Violist

Béla Bartók’s music synthesized complex and nuanced techniques with direct and expressive settings of Eastern European folk music. In this Inside Pitch we explore how Bartók went from humble beginnings to become one of the greatest ethnomusicologists, pianists, and composers in the history of music.

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Festival Monday

Saint Michael's College

On this powerful program, eight acclaimed wind players—including Minnesota Orchestra Principal Oboe Nathan Hughes and Cleveland Orchestra Principal Horn Nathaniel Silberschlag—come together to play Mozart’s earliest masterpiece for wind ensemble, the Serenade, K.375, and violinist William Hagen leads an all-star ensemble in Brahms’s Piano Quintet, which one of the composer’s contemporaries, conductor Hermann Levi, described as “beautiful beyond words.”

Mozart & Brahms Masterworks

New Mexico Museum of Art

Telemann’s lyrical expressiveness, Zelenka’s harmonic inventiveness, and Vivaldi’s pyrotechnics are all on display in this program of Baroque riches, which culminates with Bach’s immortal Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. The evening’s celebrated soloists include violinist William Hagen, violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, National Symphony Orchestra Principal Bassoon Sue Heineman, and Nashville Symphony Principal Trumpet William Leathers. 

Bach, Telemann & Zelenka

Pianist Julius Drake joins horn player Nathaniel Silberschlag and violinist William Hagen in treasured works by Schumann and Beethoven, which provide a lyrical and emotive frame for Schoenberg’s fiendishly difficult String Trio, performed here by violinist Leila Josefowicz, violist Milena-Pajaro-van de Stadt, and cellist Paul Watkins. 

Schumann & Beethoven

The dramatic dynamism of the duo form is spotlighted in the first half of this program, which features two vastly different works: Mozart’s perfectly crafted Duo in G Major, performed by violinist William Hagen and violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, and Kodály’s thrilling and demanding Duo for Violin and Cello, played by Leila Josefowicz and Paul Watkins. Mozart is featured again in the second half, as his exquisite Clarinet Quintet showcases the soaring artistry of clarinetist David Shifrin and the Escher String Quartet. 

Mozart Clarinet Quintet

TSM presents Voices Within

The Royal Conservatory of Music

Faculty Artists Series

Meadowmount School of Music

Viola Masterclass with Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt

A unique collaboration between outstanding young musicians and an expert on the music of J.S. Bach, the Gamut Bach Ensemble prides itself on stylistically sensitive, earnest, and insightful performances. Returning for its 10th PCMS appearance, the Ensemble, directed by Koji Otsuki, embarks on its annual program of cantatas in the luminous Church of the Holy Trinity.

Gamut Bach Ensemble

Church of the Holy Trinity

Acclaimed violinist and Curtis faculty member Benjamin Beilman (’12) joins former Dover Quartet violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt (Viola ’10, ’11), award-winning cellist Oliver Herbert (’19), and emerging professional artists from Curtis for a North American tour. This phenomenal sextet of distinguished Curtis faculty and alumni, alongside exceptionally gifted young musicians, presents an electrifying concert of curated selections, both old and new. The program includes Richard Strauss’s masterful Sextet from his final opera Capriccio, Berg’s colorful and chromatic Piano Sonata in B minor, Brahms’s exhilarating String Sextet No. 2 in G major, and a new work by Alyssa Weinberg commissioned for this tour.

Curtis on Tour in Bradenton, FL

State College of Florida - SCF Bradenton

Curtis on Tour in Evanston, IL

Nichols Concert Hall

Curtis on Tour in Phoenix, AZ

Desert Botanical Garden

ASU Kerr

Curtis on Tour in Davis, CA

University of California, Davis

Curtis presents an evening with acclaimed violinist and Curtis faculty member Benjamin Beilman (’12), former Dover Quartet violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt (’10, ’11, ’14), award-winning cellist Oliver Herbert (’19), and emerging professional artists from Curtis for the memorable evening of chamber music. This phenomenal ensemble presents Richard Strauss’s richly scored Sextet from his luminous final opera Capriccio, Alban Berg’s colorful and chromatic transcription of his Piano Sonata in B minor, Johannes Brahms’s ethereal String Sextet No. 2 in G major, and a newly commissioned work composed by Curtis alumna Alyssa Weinberg (’16). 

String Sextets

Curtis Institute of Music Lenfest Hall

Curtis on Tour in Fort Worth, TX

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

The splendor of piano and strings explores Gershwin’s jazzy brilliance to Schumann’s lush romanticism, with miniature musical delights in between. This special and diverse concert promises to enthrall you on CMSPB’s celebratory gala evening.

Celebrating Gershwin to Schumann

Norton Museum of Art

2024 Winter Festival Concert 6

Benaroya Hall

2024 Winter Festival Concert 5

2024 Winter Festival Concert 4

For more than 50 years, music lovers from around the world have come together to be uplifted by the New York String Orchestra’s (NYSO) December concerts. This Christmas Eve performance offers the timeless inspiration of an all-Mozart program. Featured soloists include two notable NYSO alums: violinist Bella Hristova, “a player of impressive power and natural command” (The Washington Post); and violist Milena Pajaro–van de Stadt, known for her “lyricism … silky tone and beautiful, supple lines” (The Strad).

New York String Orchestra

Carnegie Hall

Wonderful piano quartets of Mozart, Mendelssohn & Schumann with chamber stars Polonsky, Laredo, Pajaro-van de Stadt, and Robinson

ESPRESSIVO! Piano Quartet

Washington Irving Campus

The Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective is a “sparky, shape-shifting ensemble of starry young musicians” (Arts Desk) that serves as the Associate Ensemble of London’s Wigmore Hall. Their PCMS debut features the Philadelphia premiere of Gabriella Smith’s Divertimento and Florence Price’s Piano Quintet in A Minor, a long-overlooked masterwork that celebrates Price’s African American heritage with echoes of spirituals and hymns.

Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

The festival concludes with a celebration of Vienna’s most accomplished composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Arnold Schoenberg and Erich Korngold were among the great wave of artists who fled Europe’s wars to settle in the United States. The traditions of the Viennese masters continue to be passed down to young American composers such as Alistair Coleman, an alum of LCCMF’s Young Composer Seminar.

Concert IV: Viennese Legacy

While our Festival Artists are among the world’s great chamber ensemble musicians, they can also dazzle as soloists!  All ages are invited to the hour-long performance, where adults and children can learn about the possibilities and range of each of these instruments in the hands of these virtuosos!

Second Saturday

Titus Underwood, the Principal Oboist of the Nashville Symphony, will explore the aesthetics of Black artistry in classical music. He will share the experience of making his film, A Tale of Two Tails, and discuss how the legacy of Black artistry has influenced culture at large. This presentation will include recordings of works by Black composers such as William Grant Still, James Lee III, and Florence Price.

Concert III: Vienna's Masters

Go behind the scenes as our 2023 Young Composers hear their compositions played for the first time by our festival artists. This interactive session, hosted by our Resident Composer, David Ludwig, will give a glimpse into the creative process of bringing a new composition to life.

Festival Tuesday

Cathedral Church of St. Paul

2023 Summer Festival 5

2023 Summer Festival 7

2023 Summer Festival 6

To honor the man and the musician, FIU 's Artist-in-Residence Ensemble, the Amernet String Quartet, together with violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, pianist Anton Nel, and cellist Bion Tsang, will perform a two-night chamber music extravaganza of duos, quartets, quintets, and sextets.

FIU Music Festival 2022: All-Brahms: From The Wertheim to New World, Night One

Florida International University

The Dover Quartet joins forces with the Escher String Quartet for a unique concert experience.

The Dover Quartet and Escher String Quartet

Soka Performing Arts Center

January 31, 2025

February 1, 2025

Dive into Schubert’s beloved Trout Quintet paired with a hidden gem of trailblazer Louise Ferranc. The richness of piano and strings is showcased in two masterpieces of resounding brilliance.

Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt

Violist

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 31, 2025

January 31, 2025 · Seattle Chamber Music Society

Feb 1, 2025

February 1, 2025 · Seattle Chamber Music Society

Apr 24, 2025

Schubert's Trout Quintet: Masterworks Revealed and Revisited · Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach

Past events

Aug 19, 2024

Festival Monday · Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival

Aug 12, 2024

Mozart & Brahms Masterworks · Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival

Future and recently performed repertoire

Viola in String Sextet No. 2 by Brahms

Seattle Chamber Music Society

Viola in Piano Quartet No. 2 by Mozart

People's Symphony Concerts

Viola in Piano Quartet No. 1 by Dvořák

Seattle Chamber Music Society

viola in String Octet in C major by Enescu

Seattle Chamber Music Society

Viola in Piano Quartet No. 1 by Fauré

Seattle Chamber Music Society

Viola in Piano Quartet by Schumann

People's Symphony Concerts

Viola in Piano Quintet by Korngold

Seattle Chamber Music Society

Viola in Piano Quartet in D minor by Walton

Seattle Chamber Music Society

Viola in Concert for Violin, Piano and String Quartet by Chausson

Seattle Chamber Music Society

Viola in Piano Quartet No.1 by Mendelssohn

People's Symphony Concerts

Viola in Viola Concerto in G major by Telemann

Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival

Violin in Sonata for Viola and Piano by Clarke

Seattle Chamber Music Society

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