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 Nicolo Amati—in this popular three-concert series. This concert series is also offered on Sunday 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.
Over the course of the season, the Axelrod String Quartet concludes its traversal—begun last season—of Haydn’s Op. 76 quartets. Each program is further developed around the presence of guest artists.
To learn more about the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, click here.
CONCERT PROGRAM
Following its January tradition, the Axelrod invites a promising quartet in its early career to participate in a gala, all-Stradivarius-and-Amati reading of the Mendelssohn Octet. This year’s choice is the Excelsa Quartet, the prize-winning graduate quartet-in-residence at the University of Maryland. Mendelssohn’s A Minor Quartet, based on his song Frage (“Question”), fills out the program.
Sat., Jan. 23
Haydn: Quartet in D Major, Op. 76, No. 5
Mendelssohn: Quartet in A Minor, Op. 13
Mendelssohn: Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20 (with The Excelsa Quartet: Laura Colgate and Audrey Wright, violins; Valentina Shohdy, viola; Kacy Clopton, violoncello)
Program, location, and artists are subject to change.
To view other concerts in this Saturday classical concert series, click here. This concert series also is offered on Sunday dates.
