Composer

Pianist

Join Inspector Pulse for a hilarious musical adventure! When the Inspector discovers that his new piano is full of strings, he teams up with string-playing friends to explore pizzicatos, crescendos, vibrato, and more. Comical, quizzical, and classical, this family-friendly show is perfect for kids and grown-ups alike!

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Inspector Pulse Pops a String

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

For thousands of years, the moon has inspired people to write poems and compose music about its enchanting glow! Join us as we celebrate the mysteries of the moon with music by Crumb, Beethoven, Debussy, Schoenberg, and Bruce Adolphe.

Magical Mystical Moonlight

Join distinguished composer and public radio personality Bruce Adolphe for investigations and insights into masterworks performed during the Alice Tully Hall season. Inside Chamber Music lectures are beloved by regulars and a revelation to first timers for their depth, accessibility and brilliance.

Each lecture is supported by live performance excerpts from the featured work.

Shostakovich's Quartet No. 9 in E-flat major for Strings, Op. 117

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Stravinsky's Duo Concertant

Mozart's Quartet in D major for Strings, K. 575, "Prussian"

Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, "American"

Join distinguished composer and public radio personality Bruce Adolphe for investigations and insights into masterworks performed during the Alice Tully Hall season. Inside Chamber Music lectures are beloved by regulars and a revelation to first timers for their depth, accessibility and brilliance.

Mozart's String Quintet in C major, K. 515

What can music say—can a violin order a pizza? Join us for a fantastical journey as enchanting fairy tales from around the world are brought to life through music!

Musical Fairy Tales

Harmonic Sensibility: A Look at Ravel's Piano Works

Brahms's Clarinet Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 120, No. 2

Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2

Meet the Music: Musical Fairy Tales

Richardson Auditorium

Join us for an exquisite evening of classical music with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, featuring Haydn's Quartet in B-flat major for Strings, Hob. III:78, Op. 76, No. 4, famously known as "Sunrise." This captivating performance will take place on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 6:30 pm in the intimate setting of the Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Studio at CMS.

The "Sunrise" quartet, composed by Joseph Haydn in 1797, stands as a testament to Haydn's innovative spirit and his contribution to the romantic lyricism and novel musical architecture in quartet composition. At the age of 65, Haydn's mastery in blending intricate harmonies with expressive melodies remains unparalleled, making this quartet a must-hear for enthusiasts of classical music.

The evening's program will be enriched by the insights of Bruce Adolphe, the Resident Lecturer and Director of Family Programs at CMS. With a distinguished career as a composer and educator, Adolphe's works are celebrated worldwide for their engagement with science, history, and human rights. His commentary will undoubtedly enhance your appreciation of Haydn's masterpiece.

The performance is scheduled to last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, without an intermission, ensuring a deeply immersive musical experience. This event is a unique opportunity to witness the legacy of Haydn's quartet repertoire, brought to life by the talented musicians of the Chamber Music Society.

Tickets for this event are not yet on sale but keep an eye out for updates as this is a performance you will not want to miss. Mark your calendars for an evening of sublime music at the Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Studio, located in the Rose Building at 165 West 65th Street, New York, NY 10023. Directions and more information can be found on our website.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience the beauty and brilliance of Haydn's "Sunrise" quartet, a highlight of the classical music calendar.

Haydn's Quartet in B-flat major for Strings, Hob. III:78, Op. 76, No. 4, “Sunrise"

Samuel B. & David Rose Building

Join us for a heartwarming family adventure with "Tough Turkey in the Big City" at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. This delightful performance tells the tale of Tom Turkey, an ambitious bird who ventures from the farm to discover if the big city truly is for the birds, as Farmer Brown claimed. Through fun and surprises, including an unexpected appearance in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Tom learns valuable lessons before returning to his roots.

This engaging event is set to take place on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 2:00 pm in the prestigious Alice Tully Hall. Designed to captivate children and adults alike, the performance will last for 1 hour without intermission, ensuring a perfect family outing duration.

Before the show, from 1:00 to 1:50 PM, children are invited to explore our Instrument Petting Zoo, where they can get hands-on experience with the instruments featured in the program. This unique opportunity is guided by CMS performing artists and teaching artists, allowing young attendees to immerse themselves in the world of music. Additionally, from 1:00 to 1:30 PM, the Meet the Artists booth offers a chance to interact with the performers, ask questions, and take photographs, making for an unforgettable pre-performance experience.

Please note, all attendees, including small children sitting in laps, are required to have a ticket for entry. The performance is suitable for ages 6 and up, provided they do not disrupt the enjoyment of others. Any disturbances during the show will be addressed by ushers to ensure a pleasant experience for all.

The program features the work of Bruce Adolphe, a composer of international renown, who has been the resident lecturer and director of family programs at CMS since 1992. Adolphe's compositions, which often touch on themes of science, history, and human rights, are celebrated worldwide.

Don't miss this enchanting musical journey at Alice Tully Hall, located at 1941 Broadway at W 65th St, New York, NY 10023. Secure your tickets now for a magical afternoon that promises to entertain and inspire the whole family.

Tough Turkey in the Big City

Lincoln Center

Violinist Sharon Roffman, prizewinner in the 2003 Naumburg Foundation International Competition, made her solo debut with the New Jersey Symphony in 1996. Since then, Ms. Roffman has forged a unique career distinguished by her versatility; she is equally sought after as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader and music educator.

Voices of Power

Perot Theatre

In a concert celebrating the range of the cello-piano duo repertoire, Debussy’s groundbreaking late sonata—the first truly modern work on the genre—leads seamlessly to the dreamy opening of Bruce Adolphe’s Couple, composed for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s own David Finckel and Wu Han. Mendelssohn’s Second Sonata, a masterpiece of his extensive instrumental output, is a prime example of everything we associate with Mendelssohn, from racing, virtuosic outer movements to a magical scherzo and a slow movement based on a Christian hymn.

An Evening with David Finckel and Wu Han

Harris Theater

To ensure adequate safety and capacity, all attendees for this event, regardless of age, need a ticket. This includes children that will be sitting in a guardian's lap during the performance.
What is inspiration? How do you get an idea? And when you get an idea, what do you do with it? Join the world's greatest and only private ear, Inspector Pulse, as he investigates the mysteries of musical creativity.

Inspector Pulse Asks "What's the Big Idea?"

The wacky private ear discovers that getting food stuck between your teeth is like a musical dissonance — and when you floss and brush, it is a musical resolution! But that is just the beginning of Inspector Pulse's investigation of dissonance and consonance!

Inspector Pulse Discovers Dissonance!

In his String Quartet in A-flat major, Op.105, Dvořák fuses his profound love for his country’s folk music with a technical mastery gleaned from Schubert and Brahms to create an inspired, poignant masterpiece of chamber music.

Inside Chamber Music: Dvořák’s String Quartet in A-flat major

Rose Studio

Considered a musical reactionary by some musicians in his time and declared a progressive innovator by Arnold Schönberg, Brahms saw himself as hard-working craftsman and perfectionist.

Inside Chamber Music: Brahms’s Piano Trio in C major

Renowned as the composer of 16 Hollywood film scores, including The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Sea Hawk, Erich Wolfgang Korngold — a child prodigy coincidentally named after Mozart — was also the composer of operas, concerti, orchestral works, and chamber music. His lush, melodic, and intensely romantic piano quintet, completed in 1921, goes straight to the heart — without Olivia de Haviland or Errol Flynn.

Inside Chamber Music: Korngold’s Piano Quintet in E major

Bruce Adolphe will explore how Beethoven’s last string quartet, Opus 135, was inspired by the composer’s personal experiences ranging from a humorous conversation to the tragedy of his deafness.

Inside Chamber Music: Beethoven’s String Quartet in F major, Op. 135

Composed in 1939, Bartók’s String Quartet No.6 depicts a profound sorrow that gradually overwhelms a series of attempts to break free from its clutches. Typically, Bartók creates a unique compositional structure that serves his powerful artistic vision in a work that speaks for humanity in a deeply personal manner.

Inside Chamber Music: Bartók’s String Quartet No. 6

A work of poignant beauty, Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor is rich in exquisite melodies and lush harmonies. It’s time to rediscover the sumptuous sonic world of one of America’s great romantics.

Inside Chamber Music: Beach's Piano Quintet

A haunting, chilling masterpiece, Prokofiev’s Sonata No.1 in F Minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 80 conveys the dread and despair of living in Stalin’s Soviet Union. 

Inside Chamber Music: Prokofiev’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor

Discover the passionate, lyrical romantic music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912), whose cantata Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast was as popular as Handel’s Messiah in England during the early 20th century. Join Bruce Adolphe for a close look at Coleridge-Taylor’s stirring piano quintet in G minor.

Inside Chamber Music: Coleridge-Taylor’s Piano Quintet in G minor

Composer, author, lecturer, and performer Bruce Adolphe, also known as the Piano Puzzler on public radio, has created a substantial body of musical works inspired by science, visual arts, and human rights. Join us for a memorable afternoon with Bruce and friends to support and uplift working-class and immigrant communities through this benefit concert for We Are CASA.

Communities Rising: A We Are CASA Benefit Concert

Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space

Mozart's Quintet in A major for Clarinet, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, K. 581

C.P.E. Bach's Fantasia in F-sharp minor for Violin and Harpsichord, H. 536

Tchaikovsky's Quartet No. 1 in D major for Strings, Op. 11

Brahms's Sonata No. 2 in F major for Cello and Piano, Op. 99

Grieg's Quartet in G minor for Strings, Op. 27

Mozart's Quartet in D minor for Strings, K. 421

Mozart's Fantasia in C minor for Piano, K. 475

Introduce your children to the fundamentals of classical music in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Host Bruce Adolphe guides families through engaging musical journeys, featuring his well-known character Inspector Pulse, the world's greatest and only "private ear."

At a music school led by robot teachers, the students play accurately but with no emotion. Inspector Pulse saves the day, coaching a trio of piano, cello, and clarinet students in how to bring real feeling into their performances of Chopin, Fauré, Poulenc, and Brahms.

Inspector Pulse Goes Once More With Feeling

Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik returns to CMS after an absence of 28 seasons, in the company of recent works paying tribute to this famous piece. Mozart’s skill in serenade composing is revealed in his Serenata notturna, preceded by another masterpiece less frequently performed on major concert stages: Pachelbel’s ingenious Canon, together with its sparkling Gigue. Boccherini provides acrobatics for guitar and strings, and Aaron Jay Kernis ends the program with his own unashamedly crowd-pleasing guitar quintet.

Greatest Hits

Introduce your children to the fundamentals of classical music in a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Plunge into an underwater world shaped by music, poetry, and striking ocean imagery. Meet fun sea creatures from a playful pufferfish to a giant octopus, all brought to life in Bruce Adolphe's narration and music (featuring a chamber ensemble with piano, strings, winds, and percussion).

Composer, Pianist

Bruce Adolphe

Events

Upcoming events

Jun 21, 2026

Communities Rising: A We Are CASA Benefit Concert · Symphony Space

Oct 28, 2026

Mozart's Quintet in A major for Clarinet, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, K. 581 · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Nov 4, 2026

C.P.E. Bach's Fantasia in F-sharp minor for Violin and Harpsichord, H. 536 · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Nov 4, 2026

C.P.E. Bach's Fantasia in F-sharp minor for Violin and Harpsichord, H. 536 · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Nov 11, 2026

Tchaikovsky's Quartet No. 1 in D major for Strings, Op. 11 · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Past events

Apr 26, 2026

Inspector Pulse Pops a String · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Mar 15, 2026

Magical Mystical Moonlight · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Future and recently performed repertoire

Piano in Clarinet Trio by Brahms

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Clarinet Sonata by Poulenc

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Après un Rêve by Fauré

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major by Brahms

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581 by Mozart

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Fantasia in F-sharp minor, H.536 by Bach

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Quartet No. 1 in D major for Strings by Tchaikovsky

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Fantasia in F-sharp minor for Violin and Harpsichord, H. 536 by Bach

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Quartet No. 1 in D major for Strings by Tchaikovsky

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Quartet in G minor for Strings by Grieg

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Quartet in D minor for Strings, K. 421 by Mozart

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Fantasia in C minor for Piano, K. 475 by Mozart

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Piano in Prelude No. 4 in E minor by Chopin

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

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