BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Friends of Music - ECPv6.15.17.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Friends of Music X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://friendsmusic.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Friends of Music REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20210314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20211107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20220313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251207T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251207T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202131 CREATED:20251027T000245Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251129T153313Z UID:2785-1765119600-1765126800@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Pegasus: The Orchestra (Ariel Horowitz\, violin; Yasmina Spiegelberg\, clarinet; Karén Hakobyan\, piano): Folk Inspirations DESCRIPTION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\nNo reservations required.\nOur annual December concert is free-of-charge\, thanks to the generosity of the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation and individual donors.  \n\n\n\nFOLK INSPIRATIONS\n Join Pegasus’s principals— Ariel Horowitz\, violin and Yasmina Spiegelberg\, clarinet with founder and artistic director Karén Hakobyan\, piano —for a creative program inspired by Folk Music. Listeners will be swept from the intricate Spanish folk melodies of de Falla to the raw and energetic Romanian melodies of Bartók; from the joyful Armenian folk melodies of Khachaturian to Lutoslawski’s bold and modern approach to folk music. The program will also feature works by Schoenfield\, Poulenc\, and Horowitz.\n\nListen to Karén’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here.\nKarén Hakobyan\, piano \n \n\nDescribed as “a musician of abundant gifts and bountiful ideas” by New York Concert Review and “an immensely talented and dynamic performer” by Deseret Morning News\, Armenian-American conductor\, pianist\, and composer Karén Hakobyan is a versatile force on the international music scene. Since making his Carnegie Hall debut at age seventeen\, he has performed in major concert halls across Armenia\, Argentina\, Mexico\, Germany\, the UK\, Belgium\, France\, Japan\, and the United States. \n\n\nKarén is the Founder\, Principal Conductor\, and Artistic Director of Pegasus: The Orchestra\, based in New York. As part of Pegasus’s Fifth Anniversary Season (2022–2023)\, he conducted all five Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos with five soloists in a single evening at Lincoln Center\, earning widespread critical acclaim. Fanfare magazine described Hakobyan’s Brahms Fourth Symphony as “a shattering experience\, not to be missed.” Notable conducting engagements include leading the Armenian National Chamber Orchestra in Armenia\, the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra in Japan combined with top principals from Tokyo and guest conducting the MostArts International Festival Orchestra\, featuring pianist Asiya Korepanova as soloist. \n\n\nLast season was a celebration of American music\, uniting two complementary programs — Americana and New World. Americana honored the centennial of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue\, which Hakobyan both played and conducted from the piano\, while New World concluded the season with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9\, praised by New York Classical Review as “delivered with commanding energy and a strong sense of ensemble.” Upcoming engagements include performances featuring Ravel150 and an All-Armenian Program with Pegasus at Kaufman Center\, as well as a highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut. \n\nA top prizewinner in multiple international piano and composition competitions\, Hakobyan holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music\, Mannes College of Music\, and the University of Utah. His performances have been broadcast on WQXR (New York City)\, WFMT (Chicago)\, WSKG (New York)\, Argentine National Radio\, Monterrey’s Op. 102 (Mexico)\, Armenian National Radio\, Al Jazeera TV\, Public TV of Armenia\, and Voice of America TV. \nYasmina Spiegelberg\, clarinet \n \n\n\nHailed for her “enchanting” performances (New York Classical Review)\, her “lambent tone and persuasive phrasing” (Oberon’s Grove)\, Swiss-French clarinetist Yasmina Spiegelberg is the laureate of several international and national competitions including the Rotary International Competition Madrid Velazquez\, the Frances Walton Seattle Competition\, and the USC Concerto Competition. Additionally\, she was awarded the Special Prize at the 2nd Vienna International Music Competition\, and the Golden Medal at the 4th Manhattan International Music Competition. Her former clarinet trio\, The Tandru Trio\, was the winner at the Beverly Hills National Auditions in 2019. With her woodwind quintet\, ConnectFive\, she was an Ensemble Forward Grantee through Chamber Music America.\n\n\n\nBased in NYC\, she is an alum of Ensemble Connect\, the resident ensemble of Carnegie Hall\, which features extraordinary young musicians from around the globe who are committed to community engagement\, teaching\, entrepreneurship\, and leadership. She has appeared in many renowned concert halls including the Oslo Concert Hall\, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam\, Merkin Hall\, and Carnegie Hall.Yasmina was a guest soloist with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra\, Nomad Symphony Orchestra (France)\, String Ensemble Rapsodia (Switzerland)\, USC Thornton Edge\, and USC Thornton Symphony Orchestra. She has been broadcasted live as a soloist on KUSC (California) and KING-FM (Washington) and she recorded an album in Switzerland featuring concertos and other works for clarinet and orchestra. \n\n\n\nAriel Horowitz\, violin \nHailed by The Washington Post as “Sweetly Lyrical\,” violinist\, composer/songwriter\, and community organizer Ariel Horowitz (they/them or she/her) cannot remember life before loving music. \nIn 2020\, Ariel joined the Concert Artists Guild roster for North American management and enjoys an active touring schedule as a soloist and as one-half of Vision Duo\, an ensemble formed with fellow CAG artist Britton-René Collins in 2021. As a composer\, songwriter\, and avid improviser\, Ariel’s original music centers on themes of healing\, community\, and liberation. She has performed her compositions and songs around the world\, including at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. \nAs a community organizer\, Ariel is honored to be the Founder and Artistic Director of the Heartbeat Music Project\, a tuition-free program offering music and Navajo (Diné) cultural education as well as direct aid resources to young people in grades K–12 living on the Navajo Nation. Ariel’s organizing for this work is as a long-term co-conspirator for Indigenous-led decolonization and land back efforts\, and as a guest on the sovereign Navajo Nation. In 2022\, HMP received the Lewis Prize for Music’s Accelerator Award in the amount of $500\,000 to support their work with Navajo youth. \n  \nABOUT PEGASUS: THE ORCHESTRA \n\nHailed by New York Concert Review as “a truly first-rate ensemble\,” Pegasus: The Orchestra is a celebrated New York–based nonprofit founded in 2017 by pianist\, conductor\, and composer Karén Hakobyan. Reimagining the orchestra for a new era\, Pegasus defies traditional models with bold programming\, artistic flexibility\, and a mission to elevate emerging artists and bring the orchestral experience to broader\, more inclusive audiences. Fanfare Magazine praised the orchestra’s Brahms as “a shattering experience\, not to be missed\,” while New York Classical Review lauded its “commanding energy and a strong sense of ensemble.” Under Hakobyan’s direction\, Pegasus has collaborated with world-class soloists\, premiered original arrangements\, and performed at Lincoln Center\, Kaufman Center\, DiMenna Center\, and many other top venues\, while holding residencies at Monira Foundation and Mana Contemporary. With a composer-arranger at its helm\, Pegasus continues to push artistic boundaries\, bringing transformative performances to concert halls\, communities\, and digital platforms alike. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/pegasus3/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Karen-photo-3-1-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251116T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251116T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202131 CREATED:20250330T224602Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251111T134445Z UID:2563-1763305200-1763312400@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Nina Bernat\, double bass & Anthony Ratinov\, piano DESCRIPTION:Listen to Nina’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder . \nSunday\, November 16\, 2025 at 3pm First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under No reservations required. \nAmerican double bassist Nina Bernat\, acclaimed for her interpretive maturity\, expressive depth and technical clarity\, has carved out a distinctive career as a soloist\, redefining the role of her instrument on the world stage. She was hailed by the Star Tribune as a “standout” for her recent concerto debut with the Minnesota Orchestra\, praising her performance as “exhilarating\, lovely and lyrical… technically precise and impressively emotive.” \nIn 2023\, Nina was honored as a recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and winner of the CAG Elmaleh Competition. Recent 1st prizes include the Barbash J.S. Bach String Competition\, the Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition\, the Juilliard Double Bass Competition\, and the 2019 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition. \nEngaged in all aspects of double bass performance\, she has been invited to perform as guest principal bassist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Oslo Philharmonic\, serving under the batons of conductors such as András Schiff and Osmo Vänskä.  \nNina is in demand as a passionate chamber musician. She begins her involvement with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center as a member of the Bowers Program in 2024. She has spent summers at Marlboro Music Festival\, Verbier Festival\, Music@Menlo and Chamber Music Northwest.   \nShe is quickly becoming a sought-after pedagogue\, having given masterclasses at the Colburn School\, Boston University Tanglewood Institute\, University of Texas at Austin among others. She is on the faculty of Stony Brook University.  \nNina performs on an instrument passed down from her father\, Mark Bernat\, attributed to Guadagnini. \n \n\nHailed for his “unwavering energy and precision” (La Scena Musicale)\, American pianist Anthony Ratinov captivates audiences worldwide\, commanding the stage with “class\, style\, technical mastery\, and solo prowess” (Beckmesser). \n\n\nRatinov is the recent winner of the 3rd Prize at the prestigious 2024 Concours Musical International de Montréal\, where he was praised for his “striking confidence in taking risks” and for his ability to “go beyond the virtuoso challenge and have fun with the music” (Le Devoir). Ratinov also won the 2nd Prize at the 2025 National U.S. Chopin Competition\, and in 2023 won the 2nd Prize at the Busoni International Piano Competition with his performance of Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto\, lauded for “sporting a pianism at the highest level… with admirable dexterity and stainless precision” (L’Ape Musicale). \nAnthony has appeared as a soloist with orchestras across Europe and North America\, including a recent sold-out performance of Chopin’s F minor Piano Concerto at Barcelona’s iconic Palau de la Música Catalana. His solo concert tours have spanned the Netherlands\, Spain\, Italy\, and the United States\, with appearances at renowned venues such as Amsterdam’s The Royal Concertgebouw\, Vienna’s ORF RadioKulturhaus\, and Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/nina-bernat-double-bass-anthony-ratinov-piano/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251019T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251019T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202131 CREATED:20250330T003426Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251009T012138Z UID:2538-1760886000-1760893200@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Asiya Korepanova\, piano & Balourdet Quartet DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, October 19\, 2025 at 3pm\n\n\n\nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n \nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nAsiya Korepanova is a pianistic powerhouse hailed as a “tremendously gifted pianist who exhibits a singular affinity for Rachmaninoff’s Russian romantic idiom and possesses the blazing technique to fully realize his distinctive scores” (South Florida Classical Review). A herald of an enormous repertoire encompassing over 60 piano concertos and solo works ranging from the early Baroque period to music of living composers\, Asiya is a quintessential completist. \nShe finds unique joy in performing complete collections of works such as the 24 Liszt Etudes or the entire Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach. Her emotionally charged and colorfully nuanced performances have gained her the admiration of audiences and resulted in many repeat engagements. \n  \nThe Balourdet Quartet is a dynamic\, award-winning ensemble that takes creative risks on stage\, producing both emotionally intense and intimate moments. Its unique closeness and unwavering sense of team trust earned it the 2021 Grand Prize at New York’s Concert Artists Guild Competition and Chamber Music America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award. \n \nThe Balourdet journey began in 2018 in the mountains of New Mexico at the Taos School of Music\, where violinists Justin DeFilippis\, Angela Bae\, and cellist Russell Houston first bonded as friends over long evenings of chamber music\, luxurious Peppermint Schnapps and extravagant meals created by chef extraordinaire Antoine Balourdet\, a renaissance man with an exceptional love of life and music. It was the friendships\, a shared passion for music and food\, and gratitude for the role the festival played in the formation of the quartet\, that inspired the members to name the ensemble in Chef Balourdet’s honor.   \nSoon thereafter\, in the heat of a waning Texas summer\, Justin\, Angela\, and Russell joined with violist Benjamin Zannoni of Rice University\, and the Balourdet Quartet was formed. Inspired by their love for the repertoire and the excitement of having found each other\, the four friends found themselves playing quartets late into the night for fun. After having been together for only one year at Rice University\, and a summer at the Aspen Music Festival\, they took second prize at the Nielsen International String Quartet Competition\, and were selected as the only quartet admitted to Boston’s historic New England Conservatory Professional String Quartet Program under the tutelage of Cleveland Quartet cellist Paul Katz. \nIn 2021\, the Quartet won the Grand Prize at New York’s Concert Artists Guild Competition\, which included joint management by Concert Artists Guild in the U.S.\, and Young Classical Artist’s Trust (YCAT) in the UK and Europe. In addition\, the Balourdet has been prizewinners in Canada’s Banff International String Quartet Competition\, the International Premio Paolo Borciani Competition in Italy\, Gold Medal winners at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition\, and Gold Medal and Audience Prizewinners at the Yellow Springs Competition.  \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nSunday\, October 19\, 2025 at 3pm\n\n\n\nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n \nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nAsiya Korepanova is a pianistic powerhouse hailed as a “tremendously gifted pianist who exhibits a singular affinity for Rachmaninoff’s Russian romantic idiom and possesses the blazing technique to fully realize his distinctive scores” (South Florida Classical Review). A herald of an enormous repertoire encompassing over 60 piano concertos and solo works ranging from the early Baroque period to music of living composers\, Asiya is a quintessential completist. \nShe finds unique joy in performing complete collections of works such as the 24 Liszt Etudes or the entire Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach. Her emotionally charged and colorfully nuanced performances have gained her the admiration of audiences and resulted in many repeat engagements. \n  \nThe Balourdet Quartet is a dynamic\, award-winning ensemble that takes creative risks on stage\, producing both emotionally intense and intimate moments. Its unique closeness and unwavering sense of team trust earned it the 2021 Grand Prize at New York’s Concert Artists Guild Competition and Chamber Music America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award. \n \nThe Balourdet journey began in 2018 in the mountains of New Mexico at the Taos School of Music\, where violinists Justin DeFilippis\, Angela Bae\, and cellist Russell Houston first bonded as friends over long evenings of chamber music\, luxurious Peppermint Schnapps and extravagant meals created by chef extraordinaire Antoine Balourdet\, a renaissance man with an exceptional love of life and music. It was the friendships\, a shared passion for music and food\, and gratitude for the role the festival played in the formation of the quartet\, that inspired the members to name the ensemble in Chef Balourdet’s honor.   \nSoon thereafter\, in the heat of a waning Texas summer\, Justin\, Angela\, and Russell joined with violist Benjamin Zannoni of Rice University\, and the Balourdet Quartet was formed. Inspired by their love for the repertoire and the excitement of having found each other\, the four friends found themselves playing quartets late into the night for fun. After having been together for only one year at Rice University\, and a summer at the Aspen Music Festival\, they took second prize at the Nielsen International String Quartet Competition\, and were selected as the only quartet admitted to Boston’s historic New England Conservatory Professional String Quartet Program under the tutelage of Cleveland Quartet cellist Paul Katz. \nIn 2021\, the Quartet won the Grand Prize at New York’s Concert Artists Guild Competition\, which included joint management by Concert Artists Guild in the U.S.\, and Young Classical Artist’s Trust (YCAT) in the UK and Europe. In addition\, the Balourdet has been prizewinners in Canada’s Banff International String Quartet Competition\, the International Premio Paolo Borciani Competition in Italy\, Gold Medal winners at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition\, and Gold Medal and Audience Prizewinners at the Yellow Springs Competition.  \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nSunday\, October 19\, 2025 at 3pm\n\n\n\nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n \nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nAsiya Korepanova is a pianistic powerhouse hailed as a “tremendously gifted pianist who exhibits a singular affinity for Rachmaninoff’s Russian romantic idiom and possesses the blazing technique to fully realize his distinctive scores” (South Florida Classical Review). A herald of an enormous repertoire encompassing over 60 piano concertos and solo works ranging from the early Baroque period to music of living composers\, Asiya is a quintessential completist. \nShe finds unique joy in performing complete collections of works such as the 24 Liszt Etudes or the entire Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach. Her emotionally charged and colorfully nuanced performances have gained her the admiration of audiences and resulted in many repeat engagements. \n  \nThe Balourdet Quartet is a dynamic\, award-winning ensemble that takes creative risks on stage\, producing both emotionally intense and intimate moments. Its unique closeness and unwavering sense of team trust earned it the 2021 Grand Prize at New York’s Concert Artists Guild Competition and Chamber Music America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award. \n \nThe Balourdet journey began in 2018 in the mountains of New Mexico at the Taos School of Music\, where violinists Justin DeFilippis\, Angela Bae\, and cellist Russell Houston first bonded as friends over long evenings of chamber music\, luxurious Peppermint Schnapps and extravagant meals created by chef extraordinaire Antoine Balourdet\, a renaissance man with an exceptional love of life and music. It was the friendships\, a shared passion for music and food\, and gratitude for the role the festival played in the formation of the quartet\, that inspired the members to name the ensemble in Chef Balourdet’s honor.   \nSoon thereafter\, in the heat of a waning Texas summer\, Justin\, Angela\, and Russell joined with violist Benjamin Zannoni of Rice University\, and the Balourdet Quartet was formed. Inspired by their love for the repertoire and the excitement of having found each other\, the four friends found themselves playing quartets late into the night for fun. After having been together for only one year at Rice University\, and a summer at the Aspen Music Festival\, they took second prize at the Nielsen International String Quartet Competition\, and were selected as the only quartet admitted to Boston’s historic New England Conservatory Professional String Quartet Program under the tutelage of Cleveland Quartet cellist Paul Katz. \nIn 2021\, the Quartet won the Grand Prize at New York’s Concert Artists Guild Competition\, which included joint management by Concert Artists Guild in the U.S.\, and Young Classical Artist’s Trust (YCAT) in the UK and Europe. In addition\, the Balourdet has been prizewinners in Canada’s Banff International String Quartet Competition\, the International Premio Paolo Borciani Competition in Italy\, Gold Medal winners at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition\, and Gold Medal and Audience Prizewinners at the Yellow Springs Competition.  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/asiya-korepanova-balourdet-quartet/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/KevinCondon2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250921T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250921T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20250330T002528Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250609T010503Z UID:2534-1758466800-1758474000@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Francesca Anderegg\, violin & Joy Cline Phinney\, piano DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, September 21\, 2025 at 3pm\n\n\n\nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n \nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nHailed by the New York Times for her “rich tone” and “virtuosic panache\,” violinist Francesca Anderegg delivers insightful accounts of contemporary and classical music. Through her inventive programming\, active composer collaborations\, and precise yet impassioned interpretations\, Anderegg has earned renown as a musical explorer of the first order. \nAnderegg has a national and international reputation as a violinist with a special focus on Latin American repertoire and contemporary music. As a soloist\, Ms. Anderegg has toured throughout Argentina and Brazil\, performing a wide variety of contemporary and standard violin concerti with orchestras in the United States and South America. Since her Carnegie Hall debut performance in 2008\, Ms. Anderegg has given solo recitals in national and international venues\, including Brooklyn’s National Sawdust\, The Arts Club of Washington\, the National Museum of Colombia in Bógota\, and many others across the world. Her three solo albums have been featured on radio programs throughout the country and noted for their “stunning virtuosity” (Fanfare Magazine)\, “lustrous tone” (The Strad Magazine)\, and “riveting listening experience” (Second Inversion). Her album “Wild Cities” was selected as a favorite of 2016 by New Music Box\, and her most recent commercial release\, “Images of Brazil\,” was praised as “the most delightful disc of Brazilian chamber music to come along in years” (Fanfare Magazine). Ms. Anderegg’s appearances include concerts at Chicago’s Symphony Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with Itzhak Perlman and members of the Perlman Music Program. \nMs. Anderegg’s career is characterized by remarkable versatility. In addition to her accomplishments as a soloist\, she is also a skilled orchestral musician\, chamber musician and administrator. She frequently performs and tours with the Minnesota Orchestra\, and after a successful audition\, won a one-year position in the first violin section from 2014-2015. As a chamber musician\, she has performed with many of the leading artists of today\, including musicians from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra\, the Juilliard String Quartet\, Indiana University\, and many others. \nPianist Joy Cline Phinney\, a native of Boulder\, Colorado\, has appeared in solo and chamber music recitals across the United States and in Europe.  She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano from The Juilliard School\, where she studied with William Masselos\, Adele Marcus\, and Samuel Sanders\, and a Doctor of Ensemble Arts from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University\, where she studied with Ellen Mack and Robert McDonald.  \nJoy has collaborated in chamber music concerts\, recording projects\, and radio and television programs with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra\, New York Philharmonic\, Cleveland Orchestra\, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra\, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra\, among others\, and for two decades has appeared annually with headlined artists on the Faculty Showcase concerts at the Sarasota (Florida) Music Festival.  Some of the distinguished artists with whom she has performed are James Buswell\, Lynn Chang\, Timothy Cobb\, Anyango Yarbo- Davenport\,\, Timothy Eddy\, Anthony Elliot\, Miguel Pérez-Espejo\, Emmanuel Feldman\, Karen Gomyo\, Vanessa Holroyd\, David Houston\, Juliette Kang\, Alexander Kerr\, Nancy King\, Julie Landsman\, Ron Leonard\, Lucia Lin\, Phillippe Muller\, Peter Stumpf\, Richard Svoboda\, Hsin-Lin Tsai\, Ann Hobson Pilot\, Alan Vogel\, Carol Wincenc\, William Winstead\, Owen Young\, and Rebecca Young.   \nNotable concerts of the past two years include return engagement on the New York Philharmonic Merkin Hall Concert Series (Brahms Piano Quintet)\, “Colour of Music” festival concerts in Houston\, TX  and Richmond\, VA\, collaborative concerts at Stanford\, Harvard\, Seattle\, Brandeis\, and Tufts Universities\, Sevenars Music Festival (MA)\,  Resident Artist and concerts with “Castle of Our Skins\,” continuing engagements with musiConnects\, and Boston University’s quartet-in-residence – Arneis Quartet. Faculty appointments include the Cremona International Academy in Italy\, Sarasota  International Music Festival in Florida\, and Easton Chamber Music Festival  in Massachusetts.  \nRecording credits: “Our American Roots: Music for Cello and Piano” (Delos) with cellist Emmanuel Feldman\, following up their successful collaboration “Rider on the Plains” (Albany Records)\, which was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Producer\, Blanton Alspaugh. \n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, September 21\, 2025 at 3pm\n\n\n\nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n \nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nHailed by the New York Times for her “rich tone” and “virtuosic panache\,” violinist Francesca Anderegg delivers insightful accounts of contemporary and classical music. Through her inventive programming\, active composer collaborations\, and precise yet impassioned interpretations\, Anderegg has earned renown as a musical explorer of the first order. \nAnderegg has a national and international reputation as a violinist with a special focus on Latin American repertoire and contemporary music. As a soloist\, Ms. Anderegg has toured throughout Argentina and Brazil\, performing a wide variety of contemporary and standard violin concerti with orchestras in the United States and South America. Since her Carnegie Hall debut performance in 2008\, Ms. Anderegg has given solo recitals in national and international venues\, including Brooklyn’s National Sawdust\, The Arts Club of Washington\, the National Museum of Colombia in Bógota\, and many others across the world. Her three solo albums have been featured on radio programs throughout the country and noted for their “stunning virtuosity” (Fanfare Magazine)\, “lustrous tone” (The Strad Magazine)\, and “riveting listening experience” (Second Inversion). Her album “Wild Cities” was selected as a favorite of 2016 by New Music Box\, and her most recent commercial release\, “Images of Brazil\,” was praised as “the most delightful disc of Brazilian chamber music to come along in years” (Fanfare Magazine). Ms. Anderegg’s appearances include concerts at Chicago’s Symphony Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with Itzhak Perlman and members of the Perlman Music Program. \nMs. Anderegg’s career is characterized by remarkable versatility. In addition to her accomplishments as a soloist\, she is also a skilled orchestral musician\, chamber musician and administrator. She frequently performs and tours with the Minnesota Orchestra\, and after a successful audition\, won a one-year position in the first violin section from 2014-2015. As a chamber musician\, she has performed with many of the leading artists of today\, including musicians from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra\, the Juilliard String Quartet\, Indiana University\, and many others. \nPianist Joy Cline Phinney\, a native of Boulder\, Colorado\, has appeared in solo and chamber music recitals across the United States and in Europe.  She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano from The Juilliard School\, where she studied with William Masselos\, Adele Marcus\, and Samuel Sanders\, and a Doctor of Ensemble Arts from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University\, where she studied with Ellen Mack and Robert McDonald.  \nJoy has collaborated in chamber music concerts\, recording projects\, and radio and television programs with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra\, New York Philharmonic\, Cleveland Orchestra\, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra\, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra\, among others\, and for two decades has appeared annually with headlined artists on the Faculty Showcase concerts at the Sarasota (Florida) Music Festival.  Some of the distinguished artists with whom she has performed are James Buswell\, Lynn Chang\, Timothy Cobb\, Anyango Yarbo- Davenport\,\, Timothy Eddy\, Anthony Elliot\, Miguel Pérez-Espejo\, Emmanuel Feldman\, Karen Gomyo\, Vanessa Holroyd\, David Houston\, Juliette Kang\, Alexander Kerr\, Nancy King\, Julie Landsman\, Ron Leonard\, Lucia Lin\, Phillippe Muller\, Peter Stumpf\, Richard Svoboda\, Hsin-Lin Tsai\, Ann Hobson Pilot\, Alan Vogel\, Carol Wincenc\, William Winstead\, Owen Young\, and Rebecca Young.   \nNotable concerts of the past two years include return engagement on the New York Philharmonic Merkin Hall Concert Series (Brahms Piano Quintet)\, “Colour of Music” festival concerts in Houston\, TX  and Richmond\, VA\, collaborative concerts at Stanford\, Harvard\, Seattle\, Brandeis\, and Tufts Universities\, Sevenars Music Festival (MA)\,  Resident Artist and concerts with “Castle of Our Skins\,” continuing engagements with musiConnects\, and Boston University’s quartet-in-residence – Arneis Quartet. Faculty appointments include the Cremona International Academy in Italy\, Sarasota  International Music Festival in Florida\, and Easton Chamber Music Festival  in Massachusetts.  \nRecording credits: “Our American Roots: Music for Cello and Piano” (Delos) with cellist Emmanuel Feldman\, following up their successful collaboration “Rider on the Plains” (Albany Records)\, which was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Producer\, Blanton Alspaugh. \n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, September 21\, 2025 at 3pm\n\n\n\nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n \nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nHailed by the New York Times for her “rich tone” and “virtuosic panache\,” violinist Francesca Anderegg delivers insightful accounts of contemporary and classical music. Through her inventive programming\, active composer collaborations\, and precise yet impassioned interpretations\, Anderegg has earned renown as a musical explorer of the first order. \nAnderegg has a national and international reputation as a violinist with a special focus on Latin American repertoire and contemporary music. As a soloist\, Ms. Anderegg has toured throughout Argentina and Brazil\, performing a wide variety of contemporary and standard violin concerti with orchestras in the United States and South America. Since her Carnegie Hall debut performance in 2008\, Ms. Anderegg has given solo recitals in national and international venues\, including Brooklyn’s National Sawdust\, The Arts Club of Washington\, the National Museum of Colombia in Bógota\, and many others across the world. Her three solo albums have been featured on radio programs throughout the country and noted for their “stunning virtuosity” (Fanfare Magazine)\, “lustrous tone” (The Strad Magazine)\, and “riveting listening experience” (Second Inversion). Her album “Wild Cities” was selected as a favorite of 2016 by New Music Box\, and her most recent commercial release\, “Images of Brazil\,” was praised as “the most delightful disc of Brazilian chamber music to come along in years” (Fanfare Magazine). Ms. Anderegg’s appearances include concerts at Chicago’s Symphony Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with Itzhak Perlman and members of the Perlman Music Program. \nMs. Anderegg’s career is characterized by remarkable versatility. In addition to her accomplishments as a soloist\, she is also a skilled orchestral musician\, chamber musician and administrator. She frequently performs and tours with the Minnesota Orchestra\, and after a successful audition\, won a one-year position in the first violin section from 2014-2015. As a chamber musician\, she has performed with many of the leading artists of today\, including musicians from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra\, the Juilliard String Quartet\, Indiana University\, and many others. \nPianist Joy Cline Phinney\, a native of Boulder\, Colorado\, has appeared in solo and chamber music recitals across the United States and in Europe.  She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano from The Juilliard School\, where she studied with William Masselos\, Adele Marcus\, and Samuel Sanders\, and a Doctor of Ensemble Arts from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University\, where she studied with Ellen Mack and Robert McDonald.  \nJoy has collaborated in chamber music concerts\, recording projects\, and radio and television programs with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra\, New York Philharmonic\, Cleveland Orchestra\, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra\, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra\, among others\, and for two decades has appeared annually with headlined artists on the Faculty Showcase concerts at the Sarasota (Florida) Music Festival.  Some of the distinguished artists with whom she has performed are James Buswell\, Lynn Chang\, Timothy Cobb\, Anyango Yarbo- Davenport\,\, Timothy Eddy\, Anthony Elliot\, Miguel Pérez-Espejo\, Emmanuel Feldman\, Karen Gomyo\, Vanessa Holroyd\, David Houston\, Juliette Kang\, Alexander Kerr\, Nancy King\, Julie Landsman\, Ron Leonard\, Lucia Lin\, Phillippe Muller\, Peter Stumpf\, Richard Svoboda\, Hsin-Lin Tsai\, Ann Hobson Pilot\, Alan Vogel\, Carol Wincenc\, William Winstead\, Owen Young\, and Rebecca Young.   \nNotable concerts of the past two years include return engagement on the New York Philharmonic Merkin Hall Concert Series (Brahms Piano Quintet)\, “Colour of Music” festival concerts in Houston\, TX  and Richmond\, VA\, collaborative concerts at Stanford\, Harvard\, Seattle\, Brandeis\, and Tufts Universities\, Sevenars Music Festival (MA)\,  Resident Artist and concerts with “Castle of Our Skins\,” continuing engagements with musiConnects\, and Boston University’s quartet-in-residence – Arneis Quartet. Faculty appointments include the Cremona International Academy in Italy\, Sarasota  International Music Festival in Florida\, and Easton Chamber Music Festival  in Massachusetts.  \nRecording credits: “Our American Roots: Music for Cello and Piano” (Delos) with cellist Emmanuel Feldman\, following up their successful collaboration “Rider on the Plains” (Albany Records)\, which was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Producer\, Blanton Alspaugh. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/francesca-anderegg-violin-joy-cline-phinney-piano/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/FAPhoto4.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250817T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250817T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20250330T001415Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250816T133627Z UID:2531-1755442800-1755450000@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:New Asia Chamber Music Society\, East Meets West: A Musical Tapestry Across Cultures DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, August 17\, 2025 at 3pm\n\n\n\nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY.Suggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under.No reservations required. \n\n\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n \nKeiko Tokunaga\, violinSean Wang\, violinAndy Lin\, viola/erhuHikaru Tamaki\, celloYoko Reikano Kimura\, koto/shamisen/voice \nThis captivating program brings together traditional East Asian instruments—the Chinese erhu\, Japanese koto\, and shamisen—in dynamic conversation with the Western string quartet\, creating a sonic landscape where cultural traditions merge and transform. \nListen to the group’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here. \nThe evening opens with Michael Ippolito’s Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds)\, a striking new work for shamisen and string quartet. Inspired by Japanese woodblock prints and folk tales\, the piece explores mythical and whimsical scenes—elephants misunderstood\, ghostly skeletons dancing\, and timeless gardens—all filtered through a blend of Eastern and Western sensibilities. \nStephanie Chou’s Dragon continues the East-West dialogue\, showcasing the expressive power of the erhu in a fiery musical narrative grounded in Chinese tradition yet shaped by contemporary classical form. Wildlife Suites by Yaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu further this cross-cultural fusion\, painting vivid portraits of animals through the unique timbre of the erhu supported by string trio. \nAfter intermission\, Daron Hagen’s Koto Concerto: Genji offers a lyrical and theatrical journey through scenes from The Tale of Genji. The koto and voice move between shimmering textures and lyrical introspection\, supported by the Western ensemble to evoke dreamlike transitions and timeless beauty. Together\, the program is a celebration of artistic hybridity\, where music transcends borders to create a shared language of imagination\, tradition\, and innovation. \nFounded in 2010 by a group of passionate young Asian-American musicians who wanted to create more opportunities for Asian artists and bring fresh energy to chamber music. Since then\, NACMS has won the 2016 Huang-Yu-Ting Memorial Award and a New Music USA grant. The members\, graduates of prestigious schools like Juilliard and Curtis\, have performed around the world and are dedicated to delivering high-quality\, memorable concerts. \nNACMS made its sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2011 and continues to perform at iconic venues across New York\, such as Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They also bring their music to unique spaces like Ellis Island and Queens Museum and have toured internationally\, including Paraguay and a memorable trip to Taiwan for performances and master classes. \nThe society collaborates with world-class artists\, like Toby Appel\, Hsin-Yun Huang\, and Cho-Liang Lin\, to bring audiences diverse\, dynamic performances. Their House Salon Concerts and Between The Bars series offer intimate\, interactive events\, with insights from seasoned musicians. During the pandemic\, they introduced NACMS Originals and Music On Air to stay connected with audiences online. \nFrom 2022 to 2024\, three consecutive years\, NACMS was invited to perform the U.S. national anthem at Madison Square Garden and Citi Field\, celebrating cultural diversity. They also partnered with Bard College for the China Now Music Festival. Going forward\, NACMS is launching a Young Artist Competition and music festival to support emerging talent and continue inspiring audiences across generations and cultures. Through their Membership Program\, NACMS invites music lovers to join in their mission of making chamber music an inclusive\, shared experience. \n \nProgram:Michael Ippolito: Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds) (2023) for Shamisen and StringQuartetI. The Blind Men and the ElephantII. Plum Garden at Kameido (Hiroshige)III. Skeleton Dance (Kyosai)IV.Stephanie Chou: Dragon for Erhu and String TrioYaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu: Wildlife Suites for Erhu and String Trio \n—intermission— \nDaron Aric Hagen: Koto Concerto: GenjiI. Cicada ShellII. Falling FlowersIII. Maiden on the BridgeIV. Floating Bridge of DreamsV. Vanished into the Clouds \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, August 17\, 2025 at 3pm\n\n\n\nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY.Suggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under.No reservations required. \n\n\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n \nKeiko Tokunaga\, violinSean Wang\, violinAndy Lin\, viola/erhuHikaru Tamaki\, celloYoko Reikano Kimura\, koto/shamisen/voice \nThis captivating program brings together traditional East Asian instruments—the Chinese erhu\, Japanese koto\, and shamisen—in dynamic conversation with the Western string quartet\, creating a sonic landscape where cultural traditions merge and transform. \nListen to the group’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here. \nThe evening opens with Michael Ippolito’s Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds)\, a striking new work for shamisen and string quartet. Inspired by Japanese woodblock prints and folk tales\, the piece explores mythical and whimsical scenes—elephants misunderstood\, ghostly skeletons dancing\, and timeless gardens—all filtered through a blend of Eastern and Western sensibilities. \nStephanie Chou’s Dragon continues the East-West dialogue\, showcasing the expressive power of the erhu in a fiery musical narrative grounded in Chinese tradition yet shaped by contemporary classical form. Wildlife Suites by Yaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu further this cross-cultural fusion\, painting vivid portraits of animals through the unique timbre of the erhu supported by string trio. \nAfter intermission\, Daron Hagen’s Koto Concerto: Genji offers a lyrical and theatrical journey through scenes from The Tale of Genji. The koto and voice move between shimmering textures and lyrical introspection\, supported by the Western ensemble to evoke dreamlike transitions and timeless beauty. Together\, the program is a celebration of artistic hybridity\, where music transcends borders to create a shared language of imagination\, tradition\, and innovation. \nFounded in 2010 by a group of passionate young Asian-American musicians who wanted to create more opportunities for Asian artists and bring fresh energy to chamber music. Since then\, NACMS has won the 2016 Huang-Yu-Ting Memorial Award and a New Music USA grant. The members\, graduates of prestigious schools like Juilliard and Curtis\, have performed around the world and are dedicated to delivering high-quality\, memorable concerts. \nNACMS made its sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2011 and continues to perform at iconic venues across New York\, such as Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They also bring their music to unique spaces like Ellis Island and Queens Museum and have toured internationally\, including Paraguay and a memorable trip to Taiwan for performances and master classes. \nThe society collaborates with world-class artists\, like Toby Appel\, Hsin-Yun Huang\, and Cho-Liang Lin\, to bring audiences diverse\, dynamic performances. Their House Salon Concerts and Between The Bars series offer intimate\, interactive events\, with insights from seasoned musicians. During the pandemic\, they introduced NACMS Originals and Music On Air to stay connected with audiences online. \nFrom 2022 to 2024\, three consecutive years\, NACMS was invited to perform the U.S. national anthem at Madison Square Garden and Citi Field\, celebrating cultural diversity. They also partnered with Bard College for the China Now Music Festival. Going forward\, NACMS is launching a Young Artist Competition and music festival to support emerging talent and continue inspiring audiences across generations and cultures. Through their Membership Program\, NACMS invites music lovers to join in their mission of making chamber music an inclusive\, shared experience. \n \nProgram:Michael Ippolito: Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds) (2023) for Shamisen and StringQuartetI. The Blind Men and the ElephantII. Plum Garden at Kameido (Hiroshige)III. Skeleton Dance (Kyosai)IV.Stephanie Chou: Dragon for Erhu and String TrioYaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu: Wildlife Suites for Erhu and String Trio \n—intermission— \nDaron Aric Hagen: Koto Concerto: GenjiI. Cicada ShellII. Falling FlowersIII. Maiden on the BridgeIV. Floating Bridge of DreamsV. Vanished into the Clouds \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, August 17\, 2025 at 3pm\n\n\n\nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY.Suggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under.No reservations required. \n\n\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n \nKeiko Tokunaga\, violinSean Wang\, violinAndy Lin\, viola/erhuHikaru Tamaki\, celloYoko Reikano Kimura\, koto/shamisen/voice \nThis captivating program brings together traditional East Asian instruments—the Chinese erhu\, Japanese koto\, and shamisen—in dynamic conversation with the Western string quartet\, creating a sonic landscape where cultural traditions merge and transform. \nListen to the group’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here. \nThe evening opens with Michael Ippolito’s Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds)\, a striking new work for shamisen and string quartet. Inspired by Japanese woodblock prints and folk tales\, the piece explores mythical and whimsical scenes—elephants misunderstood\, ghostly skeletons dancing\, and timeless gardens—all filtered through a blend of Eastern and Western sensibilities. \nStephanie Chou’s Dragon continues the East-West dialogue\, showcasing the expressive power of the erhu in a fiery musical narrative grounded in Chinese tradition yet shaped by contemporary classical form. Wildlife Suites by Yaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu further this cross-cultural fusion\, painting vivid portraits of animals through the unique timbre of the erhu supported by string trio. \nAfter intermission\, Daron Hagen’s Koto Concerto: Genji offers a lyrical and theatrical journey through scenes from The Tale of Genji. The koto and voice move between shimmering textures and lyrical introspection\, supported by the Western ensemble to evoke dreamlike transitions and timeless beauty. Together\, the program is a celebration of artistic hybridity\, where music transcends borders to create a shared language of imagination\, tradition\, and innovation. \nFounded in 2010 by a group of passionate young Asian-American musicians who wanted to create more opportunities for Asian artists and bring fresh energy to chamber music. Since then\, NACMS has won the 2016 Huang-Yu-Ting Memorial Award and a New Music USA grant. The members\, graduates of prestigious schools like Juilliard and Curtis\, have performed around the world and are dedicated to delivering high-quality\, memorable concerts. \nNACMS made its sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2011 and continues to perform at iconic venues across New York\, such as Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They also bring their music to unique spaces like Ellis Island and Queens Museum and have toured internationally\, including Paraguay and a memorable trip to Taiwan for performances and master classes. \nThe society collaborates with world-class artists\, like Toby Appel\, Hsin-Yun Huang\, and Cho-Liang Lin\, to bring audiences diverse\, dynamic performances. Their House Salon Concerts and Between The Bars series offer intimate\, interactive events\, with insights from seasoned musicians. During the pandemic\, they introduced NACMS Originals and Music On Air to stay connected with audiences online. \nFrom 2022 to 2024\, three consecutive years\, NACMS was invited to perform the U.S. national anthem at Madison Square Garden and Citi Field\, celebrating cultural diversity. They also partnered with Bard College for the China Now Music Festival. Going forward\, NACMS is launching a Young Artist Competition and music festival to support emerging talent and continue inspiring audiences across generations and cultures. Through their Membership Program\, NACMS invites music lovers to join in their mission of making chamber music an inclusive\, shared experience. \n \nProgram:Michael Ippolito: Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds) (2023) for Shamisen and StringQuartetI. The Blind Men and the ElephantII. Plum Garden at Kameido (Hiroshige)III. Skeleton Dance (Kyosai)IV.Stephanie Chou: Dragon for Erhu and String TrioYaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu: Wildlife Suites for Erhu and String Trio \n—intermission— \nDaron Aric Hagen: Koto Concerto: GenjiI. Cicada ShellII. Falling FlowersIII. Maiden on the BridgeIV. Floating Bridge of DreamsV. Vanished into the Clouds \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/new-asia-chamber-music-society-koto-erhu-string-quartet/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20230106_cma_conf-4343-1-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250720T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250720T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20250330T000251Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250620T015256Z UID:2525-1753023600-1753030800@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Tyler Henderson Trio DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, July 20\, 2025 at 3pm \nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n \nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \n\n\n \nFriends of Music of Stamford NY presents a jazz concert by the Tyler Henderson Trio. The trio keeps the spirit of swing alive\, playing popular classics with fresh twists!  \n\n\n\nTyler Henderson: piano\nCaleb Tobocman: bass\nPeter Glynn: drums\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\nTyler Henderson: \nTyler Henderson is from Oneonta\, New York. He began playing piano at the age of 5\, and began by learning rock songs with the help of YouTube tutorials. He discovered jazz through the Vince Guaraldi Christmas album\, and fell in love with jazz music. His family moved him and his sister to Houston in 2015\, and they both attended the High School For Performing and Visual Arts. He spent 4 years in Houston honing his skills and participating in programs such as YoungArts and the Herbie Hancock Institute Peer-to-Peer tours. He was accepted to Juilliard in 2019 and then moved to New York City in fall of that year. He completed a 5-year double degree program in spring of 2024\, and now has a bachelor’s and master’s in jazz studies. Since his arrival in New York\, Tyler has been a sideman with many prominent musicians such as: Joe Magnarelli\, Grant Stewart\, Alex Claffy\, Rodney Green\, and Bruce Harris. He leads his own trio and recently released his debut album on the Cellar Live label. \n  \n \n  \nPeter Glynn:As a student of the Jazz Studies Program at Juilliard (BM\, 2019-2023)\, Peter was guided by a number of jazz drumming greats including Billy Drummond and Kenny Washington. Currently residing in NYC\, Peter has performed at Dizzy’s-Jazz at Lincoln Center\, The Alice Tully Concert Hall\, The Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center\, Ornithology\, Nublu\, The Django\, National Sawdust and many other notable venues. \n  \n  \nCaleb Tobocman: \nCaleb Tobocman is one of New York’s most in-demand rising bass stars. Having grown up in a musical family (in the legendary artist building Manhattan Plaza)\, Caleb picked up the upright bass at the age of 16 and it was apparent he was a natural. In a few short years\, he has already shared the bandstand with jazz greats such as Vincent Herring\, George Coleman\, Nicholas Payton\, David Hazeltine\, Eric Alexander\, Veronica Swift\, Grant Stewart\, Jeff “Tain” Watts\, Emmet Cohen\, Pasquale Grasso\, and Benny Bennack III\, among others. Caleb studied at Manhattan School of Music under legends Ron Carter and Buster Williams.  \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/juilliard-jazz-ensemble-2/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Tyler2.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250615T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250615T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20250329T235529Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250609T233010Z UID:2519-1749999600-1750006800@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Fenimore Chamber Orchestra DESCRIPTION:Friends of Music of Stamford\, NY is proud to present the critically acclaimed Fenimore Chamber Orchestra in concert on Sunday\, June 15\, 3PM. \nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required.Listen to Music Director Maciej Żółtowski and the orchestra’s new Executive Director\, Lee Koonce\, talk about the program with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here! \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFriends of Music of Stamford\, NY is proud to present the critically acclaimed Fenimore Chamber Orchestra in concert on Sunday\, June 15\, 3PM. \nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required.Listen to Music Director Maciej Żółtowski and the orchestra’s new Executive Director\, Lee Koonce\, talk about the program with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here! \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/fenimore-chamber-orchestra-2/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/298036345_100301626128658_5536053087072420291_n-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250518T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250518T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20250329T234906Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250515T221433Z UID:2517-1747580400-1747587600@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Andreas Klein\, piano DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, May 18\, 2025 at 3pm \nFirst Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nListen to Bill Fox’s WSKG interview with Andreas Klein here. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAndreas Klein is widely admired as a pianist of rare sensitivity and musicality. The Washington Post has praised his “articulate and flowing pianism” while the New York Times called him “a pianist who makes silences sound like music.” About a recent Glenn Gould tribute (with the Minguet String Quartet)\, the Calgary Herald reported\, “(Klein brings) to his performance a mature understanding…as well as a brilliant execution”\, while Classical Voice of North Carolina (CVNC) was even more blunt: “Andreas Klein is a stupendous pianist…a stunning performance by any standard\, and it brought the audience to its feet in a rousing ovation.” \n\n\n\nHe has performed in many of the leading houses of Europe\, from Wigmore Hall in London to the Berlin Philharmonie\, as well as Carnegie Hall in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC\, and is at home with the grandeur of playing with the Berlin Philharmonic or the vast reaches of the Ravinia Festival (where he received two standing ovations) as he is with the intimacy of Le Poisson Rouge (NYC). He has extensively toured North America\, with ensembles including the Salzburg Chamber Soloists (a 20-city tour) and the Festival Strings of Lucerne (10 cities) and in South America\, where he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in Peru\, Chile\, Argentina\, Colombia\, and Brazil. Some exotic places on his concert tours included Damascus and Yerevan. \n\n\n\nSince his meteoric start in his native Germany\, performing recitals and as soloist with orchestra\, he eventually answered the call to go to the Juilliard School in New York. But the highly focussed and musical approach to every work he performs was nurtured by one of his early teachers\, the great Claudio Arrau. It is a philosophy Klein is credited with continuing. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/andreas-klein-piano-2/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Andreas-Klein-2018-03-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250413T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250413T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20250308T201138Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250412T184445Z UID:2504-1744556400-1744563600@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Trio Wanderer DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, April 13\, 2025 at 3pm  \n\n\n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \n“They have a near-telepathic musical sensibility. What so impresses about this group is its command of the emotional panorama of the music. In short\, an awe-inspiring evening.” The Strad (UK) \nWSKG Inteview with Trio Wanderer \n  \nTrio Wanderer quite deserves its stage-name. Indeed\, “Wanderer” pays homage to Schubert\, and more widely to German Romanticism which is often imbued with the leitmotiv of the wandering traveler. These three French musicians are avid\, open-minded\, wandering travelers who explore the musical world\, spanning the centuries from Mozart and Haydn to the present. Acclaimed for their extraordinarily sensitive style\, almost telepathic understanding of each other and technical mastery\, Trio Wanderer is one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. \nTrio Wanderer’s members all graduated from the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique. In 1989/90\, they studied at the Jacobs School of Music: Indiana University Bloomington and at The Juilliard School in New York.  During this period\, they participated in masterclasses with such masters as Jean-Claude Pennetier\, Jean Hubeau\, Janos Starker\, Menahem Pressler of the Beaux Arts Trio\, and the Amadeus Quartet. In 1988\, the Trio won the ARD Competition in Munich and\, in 1990\, the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the USA. \nCalled a “Wandering Star” by the Strad Magazine\, the Trio has performed on the most prestigious music stages: Berlin’s Philharmonic\, Paris’s Théâtre des Champs Elysées\, Wiener Musikverein in Vienna\, London’s Wigmore Hall\, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala\, the Sydney Opera\, Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica\, München Herkulessaal of Munich\, Sala Sao Paulo\, the Beijing Opera\, the Seoul Art Center\, The Great Hall of the Moscow Tchaïkovsky Conservatory\, Washington’s Library of Congress\, Rio de Janeiro’s Teatro Municipal\, Montreal’s Place des Arts\, the Brussels Center for Fine Arts (Bruxelles Palais des Beaux-Arts)\, Tokyo’s Kioi Hall\, Zürich’s Tonhalle\, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. They have also performed at major festivals such as Edinburgh\, Bergen\, Bath\, Montreux\, Feldkirch Schubertiades\, Schleswig Holstein\, Rheingau Musiksommmer\, Colmar\, La Roque d’Anthéron\, the Folles Journées de Nantes\, Granada\, Stresa\, Osaka\, Salzburg\, and more. \nProgram\nFelix Mendelssohn (1809 -18 47)Trio opus 49 for piano violin and violoncello1. Molto allegro agitato2. Andante con moto tranquillo3. Scherzo – Leggiero e vivace4. Finale – Allegro assai appassionatoLili Boulanger (1893 -1918)D’un Soir Triste for piano violin and violoncello – Lent\, graveD’un Matin de Printemps for piano violin and violoncello – Assez animéIntermission Maurice Ravel (1875 -1937)Trio for piano violin and violoncello1. Modéré2. Pantoum – Assez vite3. Passacaille – Très large4. Final – Animé URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/triowanderer/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/wanderer-2012-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241201T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241201T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20240316T152811Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241125T022447Z UID:2275-1733065200-1733072400@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Free Concert: Asiya Korepanova\, piano & organ DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNo reservations requiredMasks encouraged \nThis concert is presented FREE to the Stamford community thanks to the generous support of the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation and individual donors.  \nAsiya Korepanova is a pianistic powerhouse hailed as a “tremendously gifted pianist who exhibits a singular affinity for Rachmaninoff’s Russian romantic idiom and possesses the blazing technique to fully realize his distinctive scores” (South Florida Classical Review). A herald of an enormous repertoire encompassing over 60 piano concertos and solo works ranging from the early Baroque period to music of living composers\, Asiya is a quintessential completist. \nShe finds unique joy in performing complete collections of works such as the 24 Liszt Etudes or the entire Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach. Her emotionally charged and colorfully nuanced performances have gained her the admiration of audiences and resulted in many repeat engagements. \n \nAsiya\, a pianist and composer\, draws her musical inspiration from the legacy of Dmitry Shostakovich\, having studied composition under his direct disciple\, Albert Leman. Her emotionally charged and colorfully nuanced performances have gained her the admiration of audiences and resulted in many repeat engagements. \nShe is the author of original works in multiple genres and instrumentations. Her historic solo piano transcriptions of Richard Strauss’ ‘Ein Heldenleben’\, Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata\, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Manfred’ Symphony\,  Mussorgsky’s ‘Songs and Dances of Death’ have placed her among today’s formidable transcribers. \nThe most recent composition events include the world premiere recording of Asiya’s concerto for alto saxophone and piano\, Poéme\, performed by Thomas Giles and Liana Pailodze Harron; the publication of her transcription of Rachmaninoff’s cello sonata; the premiere of her Piano Quintet ‘I marvel at the sky’\, commissioned by the Third Dimension Music Festival; and the premiere of Con Brio for two pianos\, performed with her duo partner Ilya Kazantsev as a part of the Dranoff Two Piano Foundation series. \nAn avid chamber musician\, Asiya collaborates with a wide array of musicians. Her partners include David Shifrin\, the Hermitage Piano Trio\, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt\, Rodney Marsalis\, Svetoslav Stoyanov\, Giora Schmidt\, and Alexander Fiterstein. She regularly performs as part of the ’88 by 20′ piano duo with her friend and former classmate\, Grammy-nominated pianist Ilya Kazantsev. \nUninhibited in her artistic expression\, Asiya is also sought after her work as a visual artist and poet.  Her uncompromising dedication to the arts have culminated in several projects featuring original poetry and visual art that serve as interpretive commentary for a particular cycle of piano works. These cycles include Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes\, Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier\, Tchaikovsky’s 18 Morceaux\, Op. 72\, and\, most recently\, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Asiya’s live performances of these compositions have astounded audiences and organizers alike. \nCaring about the development of society\, in 2017 Asiya founded Music for Minds\, a non-profit organization that brings classical performances into classrooms and creates music festivals featuring unique programming. From 2017 through 2019\, Asiya directed her brainchild ‘Festival Baltimore\,’ a two-week chamber music series and summer academy dedicated to the performance and study of complete cycles\, one of Music for Mind’s projects. In just three years\, the festival solidified itself as a highly original music series and academy\, presenting a wide array of styles and performers. \nBorn in Izhevsk\, Russia\, to a musical family\, Asiya began learning the piano at 4 years old from her mother Soreya\, her first piano teacher. At the age of 6\, she was taught to read music in orchestral clefs by her father Sergey\, an exemplary composer\, and started composing her own music. At 9\, she made her orchestral debut\, playing Mozart Concerto No. 8 with her own cadenza\, and gave her first full philharmonic recital. \nSimultaneously\, she began studying composition with Albert Leman\, the chair of Moscow \nConservatory’s composition department and a student of Dmitry Shostakovich. She continued working with him until his passing in 1998. That short period has influenced all future aspects of her musical and artistic development. \nAs a result of her early bond with composition\, she appreciates new music. In Russia\, she premiered three piano concertos by Vladislav Kazenin and Shamil Timerbulatov\, performing with the Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra\, the Saint Petersburg Capella Symphony Orchestra\, the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra\, and the Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra. In the U.S.\, she has premiered various works by Michael Daugherty\, Thomas Sleeper\, andOrlando Garcia\, among others. \nThroughout her early years in Russia\, Ms. Korepanova received various awards for her prodigious abilities. These include the Russian Federation Presidential Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Arts\, the National Award from the Republic of Udmurtia (2002)\, the Germany Berliner Salon Award (2003)\, the Russia Youth Triumph Award (2005)\, and the title of Honored Artist of Udmurtia (2009). \nIn 2012\, Asiya moved to the United States at the invitation of renowned pianist and maestro Santiago Rodriguez\, to earn a Doctoral degree under his guidance at the University of Miami. Later that year\, she was awarded the Gold Medal at the Nena Wideman International Piano Competition—an achievement that proved invaluable in establishing her concertizing career in the U.S. In 2017\, she added a University of Miami Artist Diploma degree to her portfolio\, having earned it in the studios of Kevin Kenner and Tian Ying. \nAsiya has since continued to garner national attention with performances at the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall\, the Phillips Collection\, and many other notable recital series\, symphony orchestras\, and festivals throughout the country. She has been featured on CNN\, NPR stations\, WFMT\, and WETA. \nIn 2023\, Asiya embarked on a monumental project in celebration of Rachmaninoff’s 150th birth anniversary\, performing his complete solo piano music in 6 recital programs throughout the United States. She premiered her latest transcription—the Manfred Symphony by Peter Tchaikovsky; toured performing Clara Schumann\, Grieg\, and Rachmaninoff piano concertos; anticipates the releases of scores of her compositions: the Poéme for alto saxophone and piano and Con Brio for two pianos\, as well as transcriptions of works by Mussorgsky\, Franck\, Amy Beach\, Fauré\, Berg\, and Bach. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/free-concert-asiya-korepanova-piano-organ/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Emil.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241117T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241117T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20240316T152056Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241029T012356Z UID:2270-1731855600-1731862800@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:David Kaplan\, piano & Catherine Gregory\, flute DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, November 17\, 2024 at 3pm  \n\n\n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nThe duo of Australian flutist Catherine Gregory and American pianist David Kaplan have performed together since 2014\, including at Los Angeles County Museum of Art\, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall\, as guest recitalists for the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra\, and most recently at the Við Djúpið Festival in Iceland. They have performed live on WFMT Chicago as part of the Dame Myra Hess Series\, as well as on WQXR New York as part of the late Bob Sherman’s Young Artists Showcase. Their recital programs creatively intertwine repertoire from the Baroque to the present day\, with several pieces being written especially for them\, including Timo Andres’ Steady Gaze and a new major work commissioned from Christopher Cerrone for the 2024-25 season. \nBoth passionate about connecting directly with communities through music\, they often perform together as Core-Artists of Decoda\, the affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall\, which aims to build a “more compassionate and connected world” through chamber music. Individually\, they each enjoy dynamic portfolio careers as soloists\, ensemble players\, teaching artists\, and creative collaborators. Both artists have been frequently cited by The New York Times\, which has praised Catherine’s playing as “magically mysterious\,” and David as “excellent and adventurous”.  In September 2023 they released their debut duo album Vent on Bright Shiny Things (Watch David Lang’s Vent here). URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/david-kaplan-piano-catherine-gregory-flute/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CATHERINE_DAVID_DUET-0572-2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241020T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241020T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20240316T151054Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241015T141446Z UID:2262-1729436400-1729443600@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Shea-Kim Duo DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, October 20\, 2024 at 3pm  \nBach\, Schnittke\, Paganini\, Haydn\, Schumann \n\n\n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nThe award-winning Shea-Kim Duo was formed in 2014 by husband and wife Brendan Shea (violin) and Yerin Kim (piano). Since then\, they have competed internationally and toured the world\, performing in Belgium\, Italy\, Canada\, South Korea\, and the United States. \nListen to the Shea-Kim Duo’s recent interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here. \nThe Shea-Kim Duo’s awards include a Gold Medal from the Manhattan International Music Competition and the Ackerman Chamber Music Award\, while their performances have been broadcast on Klara Continuo (Belgium)\, PBC (South Korea) and WUFT (USA). The artists have released two highly acclaimed CDs on the Blue Griffin Recording label: “The Sound and the Fury\,” including music of Dvorák\, Grieg and Janácek\, and “All Roads\,” featuring works by Beethoven\, Schnittke\, Schumann and Beach. \nActively involved in promoting chamber music to a broader community and audience\, the Shea-Kim Duo regularly presents sensory-friendly concerts that provide high-quality chamber music for individuals and families with autism. The Duo also regularly appears at several notable music festivals\, including those of Anchorage\, Annapolis and Harborfront\, and are the founders and artistic directors of Washington’s Chamber Music in the Bend. \nA much sought after soloist\, chamber musician and teacher\, BRENDAN SHEA\, by the age of 11\, was performing with orchestras and had played at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. His awards span three continents and include Gold Medal and Audience Award from the Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition\, Grand Prize from the Coleman Chamber Music Competition\, First Place with Honors from the Glazunov International Competition in Paris and Bronze Medal from the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. Brendan has been affiliated with two distinguished\, award-winning quartets\, as a founding member of the Wasmuth Quartet (now Verona) and as a member of the Euclid Quartet. Currently\, he serves as concertmaster of the Boise Philharmonic and Langroise Trio Artist-in-Residence at the College of Idaho. His solo career has taken him across the globe\, with performances in major venues in Europe and Asia as well as throughout the United States\, while he also performs and teaches at prestigious festivals and residencies\, including the Encore Chamber Music Festival and Credo Music Festival. Brendan has been a guest faculty member at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and University of Notre Dame and served for five years on the faculty of Indiana University South Bend. His current violin was crafted in 2000 by Samuel Zygmuntowicz in Brooklyn\, New York. \nPraised by the International Piano Magazine as a “pianist of beautiful finesse and golden tone\,” YERIN KIM enjoys a multi-faceted career as soloist\, chamber musician\, recording artist and educator. She has performed in numerous festival and recital performances in internationally renowned venues\, among them: Carnegie Hall\, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts\, Rolston Hall at Canada’s Banff Centre for the Arts and Place Flagey in Brussels. Yerin’s debut solo album\, “First and Last Words\,” with works by Schumann and Schnittke\, was releasedin 2019 on the Sheva Collection label. Holding a Double Degree in Piano Performance and Psychology from Oberlin Conservatory and College\, a Master of Music from Indiana University Bloomington and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the State University of New York at Stony Brook\, she is equally passionate about music education\, and has been teaching a diverse group of students from many parts of the world. Yerin has taught at the Indiana University Bloomington\, University of Notre Dame\, State University of New York at Stony Brook and South Korea’s Chugye University for the Arts Conservatory\, and has recently joined the faculty of Central Washington University as Assistant Professor of Piano and Director of Keyboard Studies. \n  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/shea-kim/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Shea-Kimduoheadshot.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240915T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240915T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20240316T145858Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240915T150040Z UID:2256-1726412400-1726419600@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Merz Trio DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBrigid Coleridge\, violin \nJulia Yang\, cello \nAmy Yang\, piano \nSunday\, September 15\, 2024 at 3pm  \n\n\n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nJoin Merz Trio as we search for song in night’s darknesses. Beginning with the 12th century chants spun by Hildegard von Bingen in her solitary monastic cell\, we explore melody sung into and for the night\, weaving together a musical conversation that joins the voices of Purcell\, Schumann\, Alma Mahler\, Brahms and Zemlinsky in works large and small\, and brings us right into the twentieth century with Thelonious Monk’s poignantly lonely ode to a dark hour\, ‘Round Midnight. \nWatch Julia Yang’s recent interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here or listen to the radio episode here. \nHailed as “entrancing” (BBC Music Magazine) and “artists in the deepest sense of the word” (CutCommon)\, Merz Trio have been lauded for their “stunning virtuosity… fresh and surprising interpretations” (Reading Eagle)\, and “perfection of intonation and ensemble” (Hudson Review). \nWinners of the Naumburg\, Concert Artists Guild\, Fischoff and Chesapeake Competitions\, and recipients of a Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant\,  Merz Trio are passionately committed to reshaping the narrative of classical music through vibrantly dynamic programming and wide-ranging interdisciplinary collaboration. Their programming style juxtaposes classical standards\, new music\, and their own arrangements of familiar and forgotten works\, fluidly interwoven and guided with speaking from the Trio’s members. Their interdisciplinary collaborations include ongoing projects with directors Emma Jaster and Jon Levin\, dancer Caroline Copeland\, and Sandglass Puppet Theater. \nFinally\, in their prolific arranging\, the Trio are committed to uplifting overlooked voices from history\, ranging from Hildegard von Bingen to Lili and Nadia Boulanger\, from Joséphine Baker to Irish folk melodies.  Recent debuts have taken them to Carnegie Hall\, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam\, Chamber Music Houston\, Philadelphia CMS\, and the Schubert Club (St. Paul\, MN)\, Tippet Rise\, Duke Performances\, CM Dallas\, Coleman Chamber Music Association\, the New Orleans Friends of Music\, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. among other notable performances. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/merz-trio/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_2065-scaled.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240818T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240818T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20240316T144807Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240810T201611Z UID:2251-1723993200-1724000400@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Balourdet Quartet DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, August 18\, 2024 at 3pm  \n\n\n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nAngela Bae\, violin \n Justin DeFilippis\, violin \n  Benjamin Zannoni\, viola \nRussell Houston\, cello \n  \nThe Balourdet Quartet is a dynamic\, award-winning ensemble that takes creative risks on stage\, producing both emotionally intense and intimate moments. Its unique closeness and unwavering sense of team trust earned it the 2021 Grand Prize at New York’s Concert Artists Guild Competition and Chamber Music America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award. \nThe Balourdet journey began in 2018 in the mountains of New Mexico at the Taos School of Music\, where violinists Justin DeFilippis\, Angela Bae\, and cellist Russell Houston first bonded as friends over long evenings of chamber music\, luxurious Peppermint Schnapps and extravagant meals created by chef extraordinaire Antoine Balourdet\, a renaissance man with an exceptional love of life and music. It was the friendships\, a shared passion for music and food\, and gratitude for the role the festival played in the formation of the quartet\, that inspired the members to name the ensemble in Chef Balourdet’s honor.   \nSoon thereafter\, in the heat of a waning Texas summer\, Justin\, Angela\, and Russell joined with violist Benjamin Zannoni of Rice University\, and the Balourdet Quartet was formed. Inspired by their love for the repertoire and the excitement of having found each other\, the four friends found themselves playing quartets late into the night for fun. After having been together for only one year at Rice University\, and a summer at the Aspen Music Festival\, they took second prize at the Nielsen International String Quartet Competition\, and were selected as the only quartet admitted to Boston’s historic New England Conservatory Professional String Quartet Program under the tutelage of Cleveland Quartet cellist Paul Katz. \nIn 2021\, the Quartet won the Grand Prize at New York’s Concert Artists Guild Competition\, which included joint management by Concert Artists Guild in the U.S.\, and Young Classical Artist’s Trust (YCAT) in the UK and Europe. In addition\, the Balourdet has been prizewinners in Canada’s Banff International String Quartet Competition\, the International Premio Paolo Borciani Competition in Italy\, Gold Medal winners at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition\, and Gold Medal and Audience Prizewinners at the Yellow Springs Competition.  \n  \n                                                        Balourdet Quartet \n                                                                Fireside \n  \nString Quartet\, No. 5\, Op. 64\, “Lark” (1790)                                                Joseph Haydn \nAllegro moderato                                                                                                  (1732-1809) \n          Adagio \n          Menuetto allegretto \n          Finale vivace \n  \nString Quartet No. 5 (1934)                                                                                Béla Bartók \n         Allegro                                                                                                            (1881-1945) \n         Adagio molto \n         Scherzo. Alla bulgarese \n         Andante \n         Finale. Allegro vivace \n       \n  \nString Quartet No. 1 in E minor\, “From my Life” (1876)                          Bedrich Smetana \n          Allegro vivo appassionato                                                                          (1824-1884) \n          Allegro moderato \n          Largo sostenuto \n          Vivace \n  \nThe Balourdet Quartet is a winner of the Concert Artists Guild International Competitionand is represented by Concert Artists Guild224 W 35th Street\, Suite 500 #2149\, New York\, NY 10001 (www.concertartists.org) \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nThe Balourdet Quartet is a winner of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition \nand is represented by \nConcert Artists Guild\, 224 W 35th Street\, Suite 500 #2149\, New York\, NY 10001 (www.concertartists.org) URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/balourdetquartet/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/KevinCondon2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240721T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240721T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20240316T143522Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240718T212654Z UID:2244-1721574000-1721581200@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:The Olivia Chindamo Trio DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, July 21\, 2024 at 3pm  \n\n\n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nThe Olivia Chindamo Trio: A Juilliard Jazz Ensemble\,  \nListen to an interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here. \nJuilliard Jazz\, under the leadership of director Wynton Marsalis\, offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as artist diplomas. The department’s programming reflects the jazz continuum and its American vernacular roots\, as well as the social and cultural vitality of the music. Juilliard Jazz ensembles play more than 50 on- and off-campus performances annually\, including international tours\, as well as performances at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Blue Note in New York City. \nOlivia Chindamo\, originally from Australia and now based in New York City\, is celebrated for her exceptional vocal technique\, versatility\, and skillful scat singing. Drawing inspiration from the Great American Songbook\, Olivia’s musicality nods to the great songstresses of the 1950s\, in her own uniquely modern way. In 2021\, she made history at The Juilliard School as its first-ever Masters Graduate of Jazz Voice. Chindamo has graced many prestigious venues including the Kennedy Center\, Dizzy’s Club\, Lincoln Center\, and Birdland Jazz Club and collaborated with various world-renown orchestras including The Impossible Orchestra at Festival PAAX in Mexico in 2023\, and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in 2024.  \nJoining Chindamo are fellow Juilliard alums; Australian saxophonist Evan Harris\, and Canadian jazz guitarist David Rourke. Our audience can expect to hear familiar repertoire from the Great American Songbook\, some “B side” selections and a few of Olivia’s own original songs. \nOlivia Chindamo is a New York-based jazz vocalist from Australia whose unique voice effortlessly carries and delivers stories and melodies with the highest level of integrity\, honesty and musicianship. With a special love for improvisation\, Olivia’s musical endeavours offer a fresh combination of old and new as she continually fuses an ever-expanding knowledge of jazz history with her modern sensibilities\, impressive technique control and textural versatility.  \nHaving studied under the tutelage of some of America’s finest jazz musicians at the Banff International Workshop in Jazz & Creative Music in 2016\, Olivia felt more drawn to the United States than ever before\, inspiring her bold move to relocate to the other side of the world and fully pursue her love and passion for jazz music. Since her arrival\, Olivia has performed extensively in the United States at various world-renown venues such as The Kennedy Center\, Dizzy’s Club\, The Lincoln Center and Birdland Jazz Club\, and has toured internationally to Switzerland\, Liechtenstein\, France\, the Netherlands\, Austria and Poland in recent years with her own projects and as a guest to others’. A 2023 highlight was performing for artistic director and legendary conductor Alondra De La Parra’s 2nd annual Festival PAAX GNP in Cancún\, Mexico\, where Olivia’s extraordinary vocal versatilities were spotlighted throughout the 10-day-long program. Performances included the Northern Hemisphere premiere of Fantaskatto: Fantasy for Voice & Orchestra\, collaborations with world-renown choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and dancers from the New York City Ballet\, The Impossible Orchestra\, latin-jazz icon Paquito D’Rivera\, and with her own jazz trio.  Olivia is a 2021 Master of Music graduate of The Juilliard School\, where she made history as its first ever jazz voice graduate student\, and was honoured upon graduation with the Joseph W. Polisi prize for “Artist as Citizen” for her work as a jazz division student representative\, Gluck Fellowship leader and Community leader for Juilliard International Students. \nDavid Rourke is a NYC jazz guitarist\, singer-songwriter and producer. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree at McGill University in Montréal\, David completed his studies with a master’s degree from The Juilliard School. In 2019\, he won first place at an international guitar competition in Kraków\, Poland. During his last semester at Juilliard\, he released a full length album of original music in which he’s playing all the instruments/vocals\, and produced himself. He is a full time jazz guitarist in NYC playing at all the major clubs like Smalls\, Mezzrow\, Dizzy’s\, Ornithology and others. David has also been regularly releasing singles and performing his music at NYC venues (Rockwood\, Arlene’s Grocery\, PIANOS) with his band. \nEvan Harris is a New York-based saxophonist whose passion for jazz has informed his “vividly evocative” (Words About Music) sound on the saxophone. Originally from Sydney\, Australia\, Evan has established himself with performance credits ranging from Miguel Zenon’s Identities are Changeable to the Wynton Marsalis Quintet. Evan has been acknowledged with accolades including the title of 2018 Young Australian Jazz Musician of the Year\, a grant from the Arts Council of Australia\, and the Gerry and Franca Mulligan Scholarship. Evan recently toured the United States with Jazz at Lincoln Center’s “Songs We Love” and appeared in Cancun\, Mexico as a performer at Festival PAAX GNP. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/july-21-juilliard-jazz-ensemble/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/IMG_3868.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240616T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240616T160000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20240316T142448Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240615T134452Z UID:2236-1718550000-1718553600@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Pegasus\, the Orchestra: Brandenburg Concerti & more DESCRIPTION:    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, June 16 \, 2024 at 3pm  \n\n\n\nGenerously hosted by the First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nFriends of Music of Stamford\, NY presents a special concert focused on some of the most innovative Baroque masterpieces performed by Pegasus: the Orchestra\, conducted by artistic director Karén Hakobyan from the harpsichord. The program will include Vivaldi’s Trio Sonata in D Major\, Bach’s Sonata in G Major\, Vivaldi’s “Spring” from Four Seasons\, Concerto No. 1 in E Major\, and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti No. 4 and No. 5\, featuring soloists Eiko Kano\, violin\, Shelby Yamin\, violin and Kaori Fujii\, flute. \nListen to Karén Hakobyan’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here.\nPERFORMERS:\nPegasus: The Orchestra\nKarén Hakobyan | Artistic director\, principal conductor\, & harpsichord\n \nEiko Kano | Concertmaster & violin solois\nShelby Yamin | Violin\, principal\nStani Dimitrova | Violin\, principal\nCarol Gimebl | Viola\, principal\nSerafim Smigelskiy | Cello\, principal\nMilad Daniari | Contrabass\, principal\nKaori Fujii | Flute\, principal\nKatie Althen | Flute\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\nPROGRAM\nA. Vivaldi: Trio Sonata in D Major\, RV 84 for flute\, violin and harpsichord\n I. Allegro\nII. Andante\nIII. Allegro\n \nJ. S. Bach: Trio Sonata in G Major\, BWV 1038 for flute\, violin\, harpsichord and cello\n I. Largo\nII. Vivace\nIII. Adagio\nIV. Presto\n \nA. Vivaldi: “Spring” from Four Seasons\, Concerto No. 1 in E Major\, OP. 8\nI. ​Allegro \nII. Largo e pianissimo sempre\nIII. Allegro pastorale \n \nJ. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major\, BWV 1049\nI. Allegro\nII. Andante\nIII. Presto\n \nJ. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major\, BWV 1050\nI. Allegro\nII. Affettuoso\nIII. Allegro\n\n \n \n \nABOUT THE SOLOISTS\nEIKO KANO | Concertmaster & violin soloist \nPraised as an artist with “electrifying intensity and lyrical expression\,” New York City-based Japanese violinist Eiko Kano is an internationally recognized soloist as well as a chamber musician frequently collaborating with distinguished artists. A prizewinner of international competitions\, Kano serves as assistant concertmaster at the Albany Symphony Orchestra and regularly plays in the New York Philharmonic. She is the concertmaster and senior artistic advisor of Pegasus: The Orchestra. In 2016\, she launched the critically acclaimed production A Manhattan Story with a unique style of violin music and storytelling. In 2018\, Kano founded the ensemble The New Yorkers\, featuring Karén Hakobyan as her duo partner. They have been performing extensively in the U.S. and Japan.\n \nKAORI FUJII | Flute\nBorn in Tokyo and residing in New York City\, Kaori Fujii has emerged as one of the leading imaginative and creative flutists to come out of the classical music world. Fujii has graced the stage of leading concert halls\, such as The John F. Kennedy Center\, Carnegie Hall\, Alte Oper Frankfurt\, and Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. In 2014\, Fujii founded Music Beyond\, Inc.—a nonprofit organization that harnesses the universal power of music to empower and transform people’s lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa. She frequently visits DRC to provide music teacher training and women’s empowerment programs and help build music curriculum for local schools.\n \nKARÉN HAKOBYAN | Principal conductor & harpsichord\nDescribed as “a musician of abundant gifts and bountiful ideas” by New York Concert Review\, and “an immensely talented and dynamic performer” by Deseret Morning News\, Armenian American pianist\, composer\, and conductor Karén Hakobyan is a versatile force on the international music scene. Since his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of seventeen\, he has performed in major concert halls in Armenia\, Argentina\, Mexico\, Germany\, UK\, Belgium\, France\, Japan\, and the U.S. Hakobyan is a top prizewinner of multiple international piano and composition competitions and holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music\, Mannes College of Music\, and the University of Utah.\n \nPEGASUS: THE ORCHESTRA\nKarén Hakobyan\, artistic director and principal conductor\n \nFounded in 2017 by composer-arranger and conductor Karén Hakobyan\, Pegasus: the Orchestra is a nonprofit professional orchestra with a mission to empower rising musicians with artistic freedom and promote innovative repertoire in an environment of creative thought and expression. Hailed by New York Concert Review as “a truly first-rate ensemble” Pegasus’s recent highlights include performances in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center\, Merkin Concert Hall\, on Al Jazeera\, Voice of America TV Network\, Ardzagang Armenian TV\, the Russian Television Network of America\, The Voice of Armenians TV program on the NYC Life Channel\, WGCH\, WQXR\, and WSKG Radio. Pegasus: the Orchestra is an ensemble with exclusive Yamaha sponsorship. Noteworthy upcoming events for Pegasus include programs featuring 2007 Tchaikovsky International Competition gold medalist Sergey Antonov\, cellist; and award-winning pianist Asiya Korepanova.\n \nPegasus is passionate about fostering artistic freedom\, creating performance opportunities\, programming innovative repertoire\, weaving a strong community fabric\, advocating for the right to music education\, and promoting humanity and equity. Tax-deductible donor support helps secure the growth of Pegasus: the Orchestra’s groundbreaking endeavor by providing vital funding for programs and performances. To learn more about Pegasus and support us via tax deductible donation\, visit pegasustheorchestra.org URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/pegasus-the-orchestra-brandenburg-concerti/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pegasus_Merkin-Hall_Oct-2023_SMALL-214-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240519T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240519T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20240316T135703Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240510T022213Z UID:2220-1716130800-1716138000@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Verona Quartet DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, May 19\, 2024 at 3pm  \n\n\n\nGenerously hosted by the First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \n  \nAcclaimed as an “outstanding ensemble…cohesive yet full of temperament” (The New York Times)\, the Verona Quartet has firmly established itself amongst the most distinguished ensembles on the chamber music scene today. The group’s singular sense of purpose earned them Chamber Music America’s coveted 2020 Cleveland Quartet Award\, and a reputation for its “bold interpretive strength\, robust characterization and commanding resonance” (Calgary Herald). \nThe Quartet serves on the faculty of the Oberlin College and Conservatory as the Quartet-in-Residence. In addition to its position at Oberlin\, the Quartet recently held residencies at Nova Scotia’s Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance\, North Carolina’s Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle and the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute. As committed advocates of diverse programming\, the Verona Quartet curated the UpClose Chamber Music Series on behalf of the COT\, electrifying audiences with their “sensational\, powerhouse performance[s]” (Classical Voice America).  \n  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/verona/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/f_DSC02980.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240421T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240421T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20240316T123142Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240414T145204Z UID:2207-1713711600-1713718800@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Einav Yarden\, piano DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, April 21\, 2024 at 3pm \n\n\n\nAt the First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nSuggested donation: $15 adults\, $10 students and seniors\, free for ages 13 and under \nNo reservations required. \nPianist Einav Yarden is praised for her “imagination and exceptionally vivid playing…sense of immense majesty\, tempered by gentleness and quiet grace” (The Washington Post\, USA)\, and “glistening rapture…ingenious humor” (Tagesspiegel\, Germany). She has been regularly presented in recital at important venues around the world and as soloist with orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra\, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (and the Rundfunkchor Berlin)\, Minnesota Orchestra\, Calgary Philharmonic\, Beethoven Orchester Bonn\, Bradenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt\, Bucharest Philharmonic\, and Jerusalem Symphony\, under conductors such as Sir Neville Marriner\, Leon Botstein\, Frédéric Chaslin\, Stefan Blunier\, Aldo Ceccato\, Mendi Rodan\, and Simon Halsey\, among others.Her engagements over the past couple seasons include solo performances at the 92nd Street Y in NYC\, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society\, Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam\, Salle Cortot in Paris\, Nikolaisaal in Potsdam\, and a solo performance at the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth\, subbing in for the international star Daniil Trifonov with just a few hours’ notice\, and leaving the audience “deeply overjoyed and impressed” (Piano News\, Germany). Other noteworthy stages on which she has performed include the Berlin Philharmonie and the Philharmonie Chamber Music Hall\, Konzerthaus Berlin\, the Phillips Collection in Washington DC\, the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center in New York\, the Beethoven-Haus Bonn\, Schumannsaal in Düsseldorf\, Musée d’Orsay Auditorium in Paris\, and others. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/einavyarden/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1368530707-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231203T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231203T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20231020T123915Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231020T123915Z UID:1924-1701615600-1701622800@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Free Concert: Idith Meshulam Korman\, piano DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNo reservations requiredMasks encouraged \nThis concert is presented FREE to the Stamford community thanks to the generous support of the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation and individual donors.  \nMs. Meshulam received her doctorate from New York University\, where she taught for ten years\, researching the unpublished piano music of Stefan Wolpe. She collaborated with the composer andconductor Gunther Schuller\, with whom she recorded Skalkottas’ 32 Piano Pieces for GM Recording. American Record Guide’s review described her “playing with energetic moxie and aplomb\, her technique truly phenomenal yet\, her subtle coloring of the introspective passages is no less awe-inspiring.” \nLearn more about Idith Meshulam Korman here. \nMs. Meshulam has collaborated with the South African visual artist William Kentridge\, and performedmultimedia solo recitals at Milan Museum\, and at Zankel in NY. Recently She collaborated with the visual artist Louise Fishman\, and performed at Chaim and Read Gallery\, and at the Neuberger Museum of Art. In the last years\, she has collaborated with Bread and Puppet Theatre and would perform with them in France and Italy. \nMs. Meshulam is the founder and director of Ensemble π\, a socially conscious ensemble\, functioned as thecurator of the American Composers Alliance festivals\, and on the board of Association for the Promotion ofNew Music. Currently she is teaching at Bard College at the Bard Prison Initiative program. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/free-concert-idith-meshulam-korman-piano/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_5415-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231119T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231119T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20230402T213421Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231107T023721Z UID:1667-1700406000-1700413200@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Benedict Kloeckner\, cello & Ryo Yanagitani\, piano DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, November 19\, 2023 at 3pm \n\n\n\nNEW 2023 LOCATION: First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nBenedict Klöckner is one of the outstanding artists of his generation. He has won numerous competitions and awards\, most recently the OPUS Klassik 2021. \nHe performs worldwide as a soloist with renowned orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London\, the Deutsche Radiophilharmonie\, the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg\, the NDR Radiophilharmonie\, the MDR-Sinfonieorchester\, the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie\, the Kremerata Baltica\, the Camerata Oslo and the Munich Chamber Orchestra and has worked with renowned conductors such as Daniel Barenboim\, Christoph Eschenbach\, Cristian Măcelaru\, Ingo Metzmacher\, Michael Sanderling\, Clemens Schuldt\, Heinrich Schiff and Sir Simon Rattle. He has appeared in concert halls such as the Berlin Philharmonie\, Carnegie Hall New York\, Kennedy Center Washington\, Symphony Hall Chicago\, Arts Center Seoul\, Suntory Hall Tokyo\, Musikverein Vienna\, Gewandhaus Leipzig\, Tonhalle Zurich\, Gasteig in Munich\, Concertgebouw Amsterdam\, Rudolfinum Prague\, Athenaeum Bucharest and the Wigmore Hall London. In the 2022/2023 season he performed all 6 Bach Suites at the Berlin Philharmonie and the Alte Oper Frankfurt. This year\, he made his debut at the Philharmonie Paris and the Kölner Philharmonie and returned to Kennedy Center Washington\, Festspielhaus Baden- Baden and several times to Philharmonie Berlin. Benedict Kloeckner is a welcome guest at festivals all over the world.  \n His chamber music partners have included Emanuel Ax\, Lisa Batiashvili\, Yuri Bashmet\, Christoph Eschenbach\, Vilde Frang\, Gidon Kremer\, Anne Sophie Mutter and Sir András Schiff. Benedict Kloeckner regularly works with the great composers of our time. In 2018 he performed the world premiere of Wolfgang Rihm’s Double Concerto for 2 Cellos and Strings. At the Seoul Arts Center\, he premiered Eun Hwa Cho’s Cello Concerto together with the Korean Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Christoph Poppen. With the Mozarteum Orchestra under Peter Tilling\, he also gave the Austrian premiere of Dai Fujikura’s Cello Concerto in Salzburg. 2024 he will premiere a new cello concerto by Bongani Ndodana-Breen together with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. \nHis CD recordings have been highly praised by the international press and won  prizes such as the OPUS Klassik award and the Supersonic Award\, among others. His recordings were made in collaboration with artists such as Gidon Kremer\, the conductors Heinrich Schiff and Michael Sanderling \, the pianists and the composer Wolfgang Rihm. Most recently in 2023\, he released a CD with Brahms Cello Sonatas with YU Kosuge on Sony. \nBenedict Kloeckner plays the “Ex Maurice Gendron” cello by Francesco Ruggeri (1680)\, a generous loan. \nLearn more about Benedict Kloeckner here. \n  \n\n\n\nRyo YanagitaniHailed by the Washington post as “A pianist’s pianist”\, Ryo has established himself as one of Canada’s shining artists. His success includes winning the gold medal at the 10th San Antonio International Piano Competition\, where he was also given special recognition for a performance of the complete Chopin Ballades. He is also the grand prize winner of the Hugo Kauder International Piano competition and a laureate of the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition\, the Dr. Luis Sigall International Piano competition in Vina del Mar (Chile)\, and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. \nRyo has made concerto appearances with orchestras around the world including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra\, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra\, the Montreal Metropolitan Orchestra\, San Antonio Symphony\, Minnesota Orchestra\, Hartford Symphony Orchestra\, the Moroccan Symphony Orchestra\, and the Tokyo Kioi Symphonietta. His performances have taken him to such venues as the Kennedy Center\, The National Gallery of Art\, Library of Congress\, Carnegie Hall\, Suntory Hall in Tokyo\, and Salle Cortot in Paris among others. In addition to his solo career\, he is much sought after as a chamber musician\, performing in a wide range of settings from the duo sonata repertoire to large ensembles. Ryo is frequently invited as guest pianist to chamber music festivals across the US\, in the capacity of both lecturer and collaborative pianist. \nA recipient of many scholarships and awards\, Ryo has been endowed twice by the Canadian Arts Council with a grant as an Emerging Artist\, and is a recipient of the Arthur Foote Scholarship from the Harvard Musical Association. He was also awarded the Sony Foundation of America Career Grant through the Salon de Virtuosi of New York\, and a Washington Award by the S&R Foundation of Washington DC. He has also been an artist-in-residence of the Maxwell Shepherd Fund of Connecticut. Ryo is also increasingly recognized not only as a performer but as a pedagogue\, and is in demand as adjudicator to competitions and as masterclass clinician in North America and Asia. He has also released two solo CDs consisting of works by Chopin and Debussy\, as well as a CD in collaboration with the cellist Dai Miyata in Japan. \nRyo Yanagitani received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Yale School of Music under Boris Berman\, a Bachelor Degree in Piano Performance from the University of British Columbia under Doctor Henri-Paul Sicsic\, and an Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute under Sergei Babayan. He was an instructor for the Chamber Music Program at Yale\, and was a visiting Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He directed the highly acclaimed Evermay Concert Series in Georgetown\, and held the position of Artistic Director at the Ryuji Ueno Foundation in Washington DC\, an organization that supports highly talented individuals in the field of the performing arts. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/benedict-kloeckner-cello-ryo-yanagitani-piano/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/final_kloe_web_galerie-cello-komplett.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231015T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231015T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20230402T212400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230901T034128Z UID:1662-1697382000-1697389200@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:ArcoStrum DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, October 15\, 2023 at 3pm \n\n\n\nNEW 2023 LOCATION: First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nArcoStrum (formerly known as Bestfriends Duo)Winner\, 2023 Concert Artists Guild Competition \nMusical World TourStrauss Shi – violin\, erhu\, diziTY Zhang – classical guitar\, electric guitar \nArcoStrum’s 70-minute Musical World Tour chamber music program combines mixed-genre\, multi-culture\, and cross-era selections of self-arranged music from all corners of the world—including works by Vivaldi\, Scarlatti\, Fernandez\, Bach\, Barrios\, Dyens\, de Falla\, Piazolla\, Zhihui\, and Hai-huai. \n“While the traditional Chinese instruments allow us to imitate the sounds of nature\, such as horse and birdcalls\, the electric guitar brings new tones and possibilities across time and culture. Our Musical World Tour program invites our audience on a movie-like experience\, with each piece allowing audiences to build a personal connection with on this adventurous journey.” \nMore about ArcoStrum here. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/arcostrum/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/346792539_266800359041075_5363764420161370741_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230917T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230917T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20230402T211812Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230916T012401Z UID:1657-1694962800-1694970000@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Wynona Wang\, piano & Reed Tetzloff\, piano DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, September 17\, 2023 at 3pm \n\n\n\nNEW LOCATION: First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nNo reservations or advance ticketsSuggested Donation of $12 Adults / $6 Seniors\, free for ages 13 and underMasks encouraged \n\n\n\nPianists Wynona Wang and Reed Tetzloff will play works by Satie\, Rachmaninoff\, Godowsky\, Ravel\, Debussy\, and Kapustin. \nYouTube video interview\n \nWSKG feature\nWynona Wang was selected as First Prize winner of the 2018 Concert Artists Guild International Competition\, which is just the latest in a series of impressive first prize performances\, along with the 2017 Wideman International Piano Competition in Louisiana. Wynona was also awarded the 2019 “Charlotte White” Career Grant awarded by the Salon de Virtuosi in New York City. \nAn active performer in China\, Europe and the United States\, Wynona’s recent performances include appearances with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra\, the Meadows Symphony Orchestra of SMU in Dallas\, and such major festivals as PianoTexas\, Morningside Music Bridge in Calgary\, Canada\, the International Keyboard Institute & Festival in New York City\, and the Chautauqua Institution.  Internationally\, Wynona has been a featured soloist with the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine\, and the Romanian Mihail Jora Philharmonic Orchestra in Italy.  She has also given numerous solo piano recitals in China—including cities such as Beijing\, Qingdao\, Hangzhou\, Wuhan\, Shenzhen\, Kunming\, Ningbo\, and Dalian—as well as in Spain (Madrid) and Indonesia (Jakarta). \nBorn in Beijing\, Wynona Wang began playing piano at age 4\, and went on to study at both the Music Elementary and Secondary schools at the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing.  In fall 2016\, she was awarded a full scholarship for her Performer’s Diploma at Southern Methodist University in Dallas\, and she now lives in New York while pursuing her undergraduate degree at The Juilliard School as a student of Dr. Robert McDonald. \n  \nReed Tetzloff\, has been hailed for his “richly communicative” performances (The Cincinnati Enquirer). He came to international attention at the XV Tchaikovsky Competition\, where he was called “the lyric hero of the competition” (СнобMagazine). He has excited audiences worldwide ever since making his Lincoln Center concerto debut at Alice Tully Hall in 2012. Tetzloff has performed in major European venues including the Berlin Philharmonie\, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg\, Düsseldorf’s Kunstpalast\, the Allerheiligen Hofkirche at the Munich Residenz\, Prague’s Rudolfinum\, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory\, Place Flagey in Brussels\, and DeSingel in Antwerp. Orchestral engagements include the Cincinnati Symphony\, the Minnesota Orchestra\, the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra\, the Prague Philharmonic\, the Rochester Philharmonic\, and the Tbilisi Symphony. \nHe has been in residence at festivals such as the Grand Teton Music Festival\, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival\, the Miami InternationalPiano Festival\, and the Festival de Musique de Wissembourg. His recordings can be heard on the Romeo Records and Master Performers labels. Originally from Minneapolis\, Minnesota\, Reed Tetzloff earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Mannes College in New York\, studying with piano department Chair Pavlina Dokovska. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/wynona-wang-piano-reed-tetzloff-piano/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Reed-Tetzloff-_-Photos-by-Steve-Sherman-2-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230827T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230827T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20230402T210610Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230803T144116Z UID:1648-1693148400-1693155600@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Fenimore Chamber Orchestra DESCRIPTION:Note the 4th Sunday: August 27\, 2023 at 3pm\n\n\n\n This event will be held on the old Rexmere Grounds at the Churchill Park Historic District: 158-170 W Main St\, Stamford\, NY 12167. (Some seating will be provided; feel free to bring a comfy chair of your own!) \nFriends of Music of Stamford\, NY is proud to present the critically acclaimed Fenimore Chamber Orchestra in concert on Sunday\, August 27\, 2023.  This occasion will present the rarely heard overture to Haydn’s opera Armida and Schubert’s delightful and also rarely heard Symphony number 5.  A special treat will be Mozart’s Horn Concerto number four performed by Principal Hornist Steven Harmon. \nNo advance tickets or reservations. Suggested Donation of $12 Adults / $6 Students/Seniors\, free for ages 13 & under \nThis performance is made possible\, in part\, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Grant Program\, administered in Delaware County by the Roxbury Arts Group\, Inc. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/fenimore-chamber-orchestra/ LOCATION:Churchill Park Historic District\, 158-170 W Main St\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/298036345_100301626128658_5536053087072420291_n-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230716T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230716T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20230402T213756Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230706T122244Z UID:1677-1689519600-1689526800@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Juilliard Jazz Ensemble DESCRIPTION:On Sunday\, July 16\, at 3PM\, Friends of Music of Stamford NY presents a jazz concert by the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble\, performing as the Tyler Henderson Trio. This current lineup of the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble features three of the most talented young jazz musicians in the world: Oneonta native Tyler Henderson (piano)\, Peter Glynn (drums); and Nico Martinez (bass). The trio keeps the spirit of swing alive\, playing popular classics with fresh twists. This concert is hosted by the First Presbyterian Church at 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY. Admission is by donation at the door; the suggested donation is $12 per person\, $6 for seniors & students. There is no charge for those under age 13. Cash or check only; no reservations or advance sales. \n\n\n\nManhattan’s Juilliard School is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading music schools. Juilliard Jazz\, under the leadership of director Wynton Marsalis\, offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as artist diplomas. The department’s programming reflects the jazz continuum and its American vernacular roots\, as well as the social and cultural vitality of the music. Juilliard Jazz ensembles play more than 50 on- and off-campus performances annually\, including international tours\, as well as performances at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Blue Note in New York City\, \n\n\n\nA native of Oneonta\, New York\, Tyler Henderson began playing piano at age 5. At first\, he learned music by ear\, not starting with classical piano lessons as most pianists do; he then took up saxophone\, guitar\, and french horn upon entering middle school. He was inspired to play piano seriously upon hearing the work of famous pianists Bill Evans and Vince Guaraldi\, and worked hard to develop his skills while participating in his school’s jazz band. Tyler moved with his family to Houston\, Texas upon his acceptance into the prestigious High School For Performing and Visual Arts. In Houston\, Tyler had the pleasure of playing with Wynton Marsalis\, Delfeayo Marsalis\, Sean Jones\, and Don Braden. He was encouraged by masters such as Barry Harris\, Javon Jackson\, and Robert Glasper through his participation in programs such as YoungArts and the Thelonious Monk Institute All-Star Tour. After being accepted into the Juilliard School in 2019\, Tyler moved to New York City to attend school and be a part of the New York jazz scene. Now entering his senior year at Juilliard\, Henderson collaborates with many musicians at New York venues such as Smalls\, Dizzy’s\, the Django\, and more. He is passionate about the history of jazz and hopes one day to become an educator along with his performance career. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNico Martinez enjoys performing a wide variety of styles on the upright and electric basses\, as well as composing for small ensembles. His talents have allowed him the privilege of playing at esteemed venues such as The Monterey Jazz Festival\, Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center\, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society\, 55 Bar\, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts\, The Blue Note NYC\, and others. Starting in high school in Sacramento\, CA\, Nico began to take music very seriously and was playing paid jazz gigs within a year. These experiences led to his decision to pursue further education through the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University\, The Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet\, and The Juilliard School. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHailing from Maplewood NJ\, Peter Glynn has played drums since a very young age. He studied with his first mentor\, drummer and composer Don Peretz\, for several years before arriving at Juilliard\, where he went on to study with renowned jazz musicians such as Kenny Washington\, Billy Drummond\, and Donald Vega\, among others. Peter played at dozens of jazz festivals and venues in the U.S.\, Canada\, Japan\, and Switzerland. Peter recently finished his BM in jazz studies at Juilliard and currently resides in NYC where he’s pursuing his career as a musician.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFriends of Music 2023 Season Schedule: \n\n\n\nAugust 27*: Fenimore Chamber Orchestra (*4th Sunday) \n\n\n\nSeptember 17: Wynona Wang\, piano & Reed Tetzloff\, piano \n\n\n\nOctober 15: Delphi Trio \n\n\n\nNovember 19: Benedict Kloeckner\, cello & Danae Doerken\, piano \n\n\n\nDecember 3: Holiday Concert: Idith Korman\, piano \n\n\n\nMasks suggested. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/juilliard-jazz-ensemble-3/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Baron.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230618T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230618T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20230402T210321Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230402T210617Z UID:1643-1687100400-1687107600@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Andreas Klein\, piano DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, June 18\, 2023 at 3pm \n\n\n\nNEW LOCATION: First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nRESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED as seating is limited; walk-ups welcome\, space permittingE-mail: FOMAdmin@friendsmusic.orgPhone#: 518.918.8003Suggested Donation of $12 Adults / $6 Seniors.Masks encouraged \n\n\n\nAndreas Klein\, piano \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nAndreas Klein is widely admired as a pianist of rare sensitivity and musicality. The Washington Post has praised his “articulate and flowing pianism” while the New York Times called him “a pianist who makes silences sound like music.” About a recent Glenn Gould tribute (with the Minguet String Quartet)\, the Calgary Herald reported\, “(Klein brings) to his performance a mature understanding…as well as a brilliant execution”\, while Classical Voice of North Carolina (CVNC) was even more blunt: “Andreas Klein is a stupendous pianist…a stunning performance by any standard\, and it brought the audience to its feet in a rousing ovation.” \n\n\n\nHe has performed in many of the leading houses of Europe\, from Wigmore Hall in London to the Berlin Philharmonie\, as well as Carnegie Hall in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC\, and is at home with the grandeur of playing with the Berlin Philharmonic or the vast reaches of the Ravinia Festival (where he received two standing ovations) as he is with the intimacy of Le Poisson Rouge (NYC). He has extensively toured North America\, with ensembles including the Salzburg Chamber Soloists (a 20-city tour) and the Festival Strings of Lucerne (10 cities) and in South America\, where he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in Peru\, Chile\, Argentina\, Colombia\, and Brazil. Some exotic places on his concert tours included Damascus and Yerevan. \n\n\n\nSince his meteoric start in his native Germany\, performing recitals and as soloist with orchestra\, he eventually answered the call to go to the Juilliard School in New York. But the highly focussed and musical approach to every work he performs was nurtured by one of his early teachers\, the great Claudio Arrau. It is a philosophy Klein is credited with continuing. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/andreas-klein-piano/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Andreas-Klein-2018-03-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230521T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230521T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20230402T205334Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230515T021628Z UID:1630-1684681200-1684688400@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Pegasus: The Orchestra DESCRIPTION:Eiko Kano\n\n\n\nKarén Hakobyan\n\n\n\nSergey Antonov\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, May 21\, 2023 at 3pm \n\n\n\nNEW LOCATION: First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nNo advance sales or reservations.E-mail: FOMAdmin@friendsmusic.orgPhone#: 518.918.8003Suggested Donation of $12 Adults / $6 Seniors.Masks encouraged \n\n\n\nPegasus: The Orchestra \n\n\n\nEiko Kano\, violin; Karén Hakobyan\, piano;Guest artist Sergey Antonov\, cello \n\n\n\nfeaturing works by Rachmaninoff\, Haydn\, and Mendelssohn \n\n\n\nEiko Kano\, violinPraised as an artist with “electrifying intensity and lyrical expression” by Kyoto Newspaper and “mesmerizing interpreter” by Ongakuno-Tomo Magazine\, Japanese violinist Eiko Kano is known for her sensational and dynamic performances. Eiko has athriving international career as a soloist as well as a chamber musician frequently collaborating with distinguished artists such as principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic Albrecht Meyer\, Eugene Drucker of the Emerson Quartet and Glenn Dicterow. \n\n\n\n She is a top prizewinner of international competitions such as the 4th International Competition of Tokyo among others. As a result of winning the prestigious Forval Scholarship\, Eiko was granted the Stradivarius “Reinville” violin. She serves as an assistant concertmaster in Albany Symphony Orchestra as well as regularly plays in the New York Philharmonic. Eiko is the concertmaster and senior artistic advisor of Pegasus: The Orchestra. Eiko has received BM and MM degrees from Manhattan School of Music and is a long-time resident of New York. In 2016\, she launched the critically acclaimed production titled “A Manhattan Story” with unique style of violin music with original storytelling. The first album “Winter” was released in 2017 followed by “Spring” in 2018: both being featured in the audio program on all international JAL flights. In 2018\, Eiko founded a new ensemble\, The New Yorkers\, featuring Karén Hakobyan as her duo partner. Since then they have been performing extensively in USA and touring Japan. As a recognition of her achievements\, Eiko was loaned the precious “Wilhelmj” Stradivarius violin by Nippon Music Foundation. Her rare and mesmerizing video production of Bach Chaconne filmed in the prestigious Kyoto temple Zenrin-ji (Eikando) was featured in the Strad digital magazine in 2020. Eiko Kano was recently appointed as the music ambassador of the OIST Foundation.   Sergey Antonov\, celloCellist Sergey Antonov enjoys a versatile career as a soloist and chamber musician. Critics throughout the world have hailed him as “destined for cello superstardom” -Washington Post\, “combining formidable technique and an incredibly warm\, penetrating and vibrant tone to a romantic musical sensibility to create music – making of a highest caliber” – Budapest Sun. After one of the Newport Festival concerts in RI\, a critic wrote “… a performance with soaring phrases and a tone to die for.” Sergey’s performance of the Elgar concerto drew the critic of the Moscow’s Daily Telegraph to write: “[he] is a musician who has his own inner space\, where he submerges himself from the very first sound…who turns each phrase\, every deeply felt sound into an event of his own inner monologue. The theme of this monologue is existential suffering; a change of intricately noted emotions\, directly related to the unexplainable conditionknown as Spiritual Life.” A Canadian critic wrote: “Antonov conveyed …a world of expression from plaintive hope to existential pathos.” One of the recent reviewers wrote\,  “ No virtuosic challenge is more than his equal. ”After winning the Gold Medal in the 2007 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow\, Russia\, Sergey has been touring extensively throughout Europe\, Asia\, North and South America performing in halls ranging from the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory to Suntory Hall in Tokyo. He hascollaborated with musicians such as Denis Matsuev\, Bernadene Blaha\, Kevin Fitz Gerald\, Ekaterina Mechetina\, Harve A’ Kaoua\, Carl Ponten\, Dora Schwartzberg\, John Lenehan\, Colin Carr\, Cynthia Phelps\, Martin Chalifour David Chan\, among others\, as well as his permanent piano partner Ilya Kazantsev. The duo has recorded several CDs of traditional cello-piano repertoire as well as their own transcriptions\, recorded in their CD album Elegy. Sergey is a member of the acclaimed Hermitage Piano Trio with Ilya Kazantsev and violinist Misha Keylin. In addition to being the 2007 Tchaikovsky gold medal winner for cello\, Antonov has been a recipient of the 2008 Golden Talent Award by the Russian Performing Arts Foundation as well as garnering top prizes at the Justuz Friedrich Dotzhauer Competition\, Germany\, David Popper International Cello Competition\, Hungary\, American String Teachers Association in Detroit. His chamber ensemble performances have also brought him honors from the Lyrica Chamber Music Series as their “Young Artist of the Year”\, and First Prizes from the Chamber Music Foundation of New England and the Swedish International Duo Competition. Antonov collaborated with such maestros as Vladimir Spivakov\, Dmitry Sitkovetsky Yan Pascal Tortilier\, Mikhail Pletnev\, Maxim Vengerov\, Oue Eiji\, Yuri Simonov\, Christopher Zimmerman\, Uri Bashmet\,  Jonathan McPhee\, Yuri Botnari\, Alexey Shabalin\, among many others. He has made his conducting debut in the spring of 2014. Sergey frequently gives master classes to solo cellists and chamber music groups in colleges and universities throughout the world. Born into a family of cellists\, Sergey started playing cello at the age of five with his mother\, Maria Zhuravleva\, as his teacher. She has recently become the recipient of the National 2014 Teacher of the Year Award of Russia. He has studied at the Central Music School and has graduated from the Moscow Conservatory where studied under the renowned professor Natalia Shakhovskaya. He holds an Artist Diploma from Longy School of Music in Boston where he worked with Grammy nominated cellist Terry King. While being a student at the Moscow Conservatory\, Sergey was under the tutelage of M. Rostropovich. Sergey has appeared on Russian National Television in performances with the Moscow Philharmonic in their “Stars of the 21st Century” series\, and in live concerts on Boston’s NPR radio station WGBH. His performances were also broadcast by NHK Japan.  ​Karén Hakobyan\, pianoDescribed as “a musician of abundant gifts and bountiful ideas” by New York Concert Review\, and “an immensely talented and dynamic performer” by Deseret Morning News\, Armenian American pianist\, composer\, and conductor Karén Hakobyan is a versatile force on the international music scene. Since his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of seventeen\, he has performed inmajor concert halls in Armenia\, Argentina\, Mexico\, Germany\, UK\, Belgium\, France\, Japan\, and the US. Karén regularly appears in prestigious festivals and concert series. Some of his festival performance highlights include: the “Lille International Piano(s) Festival” in 2005 (Lille\, France)\, “The Pianist as Composer” Festival in 2008 (New York)\, Keys to the Future” Contemporary Music Festival in2009-2010 (New York)\, the Gina Bachauer International Festival in 2015 (Utah)\, Festival Musique d’Abord in 2017 (Barbizon\, France) and the Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts in 2018 (California).  \n\n\n\n He is a top prizewinner of multiple international piano and composition competitions and holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music\, Mannes College of Music\, and the University of Utah. Karén has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras across several continents. His performances have been broadcasted on WQXR Radio (New York City)\, WMFT Radio (Chicago)\, WSKG Radio (New York)\, Argentine National Radio\, Monterrey’s (Mexico) Op. 102 station\, Armenian National Radio\, Al Jazeera TV\, Public TV of Armenia and Voice of America TV (International). He is the Founder\, Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of Pegasus: the Orchestra\, based in New York.  URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/pegasus-the-orchestra/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/3dd6abff100f43d1f8187c00d245fb9a.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230416T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230416T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20230303T210046Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230303T210226Z UID:1609-1681657200-1681664400@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Telegraph Quartet DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, April 16\, 2023 at 3pm \n\n\n\nNEW LOCATION: First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY \n\n\n\nRESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED as seating is limited; walk-ups welcome\, space permittingE-mail: FOMAdmin@friendsmusic.orgPhone#: 518.918.8003Suggested Donation of $12 Adults / $6 Seniors. \n\n\n\nFor their Friends of Music program\, \n\n\n\nTelegraph Quartet Presented by Friends of Music Stamford \n\n\n\nFor this concert\, the Telegraph Quartet will perform a selection of works spanning three centuries\, including Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in F-major\, Opus 50\, No. 5 (1787); Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 10 in Eb Major\, Op. 74\, “Harp” (1809); and Gabriela Lena Frank’s Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout\, (2001). \n\n\n\n“Telegraph Quartet’s rhythmic acuity\, rapid tempos and intense lyricism is stunning.” – Audiophile Audition \n\n\n\nEric Chin\, violinJoseph Maile\, violinPei-Ling Lin\, violaJeremiah Shaw\, cello“It’s always a pleasure for us to return to the East Coast and bring a little bit of West Coast ‘weather’ with us\, this time from composer and Berkeley native Gabriella Lena Frank. Flanking Gabriella’s brightly colored quartet\, are two Viennese mainstays\, both written in the musical language of the High Classical style but with very different intents. Haydn bumbles around\, playing pranks here and there in his Op. 50 No. 5 and happening upon passing moments of bliss. On the surface\, Beethoven’s “Harp” quartet seems to follow much in the same clear-browed style of most balmy quartets of this time\, but it belies the coming tempest and profundity of the two middle movements\, and sweet off-kilter resolution of its graceful finale.” \n\n\n\nAbout the Music:Currently serving as Composer-in-Residence with the Philadelphia Orchestra and included in the Washington Post’s list of the most significant women composers in history in 2017\, identity has always been at the center of composer/pianist Gabriela Lena Frank‘s music. Born in Berkeley\, California to a mother of mixed Peruvian/Chinese ancestry and a father of Lithuanian/Jewish descent\, Gabriela exploresher multicultural heritage through her compositions. Inspired by the works of Bela Bartók and Alberto Ginastera\, she has traveled extensively throughout South America in creative exploration. Of the string quartet that the Telegraph will perform she writes\, “Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout draws inspiration from the idea of mestizaje\, as envisioned by Peruvian writer José María Arguedas\, where cultures cancoexist without the subjugation of one by the other. As such\, this piece mixes elements from the western classical and Andean folk music traditions.” The strings invoke the colors and playing styles of traditional Andean instruments\, including the panpipe\, tarka\, guitar-like charango\, and the quena flute. \n\n\n\nBeethoven’s String Quartet No. 10 in Eb Major\, Op. 74\, “Harp” is a highly expressive work. The quartet’s instrumental nickname is derived from the poised pizzicato heard in the first of the four movements. From there\, the music gives rise to a range of moods that Beethoven conveys through a blending of compositional forms\, decisive shifts in dynamics\, and his delicate guidance of each movement’s overallemotional direction. \n\n\n\nHaydn’s String Quartet in F-major\, Opus 50\, No. 5 presents defined shifts in tonality and form –– a quality that distinguishes the music from its predecessor\, String Quartet in F-Sharp minor Op. 50 No. 4. Motifs are introduced and established before the music moves on\, steadily developing new ideas among the parts in a clearer and more linear fashion. Themes are revisited through recapitulation but the connections and evolutions between existing musical ideas and subsequent expansions thereof in the music\, are easier to appreciate in this piece. \n\n\n\nMore about the Telegraph Quartet: Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “…an incredibly valuable addition to the cultural landscape” and “powerfully adept… with a combination of brilliance and subtlety\,” the Telegraph Quartet was awarded the prestigious 2016 Walter W. Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Grand Prize at the 2014 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. The Quartet has performed in concert halls\, music festivals\, and academic institutions across the United States and abroad\, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center\, San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre\, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Masters Series\, and at festivals including the Chautauqua Institute\, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival\, and the Emilia Romagna Festival. The Quartet is currently on the chamber music faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as the Quartet-in-Residence. Notable collaborations include projects with pianists Leon Fleisher and Simone Dinnerstein; cellists Norman Fischer and Bonnie Hampton; violinist Ian Swensen; composer-vocalist Theo Bleckmann; and the Henschel Quartett. A fervent champion of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire\, the Telegraph Quartet has premiered works by John Harbison\, Robert Sirota\, and Richard Festinger. In 2018 the Quartet released its debut album\, Into the Light\, featuring works by Anton Webern\, Benjamin Britten\, and Leon Kirchner on the Centaur label. The San Francisco Chronicle praised the album\, saying\, “Just five years after forming\, the Bay Area’s Telegraph Quartet has established itself as an ensemble ofserious depth and versatility\, and the group’s terrific debut recording only serves to reinforce that judgment.” AllMusic acclaimed\, “An impressive beginning for an adventurous group\, this 2018 release puts the Telegraph Quartet on the map.” In spring 2023\, the Telegraph Quartet will release its next album on Azica Records\, featuring Ravel’s renowned quartet and Schoenberg’s first quartet. \n\n\n\nHighlights of Telegraph Quartet’s 2022-23 season include performances presented by Stanford Live\, The Argyros\, Emerald City Music\, UCLA’s Chamber Music at the Clark\, Chicago Chamber Music Society\, Carmel Music Society\, South Mountain Concerts\, and many others\, as well as a residency at the University of Idaho as part of the Auditorium Chamber Music Series. Telegraph will also performresidency concerts at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. For more information\, visitwww.telegraphquartet.com. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/telegraph-quartet/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church\, 96 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wjZbzlg-scaled.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221204T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221204T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20220402T025128Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221125T182149Z UID:1225-1670166000-1670173200@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Holiday Concert: Robin Lacey/Zēlos Saxophone Quartet DESCRIPTION:RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED as church seating is limited; walk-ups welcome\, space permittingE-mail: FOMAdmin@friendsmusic.orgPhone#: 518.918.8003Masks encouraged. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFREE HOLIDAY CONCERT! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis concert will be recorded by WSKG for broadcast on their station! \n\n\n\nThe Zēlos Quartet is dedicated to performing a wide array of repertoire ranging from underrepresented contemporary works to transcriptions from the baroque\, classical\, and romantic eras. Committed to performing on saxophones that fit the acoustical specifications of its inventor Adolphe Sax\, the Zēlos Quartet looks to connect with a variety of audiences to show the wide range of sounds and colors of the saxophone.​Zēlos has been heard across the United States in live concerts such as 405 Shrader (San Francisco\, CA)\, Bainbridge Museum of Art(WA)\, Bridge Street Theather(NY)\, Beethoven Center (San Jose\, CA)\, and the Herbst Theather (San Francisco\, CA). They have also participated in summer music festivals such as Festival South (Hattiesburg\, MS)\, the Mana Saxophone Institute(San Jose\, CA)\, and the National Music Festival (Chestertown\, MD)\, where they haveenjoyed performing for local audiences not only in the concert hall but equally comfortable in farmers markets and public spaces alike. Zēlos have been extensively coached by Dr. Michael Hernandez of San Jose State University and the critically acclaimed Mana Quartet\, and have participated in masterclasses by Verona String Quartet\, Shanghai Quartet and Amethyst Quartet.​This season’s highlights include performing Philip Glass’ Concerto for Saxophone Quartet with the Redwood Symphony\, as well as performing as season openers for the sold out Music by the Sea chamber series as a part of winning the Beverly Hills International Auditions. Zēlos can  be heard on NPR’s Live Sessions and has appeared twice on Northwest Focus Live! on Classical KING FM.Recent awards of the Zēlos Quartet include the Grand Prize at the Frances Walton ChamberCompetition\, winner of the Beverly Hills National Auditions\, 1st prize in the 2018 California MTNA chamber music competition\, and 1st prize in the 2018 South West Region MTNA chamber music competition. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/holiday-concert-robin-lacey-zelos-saxophone-quartet/ LOCATION:Stamford United Methodist Church\, 88 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/239587481_836918720293696_2327914602871686430_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221120T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221120T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20220402T024032Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221031T125141Z UID:1218-1668956400-1668963600@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Neave Trio DESCRIPTION:RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED as seating is limited; walk-ups welcome\, space permittingE-mail: FOMAdmin@friendsmusic.orgPhone#: 518.918.8003This is an indoor show\, generously hosted by the Stamford United Methodist Church\, 88 Main Street\, Stamford\, NY.Masks required.Suggested Donation of $12 Adults / $6 Seniors. \n\n\n\nFor their Friends of Music program\, the Neave Trio will play: \n\n\n\nLili Boulanger: Deux pièces en trioGermaine Tailleferre: Piano TrioCecile Chaminade: Piano Trio in G minorEthel Smyth: Piano Trio in D minor \n\n\n\nSince forming in 2010\, Neave Trio – violinist Anna Williams\, cellist Mikhail Veselov\, and pianist Eri Nakamura – has earned enormous praise for its engaging\, cutting­edge performances. WQXR explains\, “‘Neave’ is actually a Gaelic name meaning ‘bright’ and ‘radiant\,’ both of which certainly apply to this trio’s music making.” The group’s 2019 album Her Voice\, on Chandos Records\, was named one of the best recordings of the year by both The New York Times and BBC Radio 3. The Boston Musical Intelligencer reports\, “it is inconceivable that they will not soon be among the busiest chamber ensembles going\,” and “their unanimity\, communication\, variety of touch\, and expressive sensibility rate first tier.” \n\n\n\nNeave has performed at many esteemed concert series and at festivals worldwide\, including Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival\, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall\, Smithsonian American Art Museum\, 92nd Street Y\, Rockport Chamber Music Festival\, Norfolk and Norwich Chamber Music Series (United Kingdom)\, and the Samoylov and Rimsky Korsakow Museums’ Chamber Music Series in St. Petersburg (Russia). The trio has held residency positions at Brown University\, University of Virginia\, San Diego State University as the first-ever Fisch/Axelrod Trio-in-Residence\, and the Banff Centre (Canada)\, among many other institutions. Neave Trio was also in residence at the MIT School of Architecture and Design in collaboration with dancer/choreographer Richard Colton. In the fall of 2017\, the Trio joined the faculty of the Longy School of Music of Bard College as Alumni Artists\, Faculty Ensemble‑in‑Residence. \n\n\n\nNeave Trio strives to champion new works by living composers and reach wider audiences through innovative concert presentations\, regularly collaborating with artists of all mediums. These collaborations include D-Cell: an Exhibition & Durational Performance\, conceived and directed by multi-disciplinary visual artist David Michalek; as well as performances with the Blythe Barton Dance Company; with dance collective BodySonnet; with projection designer Ryan Brady; in the interactive concert series “STEIN2.0\,” with composer Amanuel Zarzowski; in Klee Musings by acclaimed American composer Augusta Read Thomas\, which was premiered by Neave; in the premiere of Eric Nathan’s Missing Words V\, sponsored by Coretet; in Leah Read’s Cloud Burst for piano trio and electronics; in Dale Trumbore’s Another Chance; and in a music video by filmmaker Amanda Alvarez Díaz of Astor Piazzolla’s “Otoño Porteño.” \n\n\n\nGramophone described Neave Trio’s latest album Her Voice as\, “a splendid introduction to these three pioneering female composers\,” and as\, “sumptuously recorded … a taut and vivid interpretation.” The Guardian describes the three compositions by Amy Beach\, Rebecca Clarke\, and Louise Farrenc as\, “distinctive and distinguished chamber works\,” while The Strad writes of Beach’s Trio\, “The dreamy cello melody of the opening Allegro – luxuriously played by Mikhail Veselov – blooms into tender interplay between the strings. Violinist Anna Williams echoes Veselov’s delicate touch\, underpinned by eminently sensitive pianism from Eri Nakamura. It’s a finely etched and persuasive performance.” \n\n\n\nNeave Trio’s other critically acclaimed recordings include Celebrating Piazzolla (Azica Records\, 2018)\, which features mezzo-soprano Carla Jablonski; French Moments (Chandos Records\, 2018); and its debut album\, American Moments (Chandos Records\, 2016). Celebrating Piazzolla captures the composer’s rich legacy through arrangements by one of Piazzolla’s long time colleagues\, José Bragato and by a younger protégé\, Leonardo Suárez Paz\, as well as an original work by Paz\, and was included on The Arts Fuse’s list of the Best Classical Recordings of 2018. French Moments includes the only known piano trios by Debussy\, Fauré\, and Roussel and was featured on WQXR’s list of “The Best New Recordings of 2018 (So Far).” \n\n\n\nWhile the COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered concert halls around the world\, the Neave Trio continues to find meaningful ways to perform safely. In April 2020\, Anna Williams and Mikhail Veselov of the Neave Trio were filmed giving an emotional and heartfelt performance of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah in support of their neighbor – a nurse and new mother – and all essential workers during the coronavirus crisis. The video was shared by PBS’ American Portrait series and has over 1 million views. Neave has also performed virtual concerts for The Violin Channel’s “Living Room Live” series; the “Notes of Hope: Music for the Frontline” series\, which provided a daily performance of thanks by leading Boston classical musicians for COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers at Boston medical centers; and for Longy School of Music of Bard College’s Virtual Benefit. Recent and upcoming Livestream concerts include performances presented by the Asheville Chamber Music Series and the Auditorium Chamber Music Series at University of Idaho. Recent and upcoming outdoor\, socially distanced concerts include performances at PS21 in Chatham\, NY; the Walnut Hill School’s “Summer of Art\, Six Feet Apart” festival; and Newport Music Festival. \n\n\n\n“Passion\, vibrancy and a riot of colours” The Strad“The performances balance passion with sensitivity and grace.”BBC Music Magazine URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/neave-trio/ LOCATION:Stamford United Methodist Church\, 88 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/NeaveTrio3_byJacobLewisLovendahl-1-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221016T030000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221016T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T202132 CREATED:20220402T022410Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220926T130625Z UID:1211-1665889200-1665939600@friendsmusic.org SUMMARY:Jordan Bak\, viola & Ji Yung Lee\, piano DESCRIPTION:RESERVATIONS REQUIRED as church seating is very limitedE-mail: FOMAdmin@friendsmusic.orgPhone#: 518.918.8003Masks & social distancing required \n\n\n\nSuggested Donation of $12 Adults / $6 Seniors. \n\n\n\nFor their Friends of Music program\, Jordan Bak and Ji Yung Lee will play works by Britten\, Hindemith\, Vaughan Williams\, R. Schumann\, and Brahms. \n\n\n\nThis performance is part of our annual Weekend of Chamber Music in the Western Catskills. Our colleagues at the West Kortright Centre in East Meredith present the Argus Quartet on Saturday\, October 15; details \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJordan Bak (Dario Acosta) \n\n\n\nAward-winning Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak is building an exciting international career as a trailblazing artist\, praised for his radiant stage presence\, dynamic interpretations\, and fearless power. He is frequently in demand as a concerto soloist\, recitalist\, chamber musician and educator. The 2021 YCAT Robey Artist and a top laureate of the 2020 Sphinx Competition\, Bak is also a Grand Prize winner and Audience Prize recipient of the 2019 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition\, the recipient of the 2019 Samuel Sanders Tel Aviv Museum Prize and the 2019 John White Special Prize from the Tertis International Viola Competition. In addition\, Jordan Bak is a member of the celebrated New York Classical Players and is a featured artist for WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab. \n\n\n\nHighlights of the 2021-2022 season include recital debuts at Wigmore Hall\, Merkin Concert Hall & Baltimore’s Shriver Hall Concert Series\, chamber music tours with Musicians from Marlboro and CAG on Tour\, and new music commissions from such composers as Tyson Davis\, Shawn Okpebholo & James Ra. He has been heard as a recitalist and chamber musician in the United States at such venues as Alice Tully Hall\, Bruno Walter Auditorium\, Jordan Hall\, and Tobin Center for the Performing Arts\, among others\, and in Europe at the Verbier Festival\, the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève\, the Centre de Musique Hindemith\, and the Helsinki Musiikkitalo. \n\n\n\nA proud new music advocate\, Bak gave the world premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Du gick\, flög for viola and mezzo-soprano and the viola premiere of Jessica Meyer’s Excessive Use of Force. Bak also gave an acclaimed performance of the Druckman Viola Concerto with The Juilliard Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall in New York. He has additionally championed works by such composers as H. Leslie Adams\, Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti\, Quinn Mason\, Jeffrey Mumford\, Caroline Shaw & Alvin Singleton. \n\n\n\n\n2nd prize and special award winner at Salieri-Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition in Italy\, pianist and singer Ji Yung Lee has made appearances at Carnegie Weill Hall\, Alice Tully Hall\, and the John F. Kennedy Center. She has also captivated audiences via numerous radio broadcasts including WQXR\, MPR and WFMT. She recently joined Victory Hall Opera as its first official pianist-in-residence\, with the title of Chief Repetiteur. Ji Yung currently serves both as an opera coach and a staff pianist at New England Conservatory in Boston\, MA. \n\n\n\nRecent highlights include a new opera Fat Pig at Victory Hall Opera\, Charlottesville\, VA; Dame Myra Hess Concert Series live-streamed on Chicago’s Classical Music Radio WFMT with violist Jordan Bak\, Chicago\, IL; inaugural concerts at Amelia Island Opera\, Fernandina Beach\, FL; Die Dreigroschenoper at Korea Chamber Opera Festival\, Seoul\, Korea; New York Classical Music Radio WQXR’s Live Christmas Concert with tenor Andrew Staples and Trumpetist Paul Merkelo at The Greene Space\, New York\, NY; Minnesota Public Radio’s Performance Today\, St. Paul\, MN.. \n\n\n\n\nJi Yung participated in Hawaii Performing Arts Festival in 2020 (virtual) and 2019 as a professional fellow. She served as the principal pianist of The Tragedy of Carmen and the orchestral pianist of Company. As a vocal piano fellowship recipient\, she has attended other major music festivals in the United States such as SongFest in LA in 2018\, Music Academy of the West in 2016\, and Aspen Music Festival and School in 2014. At the SongFest\, she received The Marc and Eva Stern – LA Opera Professional Fellowship. At the Music Academy of the West\, she served both as a rehearsal pianist and chorus member in Smetana’s opera The Bartered Bride. \n\n\n\nJi Yung appeared at various masterclasses led by internationally recognized musicians such as Joyce DiDonato\, Julius Drake\, Thomas Hampson\, Marilyn Horne\, Martin Katz\, Robert McDonald\, and Roger Vignoles. \n\n\n\n“Showing off the beauty of her musical maturity” (The Korea Economic Daily)\, Ji Yung was also cast in various musicals from 2010-2012 in South Korea. One production in which she performed\, Moby Dick\, was the first musical staged in Korea where the actors played their own instruments while acting\, singing and dancing. Ms. Lee portrayed sea nymph Nereid symbolizing the mother of nature. One critic dubbed her “A magnificent voice” (The Daily Sport Seoul). Ji Yung Lee also premiered excerpts from new musicals in Korea. Other roles performed include: Sandy in Grease and multiple roles in Our Town. \n\n\n\nJi Yung received her Graduate Diploma from The Juilliard School\, studying collaborative piano with Margo Garrett\, Jonathan Feldman\, Diane Richardson\, and J. J. Penna. She also studied voice with Cynthia Hoffmann as secondary study. During her study\, she had various recitals including one where she performed in both as a pianist and singer\, playing J. Brahms’ Vier Ernste Gesänge and R. Schumann’s Frauenliebe und -leben\, and singing R. Strauss’ Mädchenblumen. \n\n\n\nJi Yung received her Master’s Degree and Graduate Diploma in collaborative piano with academic honors at New England Conservatory\, studying with Cameron Stowe and Jonathan Feldman. She performed Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen and Poulenc’s Dialogues de Carmelites as an orchestral pianist for Graduate Opera Studies. As an opera coach and a pianist for Undergraduate Opera Studies\, she also performed Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and the opera scene programs. She performed with NEC Percussion Ensemble as a guest artist under the baton of Frank Epstein. URL:https://friendsmusic.org/event/jordan-bak-viola-ji-yung-lee-piano/ LOCATION:Stamford United Methodist Church\, 88 Main St.\, Stamford\, NY\, 12167\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://friendsmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Jordan_Bak_Dario_Acosta_8332-e1664197887361.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR