Asheville Chamber Music Series announces 62nd season

From a press release:

Asheville Chamber Music Series announces 62nd season

The Asheville Chamber Music Series (ACMS) will be presenting a distinguished roster of internationally acclaimed ensembles for its 2014-15 season, including the renowned Brentano Quartet with violist, Hsin-Yun Huang, who will be the opening concert of the Asheville Amadeus Festival in collaboration with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra on March 17th.  “This event will surely highlight the important role the Asheville Chamber Music Series plays as one of Asheville’s leading music presenters,” says ACMS President, Polly Feitzinger.

Featured ensembles in the ACMS 2014-15 season include:

Pianist, Bradley Martin and violinist, Justin Bruns; Festival Pablo Casals Prades Collective; St. Lawrence String Quartet; Brentano Quartet with Violist, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Trio Cavatina.

PIANIST, BRADLEY MARTIN/VIOLINIST, JUSTIN BRUNS
Friday, September 12, 2014 at 8:00 PM (Unitarian Universalist Congregation)

Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7, Op.30 No.2
Ravel: Sonata for Violin & Piano
Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 12 No.1

Pianist Bradley Martin has appeared in recitals in the United States, Russia, Europe, Australia and Asia.  He has appeared with the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, the Bolshosi Theatre in Russia and the Kussciuzko Foundation in New York.

As first violinist of the Atlanta Chamber Players, Justin Bruns has appeared at the San Miguel de Allende Chamber Music Festival and made his chamber music debut at Weill Recital Hall at New York’s Carnegie Hall.  He has performed throughout the United States and England, appearing with ensembles such as the Kocapelli String Quartet, Brave New Works, and Michigan Chamber Players.

FESTIVAL PABLO CASALS PRADES COLLECTIVE
Friday, October 17, 2014 at 8:00 PM (Unitarian Universalist Congregation)

Milhaud: La Creation du Monde
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet
Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes
Faure: Piano Quartet No.1

It all began in 1950, when friends, knowing his devotion to J.S. Bach, urged Pablo Casals to celebrate the composer’s bicentennial.  The first concert of Festival Pablo Casals Prades took place in the parish church where the master had resided since his exile from Spain.  Undoubtedly one of the oldest music festivals in existence, it remains among the most innovative in its quest to expand repertoire and introduce new talents.  Led by Artistic Director Michel Lethiec, the festival celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2012 by continually presenting chamber music concerts with an impressive roster of distinguished musicians around the world.

ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET
Sunday afternoon, November 16, 2014 at 4:00 PM (Unitarian Universalist Congregation)

Haydn: String Quartet in C major, Op. 76, No. 3 (Emperor)
(“Haydn Discovery” hour)
Beethoven: String Quartet in C sharp minor, Op.131

Established in 1989, the St. Lawrence String Quartet has developed an undisputed reputation as a truly world-class chamber ensemble.  The quartet performs over 120 concerts annually worldwide and is the quartet-in-residence at the Spoleto Festival.  It is widely recognized that chamber music is “the heart and soul of the Festival.” The SLSQ continues to build its reputation for imaginative and spontaneous music-making through an energetic commitment to the great established quartet literature as well as the championing of new works.  The SLSQ’s recordings have been honored with the coveted German critics award, Canada’s Juno Award, and two Grammy nominations.

*BRENTANO QUARTET/HSIN-YUN HUANG – OPENING CONCERT OF THE ASHEVILLE AMADEUS FESTIVAL IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at 8:00 PM (Diana Wortham Theatre)

Mozart: String Quartet, K.458 (Hunt)
Brahms: String Quartet, Op.67
Mozart: Viola Quintet K. 515

Since it’s inception in 1992, the Brentano String Quartet has appeared throughout the world to popular and critical acclaim.  “Passionate, uninhibited and spellbinding,” raves the London Independent; The New York Times extols its “luxuriously warm sound and yearning lyricism,”’ the Philadelphia Inquirer praises its “seemingly infallible instincts for finding the center of gravity in every phrase and musical gesture”’ and the Times (London) opines, “the Brentanos are a magnificent string quartet … This was wonderful, selfless music-making.”

Violist Hsin-Yun Huang, recognized as one of the leading violists of her generation, was the youngest-ever Gold medalist of the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition on the Isle of Man.  She has collaborated with many distinguished artists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Jaime Laredo, Joshua Bell, Joseph Suk and Menahem Pressler.
*Subscribers will receive tickets to all performances, including the opening concert of the Amadeus Festival featuring the Brentano Quartet and Hsin-Yun Huang.  No single tickets for this concert will be available through the ACMS website.

TRIO CAVATINA
Friday, April 10, 2015 at 8:00 PM (Unitarian Universalist Congregation)

Schumann: Etuden in kanonischer Form, Op. 56 (selections)
Schumann: Piano trio in D minor, Op. 63
Schubert: Piano Trio in B-flat, D. 898

Trio Cavatina has rapidly emerged as one of today’s outstanding chamber ensembles.  S the winner of the 2009 Naumburg International Chamber Music Competition, Trio Cavatina made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2010 with scintillating performances of two monumental Beethoven Trios, Leon Kirchner’s second trio, and the world premier performance of Faces of Guernica written for them by Richard Danielpour.  They made their Philadelphia debut as the youngest ensembles to perform in the prestigious Philadelphia Chamber Music Society concert series.

With the exception of the November 16th Sunday afternoon concert at 4:00 PM, all concerts begin at 8:00 PM on Friday evenings at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville at the corner of Charlotte Street and Edwin Place.  One other exception is the Brentano Quartet/Hsin-Yun Huang concert Tuesday, March 17th to be held at the Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 South Pack Square in Asheville at 8:00 PM.

For more than a half a century the ACMS has taken it’s place as a valued cultural resource in Asheville, bringing world-renowned chamber artists to the city.  As one of the nation’s oldest continuous performing chamber music organizations, it has been recognized for its outstanding programs and for its unique education component through a collaboration with the strings program of the Asheville Buncombe Schools and our other cultural partners in the community, including the Asheville Young Musicians Club.

Season tickets are available for $150 each, individual tickets are $38. To purchase season tickets or for more information please visit the ACMS website:  www.ashevillechambermusic.org or call Nathan Shirley at (828) 575-7427 or support@ashevillechambermusic.org.