Insider interview with Jumaane Smith

Baruch Performing Arts Center is in the final stretch of its wide-ranging 2024-25 concert season. On May 16, 2025 at 7:30 pm, jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and composer Jumaane Smith brings his quartet to the hall David Letterman once called "delightful." Smith has performed on 5 GRAMMY-winning records (selling more than 60 million copies), 2 Emmy-nominated TV performances, the GRAMMY Awards with Stevie Wonder, in Steven Spielberg’s "West Side Story," and more. For the last 18 years, he's toured with Michael Bublé as lead trumpeter and featured vocalist.

In this insider interview, we spoke to Smith about studying with Wynton Marsalis, working with legendary artists, and more.

Tell us a bit about your early musical experiences, growing up in Seattle. How did that inform the musician you are today?

My early musical experiences not only shaped the musician I am today, but it’s safe to say that it shaped the person I’ve become and provided refuge at a time when it was most needed. There was a strong musical community in Seattle, particularly where jazz is concerned. My high school had an incredible jazz program and that is how I found the trumpet, and a passion that was much needed during some difficult times.

You went on to study under Wynton Marsalis with a full scholarship to Juilliard’s jazz studies program. What was the biggest lesson you learned studying with him?

Wynton was one of those teachers – very tough, but in the best way. I learned discipline, for sure. There’s no putting into words the level of craft that he showed me as well.

They say don’t meet your heroes, but with the list of names you’ve performed with - including Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Aretha Franklin – it’s possible that you have had this experience many of times. How do you prepare for something like that?

The best thing I can say is the best way to prepare for something like that is…to prepare! Nothing impresses people more than showing respect for their work. I remember coming to a rehearsal with Stevie Wonder and he was sure we were going to need a long rehearsal to get the music right. The musicians came so prepared that we went through it once and he was so surprised to say we were ready!

How would you describe the style of your own projects and compositions? Who are your influences?

I enjoy playing so many styles of music, but my 2024 album, “Come on Home,” comprised mostly of my original tunes, has a souljazz and funk sound, with a good dose of the blues. That’s what I’m feeling right now and I’m getting some great feedback on it. I love to listen to a wide range of artists but I’ll stick with the ones you might expect for my main influences! Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles…

Baruch PAC presents jazz trumpeter/vocalist Jumaane Smith

Baruch Performing Arts Center presents acclaimed trumpeter/vocalist Jumaane Smith, long-time band member and featured soloist of Michael Bublé, on May 16

Concert marks return of Baruch PAC's Milt Hinton Concert Series

Baruch's season concludes on May 19 with classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang

Baruch Performing Arts Center is in the final stretch of its wide-ranging 2024-25 concert season. On May 16, 2025 at 7:30 pm, jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and composer Jumaane Smith brings his quartet to the hall David Letterman once called "delightful." Baruch PAC's concert season concludes just a few days later with classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang on May 19.

Smith has performed on 5 GRAMMY-winning records (selling more than 60 million copies), 2 Emmy-nominated TV performances, the GRAMMY Awards with Stevie Wonder, in Steven Spielberg’s "West Side Story," and more. For the last 18 years, he's toured with Michael Bublé as lead trumpeter and featured vocalist. He's also brought his own band to Jazz At Lincoln Center, Birdland Jazz Club, and many other world-renowned venues

He has worked with musical legends such as Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Christian McBride, Barbra Streisand, Alicia Keys, Jon Batiste, Kamasi Washington, and Theo Croker. As a full scholarship recipient at the Juilliard School of Music’s Jazz Studies program, Wynton Marsalis was Smith’s primary trumpet teacher. 

This concert marks the return of Baruch PAC's Milt Hinton Memorial Concerts since the pandemic, recognizing the legacy of renowned jazz bassist and longtime Baruch faculty member Milt Hinton. Tickets are $40 general admission, available here.

Winds and Harp: Ravel and His World

Sylvan Winds celebrates Ravel's 150th birthday at historic Eglise St. Jean Baptiste in NYC

"Winds and Harp: Ravel and his World" program on April 29 with guest harpist Kristi Shade features music by Ravel, Faure, Debussy, and more

Final concert of wind quintet's 2024-25 season

On April 29, 2025 at 7:30 pm the Sylvan Winds, hailed by the New York Times for their "adventuresome programming and stylishness of performance," celebrate the 150th birthday of Maurice Ravel with a concert featuring guest harpist Kristi Shade at Eglise St. Jean Baptiste (184 East 76th Street). A ticketed reception follows the concert. Program and ticket details are here.

"Winds and Harp: Ravel and His World" is the finale of the quintet's 2024-25 season. The program is book-ended by Ravel's Menuet Antique and Le Tombeau de Couperin, and features music by his contemporaries Gabriel Faure, Claude Debussy, Henry Tomasi, and Jean Françaix plus a work by François Couperin. The program takes place at Eglise St. Jean Baptiste, which is considered to be one of the country's most beautiful churches and is included in the National Registry of Historic Buildings.

Over 45 years ago, artistic director Svjetlana Kabalin joined forces with her colleagues to form what has become one of the most long-lived wind quintets in the country. The Sylvan Winds have performed under the auspices of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, and venues across the globe. They have recorded for Koch Classics, CRI/New World, North/South, and Albany record labels, enjoyed collaborations with such distinguished artists as Gerard Schwarz, Ransom Wilson and the Guarneri String Quartet, and commissioned dozens of works.

The Sylvan Winds perform in important historic and cultural New York City buildings. Each of the group's imaginative and informative programs reflects the environs of each unique performance space.

Harpist Kristi Shade is one of the preeminent emerging harpists in the industry. She is the Principal Harpist with The Chamber Orchestra of New York, and a member of the flute-viola-harp trio, Hat Trick, and the harp duo, Duo Scorpio. She is a frequent performer with The Knights, On Site Opera, Talea Ensemble and American Modern Ensemble.

Calendar Listing

Tuesday, April 29 at 7:30 pm

Sylvan Winds with harpist Kristi Shade
Winds and Harp: Ravel and His World

Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
184 East 76th Street (at Lexington Avenue), New York, NY

Tickets: $30 general ($40 priority; $25 seniors/students)
Concert plus reception tickets: $85-$250 available at SylvanWinds.com

Program

Maurice Ravel: Menuet Antique
Gabriel Faure: Après un Rêve
Claude Debussy: Petite Pièce
Henry Tomasi: Cinq Danses Profane et Sacré
Jean Françaix: Quatuor pour Flûte, Hautbois, Clarinette et Basson
François Couperin: Concert Royal No. 4
Maurice Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin

Sylvan Winds
Amir Farsi, flute; Kathy Halvorson, oboe; Nuno Antunes, clarinet; Gina Cuffari, bassoon; Zohar Schondorf, horn; Special Guest Kristi Shade, harp

Program subject to change

Fiddler Mark O'Connor with Vega String Quartet at Carnegie

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April 25: Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta presents "Beethoven & Bluegrass" at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

Featuring Vega Quartet with Grammy award-winning fiddlers Mark and Maggie O'Connor

Award-winning string quartet joins renowned fiddlers for an evening of Beethoven, bluegrass duos, and original music by Mark O'Connor

On April 25, 7:30 pm, at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Mark and Maggie O'Connor join the Vega Quartet for "Beethoven & Bluegrass." The concert is presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta.

The genre-blending program features the Vega Quartet (Emory University's String Quartet-in-Residence) performing Beethoven's String Quartet No. 11, Op. 95 and Mark O'Connor's String Quartet No. 2 "Bluegrass."

About his quartet, O'Connor says: "From the bouncy bluegrass vocal-like melodies, to the blistering fast hot licks, to the rhythmic bow “chopping” to the gospel yearnings of the slow movement, I wanted to comprehensively dive down deep into the strains of this music. I wanted to further discover what this American musical art form means to string playing."

Mark and Maggie O'Connor take the stage to play bluegrass duos for the second half of the concert, which concludes with all six musicians performing Mark's famous "Appalachia Waltz." That work's recording with O'Connor, Yo Yo Ma, and bassist Edgar Meyer sold over one million copies.

"Beethoven & Bluegrass" with Mark and Maggie O'Connor and the Vega Quartet takes place at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall (154 West 57th Street) on Friday, April 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $50, available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh. The concert is presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta with generous support from Sheila and Jon Davies and Dr. John and Linda Cooke.

Friday, April 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

Beethoven & Bluegrass
with Mark and Maggie O'Connor and the Vega Quartet

presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
154 West 57th Street, New York, NY

Tickets are $60 ($50 + $10 fee) and are available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh

Mark O’Connor, Violin, Guitar and Mandolin
Maggie O’Connor, Violin and Vocals
The Vega Quartet (Emily Daggett Smith, Violin; Jessica Shuang Wu, Violin; Joseph Skerik, Viola; Guang Wang, Cello)

PROGRAM

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95
Mark O'Connor: String Quartet No. 2 "Bluegrass"
The Vega Quartet

Various/Trad.: Bluegrass Selections (to be announced from stage)
Mark and Maggie O'Connor

Mark O'Connor: Appalachia Waltz
Mark and Maggie O'Connor; The Vega Quartet

Insider interview with Grammy award winning fiddler Mark O'Connor

On April 25, the three-time Grammy-award winning multi-instrumentalist Mark O’Connor brings his “Beethoven and Bluegrass” program to Carnegie Hall. Joining him onstage are the Vega Quartet and bluegrass musician Maggie O’Connor. The Vega Quartet performs Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 95 and O’Connor’s String Quartet No. 2; Mark and Maggie play bluegrass duos; and all six string players come together to play O’Connor’s famous “Appalachia Waltz.”

We spoke to him about this special program, composing a modern-day classic, and so much more. Tickets to the April 25 concert at Carnegie Hall, presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, available here.

You’re well known as a fiddler, and you’re also a composer of concert music. Tell us a bit about your training. Which genre came first and how do you balance the two?  

This answer will be nearly as complex as your question! In brief, I began with classical guitar instruction at six and studied in this manner until adding fiddle instruction five years later at age 11. I delved into all of the bluegrass instruments as a multi-instrumentalist at that time, including the change from classical finger-style on a nylon-string guitar, to steel-string with a flat-pick. By age 14, I added jazz music studies and began to compose progressive string band type music. After stints with great internationally-known instrumental bands and a session-playing career in Nashville on the fiddle, guitar and mandolin, I returned to the classical music setting for my compositional output wholeheartedly. I composed string quartets, trios, duos, solos, piano trios, orchestral symphonies, suites, nine concertos and more.

How does Beethoven fit into the “Beethoven and Bluegrass” program? That is, how is his music complementary to bluegrass music?

The 11th string quartet (Op. 95) by Beethoven will be performed, as well as my own 2nd string quartet subtitled “bluegrass.” These two pieces will make up half of the program, performed by the wonderful Vega Quartet. The connection of Beethoven to bluegrass music here is principally through my string quartet compositions—with Beethoven being the key inspiration to my own quartet writing even though my music is wholly American music. Mine takes the form of a new style and sound that listeners will not have heard before, but its compositional complexity in form, texture and characteristic setting makes for a remarkable pairing that surprises most everyone by how well it works. To this day, it even surprises me frankly as we’ve repeated the program many times because audiences have loved this unique offering. Rather than a classical music style of string-playing that Beethoven’s music demands, my quartet music compels the musicians to utilize a modernistic musical language and playing techniques that I uncover from my own progressive bluegrass music experiences. This kind of playing instructs my themes and development in the compositions. Audiences pick up on an exciting contrast that exists across 200 years and 2 continents, played by exactly the same four instruments.

Part of this program features you performing duos with your wife Maggie. What are the challenges (and rewards!) of performing as a duo, without a band?  

The duo with my wife Maggie is something we’ve been honing since we met 10 years ago. It first began with just the two fiddles performing my duo compositions. We created an electrifying blend on the originals and for my arrangements of American classics. Given our predisposition for musical exploration, we began to reach further within our duo setting, and this was the challenge you ask about. We wanted to keep growing the duo. We added back into the picture my guitar and mandolin playing I had ignored for years. Then we began to sing more. Maggie’s is an authentic Americana story-telling voice, so it inspired me to write more music. Not just string music but vocal songs. Maggie even plays hand percussion on one of our tunes, and her percussive “chopping” on the violin feels like a whole rhythm section when I solo. We’ve quite literally created a full band out of our duo in performance. For us and our audiences, it is quite the musical journey we’ve taken together across these last ten years. We just kept reaching for more.

The program ends with you and Maggie joining forces with the Vega Quartet for your work “Appalachia Waltz.” This piece is your timeless modern-day classic you composed for Yo-Yo Ma. You must have played this one a thousand times by now.

Likely more than that. “Appalachia Waltz” is now 30-years-old, and I don’t doubt I’ve performed it a hundred times a year. So try three-thousand times! Yo-Yo himself may have played it a thousand times by now! He loves to play this music. Yes, it is extremely lucky that my most famous piece, is also my favorite to play. With composers and songwriters, it is sometimes not the case! But for me, it’s special each time. There is a sense of mystery or intrigue about the music that people pick up on. Where is it coming from, is a common response I think. It sounds to some like a modern-day spiritual. And I think there is a bridge that connects, because you can’t help but feel both nostalgic and optimistic at the same time. It’s quite a splendid moment to hear the Vega string quartet join us for this rendition in the program. Sometimes we’ll comment on how emotional it makes us feel. But most of the time, we just let the music fill the air and see the audience welcome what they hear and take this sensitivity home with them.

Pianist Orli Shaham: on tour with Gil, Mozart in Ohio, and more

Pianist Orli Shaham on tour with her brother Gil Shaham

Mozart concerto with Columbus Symphony

East Coast recitals with violinist Deborah Buck, chamber music with Pacific Symphony, and more

A week with Gil Shaham

In April, Orli Shaham goes on tour with her brother Gil Shaham. Both musicians have incredibly busy careers of their own, and these concerts are a rare occurrence to see the two in recital together. The repertoire is part of Orli's ongoing project "The Clara Effect," which celebrates the lasting impact of Clara Schumann as a composer, performer, and influencer. This program features music by Clara alongside her husband Robert Schumann and their close friends Johannes Brahms and Amanda Meier. 

Concerts are April 3 in Madison, WI (University of Wisconsin), April 5 in Aliso Viejo, CA (SOKA Performing Arts Center), and April 6 in La Jolla, CA (La Jolla Chamber Music Society). Also, the Shahams will tape a special "siblings" episode of NPR's From the Top, (for which Orli is Co-Host and Creative) which will be broadcast nationwide this spring.

Orli Shaham joins the violinist Deborah Buck, who has been praised by The Strad as having a “surpassing degree of imagination and vibrant sound,” for recitals on the east coast.

On April 13, an 11 am Sunday morning performance on the Gather NYC series is another "Clara Effect" program, with works by Clara Schumann, Beethoven, Amanda Meier and William Grant Still. On April 27 at 2 pm, Shaham and Buck head to Connecticut for a performance of music by Beethoven, Dvorak and Franck at the Westport Library presented by Orchestra Lumos. May 11 at 2 pm and 4 pm brings a special free Mother's Day program to Bargemusic at its new location: Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse, 10 Montague Street in Brooklyn, NY. On the program, music by Dvořák, Clara Schumann, Beethoven, William Grant Still, and Gerardo Matos Rodríguez.

Mozart with Columbus Symphony

This weekend, March 14 and 15, Orli Shaham heads to Ohio for a performance with the Colmbus Symphony. The all-Mozart program features Shaham performing the composer's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 with conductor Rossen Milanov. As she continues to celebrate Clara Schumann and her legacy, Shaham performs the Mozart with Schumann's own cadenza, as she did with a recent performance of the work with the Princeton Symphony.

A limited edition box set of Orli Shaham's complete Mozart piano sonatas is available on Canary Classics.

Cafe Ludwig

On May 4, Shaham returns to Pacific Symphony to close out her 17th season as curator, host, and pianist of the Cafe Ludwig chamber music series. The program features Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp, and Reena Esmail's The Light is The Same, a beautiful exploration of cross-cultural dialogue that The Washington Post described as “the musical equivalent of translucent silk, rustling in a gentle breeze.”

This winter, Shaham was in the studio with musicians from Pacific Symphony to record a series of world premieres by American composers, including this work by Reena Esmail, that will be featured on an album released by the symphony later this year. Stay tuned for details!

For your Listening Pleasure

Orli Shaham was a featured guest on violinist Noa Kageyama's podcast "Bulletproof Musician." The conversation covered a range of topics, especially relevant for student musicians, including overcoming setbacks, learning to trust the process, the real benefit of recording yourself, and cultivating confidence. Watch the hour-long conversation in full here, or stream wherever you get your podcasts.

Van Cliburn gold medalist Yekwon Sunwoo in recital

Van Cliburn Gold Medal Winner Yekwon Sunwoo performs at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

May 2 recital includes music by Clara and Robert Schumann, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff

Presented by Korea Mecenat Association and Korea Music Foundation

On May 2 at 7:30 pm, the pianist Yekwon Sunwoo performs at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall. The program includes Rachmaninoff's "Moments Musicaux," a Chopin Barcarolle, Robert Schumann's Fantasy in C Major, and Clara Schumann's "Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann."

Yekwon Sunwoo is the first Korean gold medalist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which he won in 2017. Since then, he has gone on to perform with major symphony orchestras in Europe, Asia and the United States, and performed in recital at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Elphilharmonie, among others. He is an avid chamber musician, collaborating with Gary Hoffman, Anne-Marie McDermott and the Jerusalem and Brentano Quartets. His discography includes recordings on Decca Universal Music Korea and Decca Gold.

The concert on Friday, May 2, 2025 at 7:30 pm is presented by the Korea Mecenat Association and Korea Music Foundation, at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall (154 West 57th Street in New York City). Tickets start at $70 ($60 + $10 fee) and are available at CarnegieHall.org, CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh.

Calendar Listing

Friday, May 2, 2025 at 7:30 pm

Pianist Yekwon Sunwoo
presented by Korea Mecenat Association and Korea Music Foundation

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
154 West 57th Street
New York, NY

Tickets start at $70 ($60 + $10 fee) and are available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh

PROGRAM
Robert Schumann: Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17
Frédéric Chopin: Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
Clara Schumann: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Moments Musicaux

Yekwon Sunwoo Biography

Yekwon Sunwoo has been hailed for his “unfailingly consistent excellence” (International Piano) and celebrated as "a pianist who commands a comprehensive technical arsenal that allows him to thunder without breaking a sweat" (Chicago Tribune). A powerful and virtuosic performer, he also, in his own words, "strives to reach for the truth and pure beauty in music.”

The first Korean Gold medallist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Yekwon's 24/25 season includes appearances with Ann Arbor Symphony, New York Classical Players, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Armenian Symphony as well as recitals at the University of Michigan, Bechstein Hall and Carnegie Hall.

Recent highlights include concertos with the Macao, Kalamazoo & Victoria Symphonies, Slovak Philharmonic, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris as well as a US tour with the Esme String Quartet.

In previous seasons, he has performed as a soloist with the Munich Philharmonic and Valery Gergiev, Royal Danish Orchestra with Thomas Søndergard, Fort Worth and Tucson Symphonies, Washington Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, National Orchestra of Belgium, Sendai Philharmonic and Royal Scottish National Orchestra amongst others. Recital appearances include Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie, Salle Cortot, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and a tour of Japan.

An avid chamber musician, Yekwon's collaborators include Clara Jumi Kang, Sebastian Bohren, Benjamin Beilman, Linus Roth, Andrei lonita, Sebastian Bohren, lsang Enders, Tobias Feldmann, Gary Hoffman, Anne-Marie McDermott and the Jerusalem and Brentano Quartets. He has also toured Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama with the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation and performed at Chamber Music of Lincoln Center's Inside Chamber Music Lectures.

In addition to the Cliburn Gold Medal, Yekwon won first prizes at the 2015 International German Piano Award, the 2014 Vendome Prize held at the Verbier Festival, the 2013 Sendai International Music Competition and the 2012 William Kapell International Piano Competition.

Born in Anyang, South Korea, Yekwon began learning the piano at the age of 8 and made his recital and orchestral debuts in Seoul at 15. His teachers include Seymour Lipkin, Robert McDonald, Richard Goode and Bernd Goetzke.

In September 2023, Yekwon released his second album for Decca Universal Music Korea featuring works by Rachmaninov following his first album in 2020 of works by Mozart. In 2017, Decca Gold released Cliburn Gold 2017 two weeks after Yekwon was awarded the Gold Medal and includes his award-winning performances of Ravel's La Valse and Rachmaninov's Second Piano Sonata.

Korea Music Foundation

Founded in 1984, the Korea Music Foundation enhances lives and strengthens communities through the transformative impact of music. Since its inception, KMF has presented numerous solo, orchestra, and chamber ensemble debut concerts in New York at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Merkin Hall. KMF has presented artists David Kim, Catherine Cho, Minsoo Sohn and many others in concert, and runs a chamber music series at the Korean Cultural Service New York. 

KMF has been working with Korea Mecenat Association, a distinguished group of Korean companies with the aim to elevate the prominence of K-Classical on a global stage by showcasing exceptional Korean performers in American classical venues. Visit KoreaMusicFoundation.org.

Cleveland CMS celebrates 75th anniversary with unprecedented performances

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The Cleveland Chamber Music Society celebrates 75 years of concerts

Jerusalem Quartet to perform all 15 string quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich over five nights, April 21-30 at Cleveland Museum of Art

First time this historic cycle by Shostakovich is performed in Cleveland

The quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich span nearly a half century of Soviet history, from Stalin to Khrushchev to Brezhnev. A performance of all 15 quartets together is rare. Also rare: A chamber music series that’s endured for three-quarters of a century.

These two extraordinary occurrences come together April 21-30 when the Cleveland Chamber Music Society celebrates its 75th anniversary with a presentation of the complete Shostakovich string quartets, in chronological order over five evenings, performed by the Jerusalem Quartet. It’s the first time the cycle has ever been performed in Cleveland.

The performances are April 21, 22, 23, 29 & 30 at 7:30 pm at the Cleveland Museum of Art (11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH). Each concert features three quartets, and a pre-concert lecture by James Wilding will be available for ticket holders at 6:30 pm each evening.

This historic cycle has never before been performed in Cleveland. "We're honored to present such an incredible body of work for the first time in the region," said CCMS board president Fern Jennings. "We're excited for audiences to hear these fifteen fantastic string quartets, performed by the world-class Jerusalem Quartet, and we're delighted to collaborate with the Cleveland Museum of Art for these performances."

Praised by BBC Magazine as "an absolute triumph," the Jerusalem Quartet is a regular and beloved guest on the world’s great concert stages. Recent appearances include a Beethoven quartet cycle at Wigmore Hall in London; a Bartok cycle at the Salzburg Festival; their annual String Quartet seminar in Crans Montana Switzerland, and a residency at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. 

Tickets are available online at ClevelandChamberMusic.org or by phone at (216) 291-2777. Single tickets are $40 for adults ($35 seniors, $5 students/anyone under 19 years old), with package-deals available starting at $60.

About Cleveland Chamber Music Society

The Cleveland Chamber Music Society has been bringing the top performers from around the world to intimate venues in Cleveland since 1949. It all started when a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and some of his colleagues persuaded the venerable Budapest Quartet to perform three concerts in Cleveland. The wildly enthusiastic audience response set the stage for the founding of the Cleveland Chamber Music Society the following year.

CCMS highlights its 75th anniversary in the 2024-2025 season with the internationally renowned Jerusalem Quartet’s complete cycle of Dmitri Shostakovich’s string quartets. Other highlights in this special season include the Grammy-award winning Imani Winds, vocal ensemble Chanticleer and guitarist Jason Vieaux with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Beyond the concert stage, the CCMS’s guest artists give master classes at conservatories in Northeast Ohio that are open to the public.

Calendar Listing

Cleveland Chamber Music Society in collaboration with Cleveland Museum of Art presents

Jerusalem Quartet performs Shostakovich's Complete String Quartets

Cleveland Museum of Art (11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH)

April 21-23 and 29-30 at 7:30 pm

Monday, April 21: String Quartets 1-3
Tuesday, April 22: String Quartets 4-6
Wednesday, April 23: String Quartets 7-9
Tuesday, April 29: String Quartets 10-12
Wednesday, April 30: String Quartets 13-15

Tickets available by phone (216) 291-2777 and online at ClevelandChamberMusic.org

Single tickets $40 for adults ($35 seniors, $5 students/anyone under 19 years old)

Ticket packages $140 for the full 5-concert series, $90 for week 1 (three concerts), and $60 for week 2 (two concerts)

Insider Interview with Polish Chamber Orchestra manager Janusz Marynowski

The Polish Chamber Orchestra is on tour across the United States with versatile violinist Daniel Hope, "the most exciting British string player since Jacqueline du Pré" (New York Times). The "Journey to Mozart" program includes violin concertos by Haydn and Mozart, Haydn's Symphony No. 49 in F minor 'La passione,' and works by Gluck and the Polish composer Wojciech Kilar. Performances are February 23-March 2 in Vero Beach, FL; West Palm Beach, FL; Atlanta, GA; and Beaver Creek, CO. We spoke with PCO manager Janusz Marynowski about the orchestra’s rich history, the upcoming tour, Polish culture, and more.

As manager of Polish Chamber Orchestra, what are your primary duties and/or goals?

The Polish Chamber Orchestra is an orchestra of great tradition, and as the manager of this ensemble, I consider it my primary task to nurture its 50-year heritage, always ensuring projects and performances of the highest artistic standard. We are a large, independent cultural institution of the capital city of Warsaw, the heart of which is the Sinfonia Varsovia symphony orchestra formed by extending the PCO's chamber ensemble. In addition, we manage several chamber ensembles made up of the orchestra's musicians. However, our activities do not end there. We run an orchestra academy for young musicians, implement a number of educational programmes for little music lovers, organise activities for the local community, and host two major music festivals in Warsaw: La Folle Journée de Varsovie and Sinfonia Varsovia To Its City. The orchestra is very active in Poland and abroad, playing around 70 concerts a year, more than half of them outside Poland. We also make recordings, with over 340 albums in our catalogue of excellent labels. Sinfonia Varsovia is also an investor in the construction of a music complex in Warsaw with the largest concert hall in Poland. Ultimately, we will have four concert halls: the main hall with 1,877 seats, smaller hall with 400 seats and two chamber halls, as well as several halls for educational activities.

Tell me how your role with the orchestra has changed over the years, from your time as a performer to now as the manager.

I started working there in 1987, as a double bass musician. At the time, my job was solely to play the double bass. I remember this period as a period of eternal happiness, because being on stage and performing pieces of music together with my orchestra was the greatest form of expression possible for me, it was one hundred per cent artistic freedom on stage. 21 years ago, the orchestra offered me the position of orchestra manager, and after a year of holding the position of both a musician and a manager, I had to decide to devote all my time to the role of a manager. Since then, I have been involved in administering the institution and charting new courses of action. As a result, I unfortunately no longer have time to play the instrument. My life made a 180° turn and sometimes I really miss being a musician, playing in an orchestra. 

How do the Polish Chamber Orchestra musicians, repertoire and performances reflect Polish culture?

From its first concert, the orchestra's repertoire included works by Polish composers such as Grażyna Bacewicz and Andrzej Panufnik. We continue this tradition of performing works by Polish composers. This is a very important part of our repertoire, as the orchestra considers itself to be an ambassador of Polish culture around the world. We are happy to have the chance to present during our upcoming US tour an absolutely phenomenal piece: "Orawa" by Wojciech Kilar, which was written specifically for the Polish Chamber Orchestra. He is a composer known in the US rather as the creator of soundtracks for films such as "Dracula" and "The Pianist". We hope that this piece by a Polish composer in particular will appeal to American audiences. Poland has a long and turbulent revolutionary history, as evidenced by names such as Pułaski and Kościuszko, who also had their contributions to US history. In the world of classical music, the PCO managed by Jerzy Maksymiuk was at its beginnings an equally revolutionary phenomenon, playing expressively and quickly, with the highest technical precision. This was before the wider public got accustomed to playing this way.

Polish Chamber Orchestra has not toured the United States in nearly 20 years.

• What are you most looking forward to on this tour?

• What do you expect to be challenging or difficult about this tour? 

• How do you expect it will be different than your last U.S. tour in 2006?

Twenty years is a long time, many young musicians have joined the ensemble, some have retired. This has a huge impact on the sound of the ensemble, on its identity. We hope, however, that we have retained that original energy and style. I wish for it to sit well with audiences who, after all, have also changed a lot over the years and have a different sensibility. Above all, we are looking forward to meeting them, the wonderful American listeners who have given us such an excellent reception in the past.

I see one particular difficulty this tour faces. I mean the concert in Beaver Creek, which is about 2,500 m above sea level, and in Warsaw we are not used to such high altitudes. Rysy, Poland's highest peak, is exactly 2499 m above sea level. I even found out that special oxygen bottles are being sold at the Beaver Creek shops to help with the symptoms of altitude sickness. We need to investigate this matter thoroughly, as our oboists have reported that there may be problems with their reeds at such a high altitude. 

We are very happy to be performing with such a great artist as Daniel Hope, I have known him for three decades by the way.
He is a world-class artist who belongs among the great stars playing with the Polish Chamber Orchestra, such as Yehudi Menuhin, James Galway, Gidon Kremer, Maxim Vengerov....

What else would you like us to know about you and the PCO?

As for me, I have been in love with the orchestra for 38 years. It used to be my dream to exchange at least a few words with a musician of this very orchestra, so I am very proud to come to you with this ensemble. The Polish Chamber Orchestra has always prided itself on the highest quality of artistic performance, the precision of chamber music. The credit goes, of course, to its creator, the legendary Jerzy Maksymiuk. 

What is coming up next for the Polish Chamber Orchestra?

On our return from the USA with the full symphonic ensemble, Sinfonia Varsovia, we will perform at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and in Istanbul with the legendary violinist Pinchas Zukerman, with whom we have the pleasure of working recently. And in the autumn, a tour in Japan with the legendary Marta Argerich and Ivo Pogorelić.

Coming up at Baruch PAC

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Baruch Performing Arts Center continues spring season of recitals

• March 5: Vision Duo (violinist Ariel Horowitz and percussionist Britton-René Collins)

• March 6: Pianist/soprano Chelsea Guo

• May 19: Classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang

Baruch Performing Arts Center's "perfect hall for chamber music" (New York Times) continues its spring recital season with concerts featuring award-winning artists. On March 5, Vision Duo (violinist Ariel Horowitz and percussionist Britton-René Collin) performs classical works with a contemporary twist as part of Baruch PAC's Silberman Concert Series. Then on March 6, the multi-talented soprano and pianist Chelsea Guo accompanies herself performing arias by Rossini, Donizetti, and Fauré in addition to solo piano works by Chopin and Ravel. On May 19, Baruch PAC welcomes back classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang, who delighted audiences in her debut at the hall last year. Season details below.

Tickets to all shows available at bpac.baruch.cuny.edu
Downloadable images & bios available in the digital press kit

Baruch PAC Spring Season Details

All concerts at 7 pm at Baruch Performing Arts Center
55 Lexington Ave, New York, NY (enter on 25th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues, on the south side of the street)

Wednesday, March 5: Vision Duo

Vision Duo (violinist Ariel Horowitz and percussionist Britton-René Collins) perform classical works with a contemporary twist. In their Baruch PAC recital debut, the duo performs Bizet/Hubay's Carmen Fantasy, Misty by the jazz pianist Erroll Garner, Piazzolla's History of Tango, a piece by their own Ariel Horowitz, alongside works by other contemporary composers.

Horowitz and Collins formed the duo after winning the Concert Artists Guild International Competition’s Ambassador Prize as soloists. They quickly discovered their shared passion for post-genre and contemporary music, promoting systemic change, and centering equity and access in musical spaces. The duo has performed for top presenters throughout North America - including the Phillips Collection, Dumbarton Concerts in Washington, D.C., and Chamber Music Society of Detroit - and has attended the prestigious Avaloch Farm Music Institute as artist in residence. 

This concert is part of the Silberman Recital Series.

Thursday, March 6: Pianist/soprano Chelsea Guo

“A very fine pianist with a beguiling voice, Here is a rare talent." – BBC Music Magazine

Chelsea Guo is one of the rare talents equally formidable as both a soprano and a pianist. First-prize winner of the 2022 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and a 2022 Classic FM Rising Star, Guo has attracted international attention as a pianist and soprano of remarkable gifts. As she forges her own unique, multi-faceted path, Chelsea is gaining increasing recognition from all corners of the classical musical world. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall in London, as well as other prominent venues in the North America, Europe and Asia. Her debut album "Chelsea Guo: Chopin in My Voice" (2021) was praised by Gramophone Magazine as an "Essential New Album." Later this season, Guo heads to Vienna to become a studio member of the Volksoper Wien.

Her Baruch PAC performance features classical favorites for voice and piano, with Guo accompanying herself on a program that features works by Chopin, Ravel, Faure, Donizetti, Rossini and more.

Monday, May 19: Classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang

“Staggering virtuosity that held the audience in a state of breathlessness, as thrilling to watch as to hear ” – Oberon's Grove

The classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang returns to Baruch PAC's stage after her wildly popular performance last season. A groundbreaking artist, Hanzhi was the first accordionist to win Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the first to be named Musical America’s “New Artist of the Month,” and the first solo accordionist on WQXR Radio’s Young Artists Showcase.

Hanzhi made her Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center debuts in 2017. Her awards include the Ruth Laredo Prize and Mortimer Levitt Career Development Award for Women Artists of YCA and First Prize in the 40th Castelfidardo International Accordion Competition in Italy. She has performed recitals at UC Santa Barbara’s Lively Arts, Stanford Live, Bravo! Vail, The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. As soloist, she has performed with the Oregon Music Festival, Victoria Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, and Reno Chamber Orchestra. Composers Martin Lohse, James Black, and Sophia Gubaidulina have written and dedicated works to her.

March 12: Cutting Edge Concerts presents JACK Quartet

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CUTTING EDGE CONCERTS New Music Festival 
Victoria Bond, Artistic Director

Cutting Edge Concerts kicks off 2025 spring season with JACK Quartet on March 12 at Symphony Space

Program features music by Boulez, Cage, Glass, Hollinger and Webern

Season continues April 16 with Rudersdal Chamber Players and May 28 with pianist Min Kwon

"a gift to New Yorkers thirsty for new sounds" – Time Out New York

Victoria Bond's Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival kicks off the 2025 season on March 12 presenting the GRAMMY-nominated JACK Quartet at 7:30 pm at Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St, New York, NY).

Undeniably our generation’s “leading new-music foursome,” JACK Quartet, celebrating their 20th anniversary season, performs music by ground-breaking 20th century composers. The program features Heinz Holliger's String Quartet No. 2, Webern's Six Bagatelles, string quartets by John Cage and Philip Glass, and Pierre Boulez's Livres 1, 2, and 3c.

Inspired by Boulez's series, "Perspective Encounters", the composer and conductor Victoria Bond founded Cutting Edge Concerts in 1998. Over its 27 year history, Cutting Edge Concerts has presented over 300 new works. Each program highlights the music of living composers, most of whom attend the concert. Along with performances by world-class ensembles and soloists, each program features on-stage discussions between host Victoria Bond and the composers. 

Tickets for JACK Quartet are $30 general admission, available at SymphonySpace.org. The season continues with the Danish piano quartet Rudersdal Chamber Players on April 16 (tickets here) and with pianist Min Kwon performing selections from her "America/Beautiful" project on May 28 (tickets on sale shortly). Full program details below.

Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival 2025 Spring Season
All concerts held at Symphony Space at 7:30 pm
(2537 Broadway at 95th St., New York, NY)

March 12: JACK Quartet

Undeniably our generation’s “leading new-music foursome,” JACK Quartet, celebrating their 20th anniversary season, comes to Cutting Edge Concerts performing music by ground-breaking 20th century composers. Tickets

Program
Pierre Boulez: Livre 1, 2, 3c  
Anton Webern: Six bagatelles, op. 9 
Philip Glass: String quartet no. 5 
John Cage: String quartet in four parts 
Heinz Holliger: String quartet no. 2 

April 16: Rudersdal Chamber Players

Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival welcomes the Rudersdal Chamber Players from Denmark. Praised for their flawless, outstanding and convincing playing, the piano quartet has earned accolades for their performances throughout Europe and in the United States. Tickets

Program
Victoria Bond: Piano Trio "Other Selves"
Elena Firsova: Four Seasons (east coast premiere)
Andrew Waggoner: New Work (world premiere)
Poul Ruders: Piano Quartet (US premiere)

May 28: Pianist Min Kwon

Korean-born American pianist Min Kwon performs selections from her America/Beautiful project, in which she commissioned seventy composers to write variations on "America the Beautiful." Tickets will go on sale soon.

Program
Selected works from America/Beautiful project, including works by:
Charles Coleman
David Sanford*
Jessica Meyer
Justin Dello Joio*
Leila Adu-Gilmore
Melinda Wagner
Paul Moravec
Qasim Naqvi
Robert Sirota
Scott Ordway*
Trevor Weston
Victoria Bond
Wang Jie*

*World premiere

About Victoria Bond

A major force in 21st century music, composer Victoria Bond is known for her melodic gift and dramatic flair. Her works for orchestra, chamber ensemble and opera have been lauded by The New York Times as "powerful, stylistically varied and technically demanding." Her compositions have been performed by the New York City Opera, Shanghai, Dallas and Houston Symphonies, members of the Chicago Symphony and New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater and the Cassatt and Audubon Quartets.  Ms. Bond is also an acclaimed conductor, and is the principal guest conductor of Chamber Opera Chicago, and has held conducting positions with Pittsburgh Symphony, New York City Opera, Roanoke Symphony, and Bel Canto and Harrisburg Operas.

Cleveland CMS presents Jerusalem Quartet

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The Cleveland Chamber Music Society celebrates 75 years of concerts

Jerusalem Quartet to perform all 15 string quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich over five nights, April 21-30 at Cleveland Museum of Art

First time this historic cycle by Shostakovich is performed in Cleveland

Coming up February 11: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

The Cleveland Chamber Music Society is celebrating 75 years of presenting world-class chamber music. In April, the organization presents the Jerusalem Quartet performing the complete Shostakovich string quartet cycle. The performances will take place over five nights on April 21, 22, 23, 29 & 30 at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

This historic cycle has never before been performed in Cleveland. "We're honored to present such an incredible body of work for the first time in the region," said CCMS board president Fern Jennings. "We're excited for audiences to hear these fifteen fantastic string quartets, performed by the world-class Jerusalem Quartet, and we're delighted to collaborate with the Cleveland Museum of Art for these performances."

Shostakovich wrote the first quartet when he was 33, and was on his deathbed as he composed the final quartet. Taken together, these works demonstrate the arc of Shostakovich's career, and Russian history, from Stalin to Brezhnev. Each concert features three quartets, and a pre-concert lecture by James Wilding will be available for ticket holders at 6:30 pm each evening.

Praised by BBC Magazine as "an absolute triumph," the Jerusalem Quartet is a regular and beloved guest on the world’s great concert stages. Recent appearances include a Beethoven quartet cycle at Wigmore Hall in London; a Bartok cycle at the Salzburg Festival; their annual String Quartet seminar in Crans Montana Switzerland, and a residency at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. 

Coming up on February 11, CCMS presents Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with guitarist Jason Vieaux. The "Spanish Journey" program features works by De Falla, Saraste, Albéniz, and others. In addition to guest guitarist Jason Vieaux, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center features pianist Soyeon Kate Lee, violinist Kristin Lee, soprano Vanessa Becerra, and cellist Clive Greensmith.

Tickets are available online at ClevelandChamberMusic.org or by phone at (216) 291-2777. Single tickets are $40 for adults ($35 seniors, $5 students/anyone under 19 years old), with subscriptions and package-deals available starting at $60.

"Beethoven & Bluegrass" at Carnegie Hall

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April 25: Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta presents "Beethoven & Bluegrass" at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

Featuring Vega Quartet with Grammy award-winning fiddlers Mark and Maggie O'Connor

Award-winning string quartet joins renowned fiddlers for an evening of Beethoven, bluegrass duos, and original music by Mark O'Connor

On April 25, 7:30 pm, at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Mark and Maggie O'Connor join the Vega Quartet for "Beethoven & Bluegrass." The concert is presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta.

The genre-blending program features the Vega Quartet (Emory University's String Quartet-in-Residence) performing Beethoven's String Quartet No. 11, Op. 95 and Mark O'Connor's String Quartet No. 2 "Bluegrass."

About his quartet, O'Connor says: "From the bouncy bluegrass vocal-like melodies, to the blistering fast hot licks, to the rhythmic bow “chopping” to the gospel yearnings of the slow movement, I wanted to comprehensively dive down deep into the strains of this music. I wanted to further discover what this American musical art form means to string playing."

Mark and Maggie O'Connor take the stage to play bluegrass duos for the second half of the concert, which concludes with all six musicians performing Mark's famous "Appalachia Waltz." That work's recording with O'Connor, Yo Yo Ma, and bassist Edgar Meyer sold over one million copies.

"Beethoven & Bluegrass" with Mark and Maggie O'Connor and the Vega Quartet takes place at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall (154 West 57th Street) on Friday, April 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $50, available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh. The concert is presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta with generous support from Sheila and Jon Davies and Dr. John and Linda Cooke.

Insider Interview with Vision Duo

Vision Duo (violinist Ariel Horowitz and percussionist Britton-René Collins) perform classical works with a contemporary twist. On March 5, 2025 the duo makes their Baruch PAC recital debut with a wide-ranging program that includes Bizet/Hubay’s Carmen Fantasy, Misty by the jazz pianist Erroll Garner, music by Piazzolla, Vision’s own Horowitz, and others. We spoke to Horowitz and Collins about the unique combination of violin and marimba, the upcoming program, and expanding their repertoire. 

I can’t think of a single piece of classical music written for your unique combination of instruments. What the heck were you thinking when you created this duo? 

Britton-René Collins: Our duo was formed during the pandemic, at a time where many musicians were experimenting and planning for the return of live music performance. We had only known each other through social media, and admired one another’s work. It just made sense for us, as like-minded creatives, to join together and collaborate in a meaningful way. 

How do you balance the difference in timbres and volume between the violin and percussion?  

Ariel Horowitz: We love the dichotomy between the instruments and their vastly different soundworlds, and we enjoy leaning into that – a violin will never sound like a marimba, and vice versa, so it’s very fun to enjoy all of the variety of soundworlds that we can craft together.  

BRC: Although the pairing of a western classical instrument with a modern percussion instrument originating from West Africa could be considered atypical, the violin and marimba blend seamlessly together. Many existing works in the violin/marimba duo repertoire were commissioned by the group “Marimolin” over the span of several decades. Having commissioned, composed, and premiered new works for our duo’s instrumentation together, we share a passion for contributing to the growing body of violin and percussion repertoire. 

Tell us about your program at Baruch PAC? There are many new works, some arrangements and a work by you, Ariel. How did you put together this program?  

AH: We’re so excited for our program at Baruch PAC! Our program, Moxie, is kind of like a musical charcuterie board: we hope there can be something for everyone. We enjoy a variety of styles of music, both as performers and listeners, so our programming reflects our eclectic tastes. You’ll hear music from Blues to Jazz to Opera to Baroque Classical to Indie, and you might even hear some music that we improvise together on the spot: another great passion of ours.  

BRC: The inspiration behind our program came naturally, as our friendship formed through our shared love of multi-genre music. Through our versatile programming, we hope that audiences of all demographics might be able to identify and connect with our performances. 

It appears that all the works that weren’t written for you are an arrangement. What’s your process for picking pieces and making these arrangements? 

AH: Britt and I have a ton of songs that we love for various reasons – musically, lyrically, aesthetically, or the song is significant to one or the other of us (often both)! Usually, from there, we start from improvisation – we rarely write down our arrangements, but enjoy coming up with our tunes through a collaborative jam session.  

Ariel, could you tell us a bit about your work? 

AH: Solitude is a song I originally created back in my own college days, so it feels quite fitting to be able to share it for students in that stage of early adulthood at Baruch PAC. I was quite lonely in those days, though I was surrounded constantly by lots of people. A lot was going wrong in my life at the time, too, so I came up with a mantra: “I am in Solitude but I’m not lonely”. I was improvising a lot on my own in private those days, and singing a lot by myself, too. Through a lot of improvisation processes, including a rather public one in front of a panel at an audition (a story for another time, haha!), the song evolved into what it is now. I’m so glad to get to share this song with my dearest friend Britt as a duo, now, and this song features on my recently released album, Hearth!  

Insider Interview with soprano/pianist Chelsea Guo

On March 6, Baruch Performing Arts Center presents the award-winning musician Chelsea Guo. Equally talented as both a pianist and soprano, Guo will accompany herself in a program that features arias by Rossini, Donizetti, Chopin, and more. We spoke to her about the upcoming recital program, self-accompaniment, and future engagements (including time in Vienna!).

Very few artists can competently accompany themselves on piano. What are the challenges for you to play piano while singing? What are the rewards?

Performing songs self-accompanied feels like a privilege every time I have the chance to do it onstage. It allows me complete spontaneity, flexibility of breath, and freedom for phrasing and expression. Of course, it comes with many technical challenges, the biggest one being independence of the vocal and pianistic mechanisms. While they move together, I need to take special care to preserve the technical aspects that keep the voice supported while also leaning into my finger/foot muscle memory to make sure I'm bringing the right touch and sound to the piano (especially because I can't hear the piano very well while I'm singing). There's a verticality to the physical action of playing the piano that both needs to counteract and support the spin of the voice. But, once all that gets worked through in practice, the result is always worth it to me.

When learning a new piece do you start by learning the vocal part, or the piano part?

I start learning a self-accompanied song by learning both parts completely independently - as if I'm preparing to sing or play them alone. 

You perform a wide variety of styles of music. How do you go about constructing a program?

Constructing programs is the most exciting and most challenging part. There is so much crossover between the vocal and piano literature - so many ideas and connections to explore. The challenge is that I can get a bit too excited about a concept and have to remind myself to keep the audience experience in mind. When I'm programming many styles of music in one concert, I try to keep a common thread going, so either a personal narrative or a musical or intellectual connection.

How did you first get interested in music? At what point did you realize it would be your career?

I was always enamored with music and loved my piano lessons as a kid. I especially loved the storytelling aspect of music, as my mother would come up with narratives to connect me to the piano pieces I was learning. I told her around the age of 11 that I wanted to be a concert pianist. Eventually, I started taking voice lessons to better improve my understanding of piano music, and that ended up becoming part of my path as well. It's been an incredible journey that has led me to a deeper love of this art form every day that I do it!

Later this season, you’ll be spending some time in Vienna as a studio member of the Volksoper Wien. How did this opportunity come about? What you expect you’ll experience while you are there?

This past summer, I was in the studio of Wolf Trap Opera, getting my first taste of opera, when I received an email from the head of the studio at Volksoper Wien. I genuinely thought it was a spam email (why would they know about me?) until I re-read it and it hit me that it was real - they had heard of my name through a wonderful cellist I had worked with previously, seen my videos online, and were inviting me to come audition in Vienna. One thing led to another, and I'm moving there shortly after I perform at Baruch PAC! I'm really excited for my first role there, which is as Mab/Adelaide in The Enchanted Pig by Jonathan Dove, and some others coming up include Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Frasquita in Carmen, among other fun assignments. I expect it will be very busy time and a totally new experience, but I'll still be coming back in between productions to perform recitals and concerts in the States. 

Daniel Hope & Polish C-O tour begins Feb. 23

Violinist Daniel Hope with Polish Chamber Orchestra performs across the United States February 23-March 2

Tour marks first U.S. performances by ensemble in nearly 20 years

Concerts in Vero Beach and West Palm Beach, FL; Atlanta, GA; Beaver Creek, CO

"Journey to Mozart" program includes concertos by Haydn and Mozart, Haydn's Symphony No. 49 and music by Gluck and Wojciech Kilar

The Polish Chamber Orchestra has announced a tour across the United States this February and March with versatile violinist Daniel Hope, "the most exciting British string player since Jacqueline du Pré" (New York Times). The "Journey to Mozart" program includes violin concertos by Haydn and Mozart, Haydn's Symphony No. 49 in F minor 'La passione,' and works by Gluck and the Polish composer Wojciech Kilar.

This is the first time the Polish Chamber Orchestra has toured in the U.S. since 2006. The ensemble was formed in 1972 and has performed in the world's most prestigious concert halls under conductors Charles Dutoit, Yehudi Menuhin, and Mstislav Rostropovich, among others. Their performances and recordings have garnered international attention over decades, praised for their "glistening dynamism" and "sculpted, strongly-contoured playing" (The Independent). The Polish Chamber Orchestra operates under the auspices of Sinfonia Varsovia. 

"I am thrilled to perform this profound program with the Polish Chamber Orchestra," says Daniel Hope. "I am excited for U.S. audiences to experience the unparalleled musicianship of this fantastic orchestra with whom I have had a long-lasting artistic relationship. Making music with them is an absolute joy."

The program and venue details are below. For press requests, contact Gail Wein at ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com.

Calendar Listing

Daniel Hope 
Polish Chamber Orchestra of Sinfonia Varsovia 

PROGRAM: “JOURNEY TO MOZART”
Christoph Willibald Gluck: “Dance of the Furies” from Orfeo ed Euridice
Franz Joseph Haydn: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in G Major
Wojciech Kilar: Orawa 
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 3 in G Major
Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 49 in F minor ‘La passione’ 

February 23: Vero Beach, FL
Community Church of Vero Beach

February 24: West Palm Beach, FL
Dreyfoos Hall at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

February 28: Atlanta, GA
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at Emory University

March 02: Beaver Creek, CO
Vilar Performing Arts Center

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center comes to Cleveland

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Cleveland Chamber Music Society presents Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with world-renowned artists, including guitar virtuoso Jason Vieaux

February 11 program "Spanish Journey" includes music by de Falla, Rodrigo, and Albeniz

Coming up April 21-30: Jerusalem Quartet gives an unprecedented performance of all 15 string quartets by Shostakovich at Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland Chamber Music Society invites audiences to spend a musical evening in Spain. On February 11 at 7:30 pm, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center - pianist Soyeon Kate Lee, violinist Kristin Lee, soprano Vanessa Becerra, cellist Clive Greensmith and guitar virtuoso Jason Vieaux - perform their "Spanish Journey" program.

Several of the performers have Ohio connections: Kristin Lee and Soyeon Kate Lee are on faculty at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the Grammy Award-winner Jason Vieaux was born and raised in Cleveland.

The concert features the enchanting colors, rhythms and textures of Spain. Violinist Kristin Lee created this imaginative program with music spanning from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. The distinctive Spanish style is beautifully expressed in piano trios of Falla and Turina, songs by Sarasate, Rodrigo, and Obradors, and the guitar, an instrument deeply associated with Spain.

Tickets for the February 11, 7:30 pm concert at The Cultural Arts Center at Disciples Church in Cleveland Heights (3663 Mayfield Rd) are available online at ClevelandChamberMusic.org or by phone at (216) 291-2777. Single tickets are $40 for adults ($35 seniors, $5 students/anyone under 19 years old). A pre-concert talk by Emily Laurance will take place at 6:30 p.m.

Not to be missed! CCMS's 75th anniversary season ends on a highlight: a rare performance of all 15 Shostakovich string quartets by the Jerusalem Quartet. This is the first time the complete cycle has ever been performed in Cleveland. Praised by BBC Magazine as "an absolute triumph," the world-renowned Jerusalem Quartet performs Shostakovich's string quartets at the Cleveland Museum of Art in five concerts April 21-30.

About Cleveland Chamber Music Society

The Cleveland Chamber Music Society has been bringing the top performers from around the world to intimate venues in Cleveland since 1949. It all started when a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and some of his colleagues persuaded the venerable Budapest Quartet to perform three concerts in Cleveland. The wildly enthusiastic audience response set the stage for the founding of the Cleveland Chamber Music Society the following year.

Beyond the concert stage, the CCMS’s guest artists give master classes at conservatories in Northeast Ohio that are open to the public.

Calendar Listing

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 7:30 pm

Cleveland Chamber Music Society in collaboration with the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society presents

"Spanish Journey" with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Jason Vieaux, guitar; Soyeon Kate Lee, piano; Kristin Lee, violin; Vanessa Becerra, soprano; Clive Greensmith, cello

The Cultural Arts Center at Disciples Church 

3663 Mayfield Rd Cleveland Heights, OH 44121

Single tickets are $40 for adults ($35 seniors, $5 students/anyone under 19 years old, available now by phone (216) 291-2777 and online at ClevelandChamberMusic.org

PROGRAM
Fernando Obradors: Canciones Espanolas
Isaac Albéniz: Mallorca
Enrique Fernández Arbós: Three Original Pieces in Spanish Style
Manuel de Falla: Suite Populaire Espagnole
Pablo Sarasate: Romanza Andaluza
Joaquín Rodrigo: Tres Canciones
Joaquín Turina: Piano Trio No. 2 in b minor, op. 76

Insider interview with percussionist Michael Yeung

Percussionist Michael Yeung is winner of the prestigious Susan Wadsworth International Auditions by Young Concert Artists. He has toured the world as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. On January 27 at Baruch Performing Arts Center in Manhattan, Yeung performs a solo recital with an adventurous program featuring arrangements of classics including Debussy's Rêverie and a lute suite by J.S. Bach to Xenakis' 20th-century solo percussion staple Rebonds A and B. We spoke with Yeung about the upcoming recital, the history of the marimba, note perfect performances, and why Georges Aperghis’s Le Corps à Corp is a one-of-a-kind experience for both performer and listener.

How did you choose percussion as your primary instrument?  

“This kid has good rhythm,” – a chance comment my mother overheard from my kindergarten piano teacher. The Hong Kong Percussion Center had just opened in the same year, led by the then recently retired principal percussionist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Dr. Lung Heung-wing. That was how things fell into place. Every Saturday evening from the time I was age 6 to 16, I would head to Wan Chai, walk 15 minutes from the subway station, and be in sort of Percussive Disneyland for an hour.  

Against a corner of the room, two rows of djembes lined the bottom of a long shelf, the top of which was crowded with various sound-making knick-knacks: Agogo bells, whirly tubes, caxixis, tuned desk bells, and on and on. In another corner was a phalanx of keyboards: a xylophone, a glockenspiel, a vibraphone, and above all the marimba, which was a Yamaha YM-6100, a glorious five octave instrument with a luxurious sound. I treasured my time there every week. There were no questions asked when, later on, I dropped piano for percussion.  

At what point did you realize that you were interested in music as a career?  

Well, I was always intrigued and interested by the idea (who wouldn’t be if you lived in a Percussive Disneyland every Saturday?), but it was two very difficult pieces that I came across in secondary school that gave me the confidence to keep pursuing music. The first was the xylophone part in James L. Hosay’s Persis Overture, notorious for having the xylophone double the woodwinds in passages with continuous strings of sixteenth notes. So many notes, coming at you so quickly, which you would have to execute without room for error – the xylophone could be heard very prominently over the top of the band. I felt peer-pressured into perfection. The recording of one of our performances is still up on YouTube – to this day more than a decade later, it is still one of the remarkably few “note perfect” performances in my life.   

A few years later, Joseph Schwantner’s Velocities was pretty much the same thing – a continuous string of sixteenth notes – but nine minutes long, four mallets instead of two, and everything dialed up to eleven. I reveled in the challenge and absorbed the piece like a fish in water. Looking back, both these experiences really were as simple as they were formative – proof that I was good at what I do.  

What are the challenges of programming and playing a solo percussion recital?  

A big challenge is that there simply has not been as much music written for us in comparison with say, the piano or the violin. Let’s take marimba music as an example. Some of our oldest pieces came from Japan, commissioned and premiered by the legendary Keiko Abe, over the course of three marimba recitals between 1968-71. That’s just a half century ago. In the States, the National Endowment for the Arts’ solo marimba commission in 1986, merely four decades ago, bore fruit three of the very first and very best pieces for the instrument – one of which was Velocities. And so, nearly all the repertoire for a concert marimbist (besides arrangements) comes from the 21st or the second half of the 20th century – there is no “classical” or “romantic” “tradition” to speak of for the marimba. We face similar challenges to a classical saxophonist. 

1986 was also the year when the modern concert marimba, in its five-octave incarnation, was first built. It was in Japan, by the Yamaha company with guidance from Abe herself. Yamaha, of course, also makes pianos, so imagine if the first grand piano Yamaha made was not in 1902, but three quarters of a century later. In fact, the concept of a “concert marimba” arguably only came up when Guatemalan marimbas attracted the attention of American instrument makers in the Panama International Exposition of 1915 in San Francisco. Another analogy is to imagine Cristofori’s invention of the fortepiano not in 1700, but in 1900; the piano world would be two centuries behind where it is currently. Hopefully this gives an idea of how much the percussion profession is still in its nascency. 

Tell us more about your program at Baruch PAC. How did you select this music, and what connects the pieces?  

I am bringing a healthy mixture of the classical and the contemporary. Again, much of percussion music comes from modern times, and these pieces by Xenakis, Hurel, and Aperghis act as the backbone of my program and an authentic overview to my profession. Interspersed are arrangements of Bach, Debussy, and John Cage, and I use these pieces from the canon of classical music to display the capabilities of keyboard percussion as a fresh, new canvas for these familiar works. 

One idiosyncrasy for percussion programming is that we need to consider not only the music itself, but also the flexibility and ease of the set up for all the equipment that would have to be on stage. Part of what I love about the second half in this program is the simplicity of accomplishing that goal, of connecting each piece with the next with a subtle and elegant walk towards each next instrument, in hopes of never distracting the audience from the music-making experience.   

Your program ends with Georges Aperghis’s Le Corps à Corps, which features vocals. Could you tell us about that piece? What’s it like to perform? What are the lyrics about?  

Le corps is wonderful! I cannot exaggerate how much I swear by this work, it is truly a one-of-a-kind experience both for the performer and the listener. Its text seemingly describes a scene of a horrific accident at a motorcycle race, in a stream-of-consciousness retelling that blurs and disorients the listener’s perception of the tale. To perform Le corps is to be both the story’s narrator and its protagonist, to pour blood, sweat, and tears into a maximally physical effort – it is a virtuosic agility course for my voice, for my body, and of course for my fingers on the zarb, a Persian goblet drum that I had to learn from scratch for this piece, a drum that frames the entire affair. So much drama is drawn from this instrument, and the musical score itself is already an exercise in coordination and concentration. You will see and hear me flitting between playing my zarb, conveying Aperghis’ text, enacting the drama, and diverting the attention of the audience, towards and between these many different moving parts. It is always incredibly rewarding, and incredibly exhausting. I hope people like it. 

Tickets for the January 27 concert are available bpac.baruch.cuny.edu.

World premiere recording of "Steal a Pencil for Me" out now

Composer Gerald Cohen's opera "Steal a Pencil for Me" out now on Sono Luminus

Opera Colorado performs the dramatic work, with music by Cohen and libretto by Deborah Brevoort

Based on the true story of a love triangle in a concentration camp

Sono Luminus presents Steal a Pencil for Me, the hauntingly beautiful new opera album from composer Gerald Cohen and librettist Deborah Brevoort released August 23, 2024.

An opera in two acts, Steal a Pencil for Me is a love story full of hope; a drama of overcoming great adversity, set during the dark times of World War II concentration camps. It is based on the true story of Jaap and Ina Polak, who fell in love as prisoners, amid great loss, helping each other to survive. Based on their love letters, which were published in a book of the same title, Steal a Pencil for Me is about the indestructibility of the life spirit and the power of humankind to survive adversity. The opera dramatizes intimate concerns and private dramas in the midst of the epic tragedy of the Holocaust.

Steal a Pencil for Me was given its premiere production in 2018 by Opera Colorado. The album, recorded in Denver in 2022, features most of the central performers of the Opera Colorado production, with Ari Pelto as conductor, and in the principal vocal roles Gideon Dabi as Jaap, Inna Dukach as Ina, and Adriana Zabala as Manja. 

The action of Steal a Pencil for Me takes place in Amsterdam, at Westerbork transit camp, and at Bergen Belsen concentration camp between the years of 1943-1945. Thirty-year old Jaap Polak is unhappily married to Manja, a capricious woman with a sharp tongue. He falls in love with 20-year old Ina Soep, whose boyfriend, Rudi Acohen, has been seized and deported to Poland by the Nazis. When Jaap, Manja, and Ina are deported to Westerbork, they actually find themselves living in the same barracks. Jaap’s wife objects to the relationship, and Jaap and Ina resort to writing secret love letters, which sustain them throughout the horrible circumstances of the war. Rudi appears onstage in the opera in Ina’s mind, as she gradually reconciles herself to her grief over losing him. 

Gerald Cohen knew Jaap and Ina personally, and was inspired to write the opera after hearing their story and reading their letters. He and Deborah Brevoort met with them many times in the process of writing the libretto, and Jaap and Ina were present at the first workshop of the opera in celebration of Jaap’s 100th and Ina’s 90th birthdays. 

Steal a Pencil for Me is available on CD from Sono Luminus and the digital album can be found on all major streaming platforms. Further information on the opera, including the full libretto, can be found below.

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.

Baruch PAC's 2025 spring season

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Baruch Performing Arts Center's Spring 2025 Performances

Percussionist Michael Yeung, pianist/soprano Chelsea Guo, and classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang fill BPAC's intimate Engelman Recital Hall with compelling music

Special three-concert ticket package available for $75

This spring, Baruch Performing Arts Center's "perfect hall for chamber music" (New York Times) is full of great performances. From award-winning percussionist Michael Yeung to classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang and the multi-talented Chelsea Guo, who is equally at home as a pianist and singer, audiences have the chance to see these three remarkable artists early in their careers in the intimate recital hall which David Letterman called "delightful."

Ticket offer: Purchase tickets to all three recitals for a special price of $75 at this link.

Tickets to all shows available at bpac.baruch.cuny.edu
Downloadable images & bios available in the digital press kit

January 27, 7 pm: Percussionist Michael Yeung

Michael Yeung is winner of the prestigious Susan Wadsworth International Auditions by Young Concert Artists. He has toured the world as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. Yeung has appeared with the internationally acclaimed Percussion Collective and performed with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel. In 2024 he curated a series of concerts sponsored by TEDx in Shenzhen, China, and made his Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center recital debuts.

From arrangements of classics including Debussy's Rêverie and a lute suite by J.S. Bach to Xenakis' 20th-century solo percussion staple Rebonds A and B, Yeung's versatile skills are on full display on this adventurous and unusual program. The recital also features works by Georges Aperghis, Phillippe Hurel, and John Cage's stunningly gorgeous In a Landscape. 

Tickets $35 ($15 for students and Baruch staff) | $75 three-concert package deal available here

March 6, 7 pm: Pianist/soprano Chelsea Guo

Chelsea Guo is one of the rare talents equally formidable as both a soprano and a pianist. First-prize winner of the 2022 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and a 2022 Classic FM Rising Star, Guo has attracted international attention as a pianist and soprano of remarkable gifts.

Her Baruch PAC performance features classical favorites for voice and piano, with Guo accompanying herself on a program that features works by Chopin, Ravel, Faure, Donizetti, Rossini and more. The concert is part of the Silberman Recital Series. Tickets $35 ($15 for students and Baruch staff).

May 19, 7 pm: Classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang

Acclaimed for her “staggering virtuosity,” the classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang returns to Baruch PAC with a performance of works by Bach, Piazzolla, original compositions, and more.

A groundbreaking artist, Hanzhi was the first accordionist to win Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the first to be named Musical America’s “New Artist of the Month,” and the first solo accordionist on WQXR Radio’s Young Artists Showcase.

Hanzhi made her Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center debuts in 2017. Her awards include the Ruth Laredo Prize and Mortimer Levitt Career Development Award for Women Artists of YCA and First Prize in the 40th Castelfidardo International Accordion Competition in Italy. She inspires the next generation of accordionists with lectures, performances, and master classes at the Manhattan School of Music, Royal Danish Academy of Music, Tianjin Music Conservatory, and across Europe. 

Tickets $35 ($15 for students and Baruch staff).

Baruch PAC 2025 Spring Season at a glance

Now-February 9: Wakka Wakka's Dead as a Dodo
January 27: Percussionist Michael Yeung
March 6: Pianist/soprano Chelsea Guo
May 13-25: Heartbeat Opera's "Faust"
May 19: Classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang

Baruch Performing Arts Center is at 55 Lexington Avenue (enter on 25th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues, on the south side of the street) in the heart of Manhattan. Praised for its superb acoustics, the Rosalyn and Irwin Engelman Recital Hall has been called "a perfect hall for chamber music" by Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times.