Below find dates for our EIGHTY-THIRD SEASON, including the conclusion of our Beethoven Festival with the fabulous Emerson String Quartet this fall and concerts by Imani Winds and Eighth Blackbird coming spring 2022. In an abundance of caution, we are asking all attendees to show proof of vaccination at the door and wear a mask throughout the concert. Additionally hall capacity will be limited to 225, and patrons will be assigned seating in order to best facilitate social distancing. We encourage you to buy your tickets early to guarantee your seat and also help us with logistics. Thanks for your cooperation!
We look forward to seeing you again for live chamber music starting on October 24, 2021!
BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL — EMERSON STRING QUARTET
The year 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth on December 16, 1770. We are celebrating this milestone with a year-long Beethoven Festival, the centerpiece of which is the Emerson String Quartet’s performance of all sixteen Beethoven String Quartets over six concerts from February 2020 through November 2021. This festival is dedicated in loving memory of Ben Franklin. And, with the Emerson String Quartet retiring at the end of next season, our three Beethoven Festival concerts this fall will likely be your last chance to hear these incredible players in Louisville!
For more information, please visit our Beethoven Festival page!
The Emerson String Quartet has been one of the world’s premier chamber music ensembles for more than 40 years. Its DG recording of the Beethoven quartet cycle has earned acclaim for being “technically flawless” and giving 19/20 the impression of being “forged in white heat.”
Fall 2021 Concerts — The Beethoven Cycle Concludes!
Concert 4 — Sunday, October 24, 2021
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 74 “Harp”
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 “Serioso”
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 127
Concert 5 — Saturday, December 4, 2021
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in A minor, Op. 132
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130
BEETHOVEN: Große Fuge in B-flat major, Op. 133
Concert 6 — Sunday, December 5, 2021
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in F major, Op. 135
BEETHOVEN: Alternate Finale to Op. 130
Also in our 2021/22 Season!
IMANI WINDS — Sunday, February 6, 2022
Celebrating over two decades of music making, the Grammy nominated Imani Winds has led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations, and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Repertoire: * indicates a first presentation for the Society
EUGÈNE BOZZA: Scherzo*
ELLIOTT CARTER: Quintet for Winds*
HENRI TOMASI: Cinq Danses
ANDERS HILLBORG: Six Pieces for Wind Quintet*
VALERIE COLEMAN: Afro-Cuban Concerto*
EIGHTH BLACKBIRD — Sunday, March 6, 2022
Eighth Blackbird, hailed as “one of the smartest, most dynamic ensembles on the planet” (Chicago Tribune), began in 1996 as a group of six entrepreneurial Oberlin Conservatory students and continues today under the leadership of founding members Lisa Kaplan (executive director) and Matthew Duvall (artistic director). Eighth Blackbird has won four Grammy Awards for Best Small Ensemble/Chamber Music Performance over its 23-year history and has become “a brand-name defined by adventure, vibrancy and quality” (Detroit Free Press).
Repertoire: * all pieces are first presentations for the Society!
ANDY AKIHO: Erase*
BEKAH SIMMS: Metamold*
TYSON J. DAVIS: Between Light and Shadow*
JONATHAN BAILEY HOLLAND: The Clarity of Cold Air*
THOMAS ALBERT: Thirteen Ways: XIII. Serene*
VIET CUONG: Electric Aroma*
JULIA WOLFE: Singing in the Dead of Night*
RICHARD REED PARRY: Strange Sunrise*
THE MACAULEY COMPETITION
The 2022 competition will be Saturday, March 19! Competitor registration available soon.
Every March the Macauley Chamber Music Competition is organized and sponsored by the Chamber Music Society of Louisville to cultivate young musicians’ interest in performing and appreciating chamber music. The competition is always open for public viewing.
Copyright The Chamber Music Society of Louisville
