Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular three-concert series on Saturdays.
With the retirement of Marilyn McDonald, long-serving member of both the Smithson and Axelrod quartets, the three remaining ASQ members—Marc Destrubé, James Dunham, and Kenneth Slowik—are using this season to perform with a number of violinists in programs that illustrate the breadth of the quartet repertoire while being unified through the inclusion of a Beethoven quartet in F Major on each program.
Please Note: Individual in-person concerts are available for purchase.
Saturday, February 25, 2023
Haydn: Quartet in C Major, Op. 20, No. 2
Shostakovich: Quartet No. 4 in D Major, Op. 83
Beethoven: Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1
With guest violinist Shelby Yamin
Saturday, April 1, 2023
Mozart: Quartet in G Major, K387
Bartók: Quartet No. 1, Op. 7
Beethoven: Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1
With guest violinist Mark Fewer
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Haydn: Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, “Fifths”
Britten: Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36
Beethoven: Quartet in F Major, Op. 135
With guest violinist Joseph Puglia
3 concerts
Photo caption (upper right): Axelrod Quartet (clockwise from left): Marc Destrubé, violin; James Dunham, viola; Kenneth Slowik, violoncello
General Information
- All concerts will be held in person at Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music, National Museum of American History at 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC.
- This series is also available on Sundays.
- Advanced registration is required. No tickets will be sold at the door.
- Refer to our health and safety information for in-person programs.
