This subscription option features Sunday dates.
The 39th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society features musical masterpieces from the 17th to the early 20th century, played on some of the world’s most highly prized musical instruments in this six-concert series. Featured ensembles are as follows: The Smithsonian Chamber Players, Smithsonian Consort of Viols, and the Castle Trio. This concert series is also offered on Saturday dates.
One hour prior to each program Kenneth Slowik, SCMS artistic director, continues his popular pre-concert lectures, shedding light on the lives and times of the featured composers and their glorious music. Please note that the Sunday, April 24 performance does not include a pre-concert lecture.
The season opens with Kenneth Slowik and Robert Mealy (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra concertmaster and Juilliard Historical Performance graduate program director) completing their survey of Bach sonatas for violin and obbligato keyboard.
In January, a new, second-generation Smithsonian Consort of Viols explores English music from the first half of the 17th century.
The Castle Trio returns, with friends, in February, for two of the best-loved piano quintets in the repertoire: those of Dvorak (1887) and Brahms (1865).
Paralleling the Axelrod Quartet’s long-term Haydn survey, Phoebe Carrai, Robert Mealy, and Slowik present the first of a series of choice programs of Haydn piano trios in March.
An all-Beethoven program—developed in conjunction with the Yale University Collection of Musical Instruments, and including three of Beethoven’s most joyous early-period works—brings a septet of winds and strings to test the acoustics of the new Music Hall, in early April.
The series concludes with a program of Schoenberg’s revolutionary Op. 9 Chamber Symphony and the premiere of Slowik’s new chamber-orchestra arrangement of Mahler’s 4th Symphony.
To learn more about the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, click here.
CONCERT SCHEDULE
Sun., Dec. 6
J.S. Bach and C.P.E. Bach: Sonatas for violin and harpsichord
The Smithsonian Chamber Players
Robert Mealy, violin; Kenneth Slowik, harpsichord
Location: Hall of Music, American History Museum
Sun., Jan. 10
Consort music of John Dowland and William Lawes
The Smithsonian Consort of Viols
Kenneth Slowik, Loren Ludwig, Catherine Slowik, Zoe Weiss, Arnie Tanimoto, viols; Lucas Harris, lute
Location: Hall of Music, American History Museum
Sun., Feb. 21
Dvorak: Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81
Brahms: Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34
The Castle Trio and Friends
Lambert Orkis, piano; Marilyn McDonald, violin; Kenneth Slowik, violoncello with Mayumi Seiler, violin, and Gregory Luce, viola
Location: Hall of Music, American History Museum
Sun., March 20
Haydn: Piano Trios
The Smithsonian Chamber Players
Robert Mealy, violin; Phoebe Carrai, violoncello; Kenneth Slowik, fortepiano
Location: Hall of Music, American History Museum
Sun., April 3
Beethoven: Trio in G Major, Op. 9, No. 1; “Spring” Sonata, Op. 24; Septet, Op. 20
The Smithsonian Chamber Players
Vera Beths, violin; Nicholas Cords, viola; Kenneth Slowik, violoncello; Robert Nairn, bass; Charles Neidich, clarinet; Dominic Teresi, bassoon; William Purvis, horn
Location: Hall of Music, American History Museum
Sun., April 24
Schoenberg: Kammersymphonie, Op. 9
Mahler (arr. Slowik): Symphony No. 4
The Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra
Kenneth Slowik, conductor
Location: Hall of Music, American History Museum
Sunday Series (6 concerts): CODE: BPP6
Program, location, and artists are subject to change.
