticism with its manifold folkloristic styles. He constantly includes pieces by his beloved composer Dvořák on the programme – even the lesser-known ones, as he sees him as an artist »who is always interesting, in every work«. And so we now have the rarely performed »Heldenlied« to discover: a tone poem from 1898, which grippingly revolves around different moods from happiness to sorrow. For one of the most famous violin concertos from 1878, which we have long had on our wish list, we welcome Ray Chen, a gifted virtuoso: he loves playing with us and can now immerse himself in the emotions alongside our orchestra – because the often emotionally fragile Tchaikovsky always wanted to express »all the agony and ecstasy of love« in his music. For fans of sophisticated melodic works, we conclude with a large load of these: the Symphony No. 5 by Martinů, one of Jakub Hrůša’s favourite composers, revels in his typical soundscapes – with a rich array of colours, yearning parts, pulsating rhythms and hymn-like pathos.

Jakub Hrůša, Ray Chen

### Event Description: Steven Isserlis & Connie Shih Concert

**Date and Time:**  
Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 7:30 PM

**Location:**  
Washington Irving

**Virtual Concert Availability:**  
From Monday, February 10 to Saturday, February 15, 2025

**Ticket Information:**  
- Mann Series Tickets available
- Single tickets starting at $20 for general admission after October 7, 2024

**Event Overview:**  
Join us for an enchanting evening with world-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis and acclaimed pianist Connie Shih. This much-anticipated return to Peoples' Symphony Concerts (PSC) will feature a captivating program of sonatas and works by Beethoven, Martinu, Boulanger, and Grieg.

**Program:**
- **L. v. Beethoven:** Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5, No. 2
- **B. Martinu:** Cello Sonata No. 2
- **Nadia Boulanger:** 3 Pieces for Cello and Piano
- **E. Grieg:** Cello Sonata, Op. 36

**Artists:**

**Steven Isserlis, Cello:**  
Acclaimed worldwide for his profound musicianship and technical mastery, British cellist Steven Isserlis enjoys a unique and distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, author, and broadcaster. He regularly appears with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, including the Berlin Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, London Philharmonic, and Zurich Tonhalle orchestras. Isserlis is known for his recitals in major musical centers and his performances with foremost chamber orchestras.

**Connie Shih, Piano:**  
Canadian pianist Connie Shih is considered one of Canada’s most outstanding artists. As a soloist and chamber music artist, she has performed in major venues across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Shih regularly appears in recital with Steven Isserlis and has performed at prestigious festivals and venues such as Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Bath Music Festival, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Weill Hall N.Y., and the Kronberg Festival. Her collaborations include performances with renowned artists like Maxim Vengerov, Tabea Zimmerman, and Isabelle Faust.

**Additional Information:**
- For more details, visit [Steven Isserlis' website](http://stevenisserlis.com) and [Connie Shih's website](http://conniekshih.wixsite.com).
- Listen to their performances and explore more about the artists.

**Photo Credit:**  
Satoshi Aoyagi

Don't miss this extraordinary concert experience with Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih, promising an evening of exceptional music and artistry.

Isserlis & Shih

Washington Irving High School

Guest in Cologne

Museum Ludwig

A sonic rush is guaranteed when the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and Ray Chen take on Tchaikovsky's sumptuous violin concerto. The top violinist presents himself as always in a virtuoso and approachable manner.

Bamberg Symphony Orchestra

Yaniv Dinur joins his NBSO colleagues for a performance of Brahms’s colossal Piano Quintet, one of the cornerstones of the chamber repertoire. A charming Trio by Philipp Scharwenka and Bohuslav Martinů’s riveting Duo No. 1 for Violin and Cello round out a program ablaze with heavenly inspiration.

Galaxy

St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

Concertmaster Calin Ovidiu Lupanu and pianist Phillip Bush join forces to perform Mendelssohn’s Double Concerto – a Romantic masterpiece.

Charlotte Symphony: Mendelssohn's Double Concerto

Levine Center for the Arts

Join the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra as we present Echoes and discover how music that tells the stories of our past affects our present and future.

WHCO Concert: “Echoes"

Fort Washington Collegiate Church

»To play without passion is unforgivable.« Beethoven famously said – and under the spirited conducting of Jakub Hrůša, emotionally moving concerts happen regularly. In this programme, we delve into the depths of two moving pieces: We start with Beethoven’s last piano concerto, with which he opened the door wide for the incipient Romantic period. He wrote this popular masterpiece at a time of unfavourable circumstances, when Vienna was occupied by the Napoleonic troops. It was premiered in 1811 and features revolutionary, upbeat passages as well as a rich variety of complex emotions. As soloist we welcome the young South Korean artist Seong-Jin Cho, one of the most remarkable pianists of his generation. Our Chief Conductor is always in his element with Martinů’s colourful pieces. He has loved the visionary power of this composer since his childhood and is now President of the International Martinů Circle. The composer was an exceptionally prolific man – and with the Symphony No. 4 we are interpreting one of his impressive instrumental masterpieces: it was written in exile in America in 1945 and reflects his joy over the end of the war as well as his longing for his homeland with folkloristic episodes. Martinů’s Fourth is one of those fascinating pieces that fulfils what Jakub Hrůša once said about the appeal of his Czech compatriot: »It’s wonderful to play Martinů. He is one of those composers who speak directly to everyone – musicians and audience alike. As soon as you put his music on the programme, it’s a success.«

Jakub Hrůša, Seong-Jin Cho

The programme and performers for this concert of young competition winners will be announced during the season following the results of these competitions and discussions around programming.

Last season, the Greek flutist Stathis Karapanos recorded an album with the Prague Philharmonia for the prestigious Warner Classics label. It features the complete repertoire for flute and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki, a leading figure of Polish music in recent decades. Karapanos will perform one of these works, Sinfonietta for Flute and String Orchestra, on the fourth evening of Orchestral Series A under the direction of Polish conductor Łukasz Borowicz. 

Mozart. Penderecki. Gluck. Martinů

Revered across the globe for its richness of timbre, infectious passion and intuitive rapport, the Pavel Haas Quartet is firmly established as one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. It performs at the world’s most prestigious venues, including Wigmore Hall, London; Philharmonie and Konzerthaus, Berlin; Musikverein, Vienna; Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg; Concertgebouw and Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam; Tonhalle, Zürich; Théâtre de la Ville, Paris; Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome; BOZAR, Brussels; NCPA, Beijing; LG Arts Centre, Seoul; and Carnegie Hall, New York. In the 2023-24 season, the Quartet returns to Wigmore Hall, Rudolfinum Prague, Teatro La Fenice, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Göteborgs Konserthus, National Concert Hall Dublin, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam and Philharmonie Luxembourg.

Malvern Concert Club: Pavel Haas Quartet

Forum Theatre

Meet the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra's musicians in smaller ensembles when they play works they have chosen themselves because they are close to their hearts.



This season we start a collaboration with our good neighbor on the waterfront in Aalborg, the Utzon Center, and move two of the concerts over there to the Obelske Auditorium. Tickets for these two concerts are sold from the Utzon Center.

Romanticism and jazz

Utzon Center

Start your musical journey this January with Janáček's immensely popular tragicomedy, The Cunning Little Vixen. With short and pithy symphonic pantomime sections, inventively orchestrated to give each character their own rhythmic motif, this folksy suite is laden with lush harmony and a mood firmly drenched in nature and love.

BBC NOW - Folk Tales & Fabled Love

Brangwyn Hall

Start your musical journey this January with Janáček’s immensely popular tragicomedy The Cunning Little Vixen. With short and pithy symphonic pantomime sections, inventively orchestrated to give each character their own rhythmic motif, this folksy suite is laden with lush harmony and a mood firmly drenched in nature and love.

Folk Tales & Fabled Love

Wales Millennium Centre

The immensely popular cellist Laura van der Heijden returns to BBC NOW with a performance of Martinů’s athletic and folky, yet expressively impassioned Cello Concerto, before conductor Antony Hermus turns puppet-master in Stravinsky’s Petrushka. Petrushka, the rebellious jester falls in love with a Ballerina who falls in love with the Moor in this fated folk story, with the dancing and despairingly flailing puppet cleverly wound into action by Stravinsky’s ingenious rhythm and orchestration.

Composer

Bohuslav Martinů

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 10 - Mar 23, 2026

Jakub Hrůša, Julia Hagen · Bamberger Symphoniker

Feb 7, 2026

Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra · Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Feb 11, 2026

4. Chamber Music Concert · Staatsorchester Stuttgart

Feb 14, 2026

Conductors Chorus – Katrina Keat, conductor (Doctoral Recital) · Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

Feb 16, 2026

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto · Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra

Past events

Feb 4, 2026

Duos and Trios · Chamber Music Palisades

Feb 4, 2026

Bohemian Rhapsodies · London Philharmonic Orchestra

About

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