Festival to Feature Return of Individual Tokyo String Quartet Members, Debut Appearances by American and Escher String Quartets, All-Baroque Concert, and Special Recital by Three Van Cliburn Competition Gold Medalists, Hosted by Former Boston Globe Music Critic Richard Dyer 

North Eastham, Massachusetts, April 3, 2013— Following its attendance-record-breaking 2012 season, the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival will open its 34^th  season on July 30, with the first of 13 concerts to be presented over four weeks at six dispersed venues.

Artistic directors Jon Nakamatsu and Jon Manasse, returning for their seventh season, said: “Every season brings exciting musical offerings to the Festival stages—and this season is no exception. We’re delighted to welcome back – as individuals – all the members of the Tokyo String Quartet, as well as the ever-popular Borromeo String Quartet, plus such outstanding performers as violinists Maria Bachmann and Carmit Zori, and cellists Amit Peled and Julian Schwarz.

“We’re also looking forward,” they continued, “to Festival debuts by the venerable American String Quartet, the young, award-winning Escher String Quartet, and the noted harpsichordist Kenneth Cooper, as well as presenting special programs that include an all-Baroque concert, a piece by Daniel Brewbaker based on the poems of Provincetowner Mary Oliver, and a concert by three Van Cliburn Piano Competition Gold Medalists, to be hosted by Richard Dyer, former chief music critic of the Boston Globe, as well as a regular member of the Competition jury.

As in previous seasons, the concerts will be performed in six different venues – from Provincetown to Cotuit – to assure maximum accessibility to audiences throughout Cape Cod. Venues include:

• Provincetown Art Association and Museum: 460 Commercial Street
• Wellfleet: First Congregational Church: 200 Main Street
• Chatham: First Congregational Church: 650 Main Street (at the Rotary)
• Dennis Union Church: 713 Main Street (Route 6A)
• Cotuit Center for the Arts: 4404 Falmouth Road (Route 28)
• South Yarmouth: Cultural Center of Cape Cod: 307 Old Main Street

All concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m., with the exception of: the August 2^nd Wellfleet concert, the August 4^th Chatham concert, and the August 18^th Yarmouth Gala.

The complete Festival schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, July 30: Cotuit Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. Trio Solisti (Maria Bachmann, violin; Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello; Jon Klibonoff, piano).

Program:
Beethoven: Variations on an Original Theme in E-flat Major for Piano,
Violin and Cello, Opus 44 (“Piano Trio No. 10”)
Chausson: Trio in G Minor for Violin, Cello and Piano, Opus 3
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (arranged for piano trio by Klibonoff/Trio Solisti) 

Friday, August 2: First Congregational Church, Wellfleet, 8 p.m.: ‘In Tribute to Van Cliburn’: Haochen Zhang, piano; André-Michel Schub, piano; Jon Nakamatsu, piano. Note: Prior to the concert, from 7 to 7:30 p.m., Richard Dyer will give a talk on Van Cliburn’s life and legacy, and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Program:
Schumann: Widmung (transcribed for solo piano by Franz Liszt)
Debussy: Petite Suite for Piano Four Hands, L. 69
Stravinsky: Three Movements from Pétrouchka
Mozart: Sonata in C Major for Piano Four Hands, K. 521
Chopin: Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor, Opus 39
Chopin: Polonaise in A-flat Major, Opus 53 (“Heroic”)

Sunday, August 4: First Congregational Church, Chatham, 4 p.m. Maria Bachmann, violin; Clive Greensmith, cello; Jon Klibonoff, piano.

Program:
Schubert: Sonatina in D Major for Violin and Piano, D. 384 (Opus posth.137, No. 1)
Saint-Saëns: Trio No. 1 in F Major for Piano, Violin and Cello, Opus 18
Mendelssohn: Trio in C Minor for Piano, Violin and Cello, Opus 66                                                           

Monday, August 5: Provincetown Art Association and Museum, 7:30 p.m. Clive Greensmith, cello; The American String Quartet (Peter Winograd, violin; Laura Carney, violin; Daniel Avshalomov, viola; Wolfram Koessel, cello).

Program:
Haydn: String Quartet No. 67 in F Major, Opus 77, No. 2; Hoboken III:82 (“Lobkowitz Quartet” No. 2)
Janacek: String Quartet No. 1 (“Kreutzer Sonata”), JW 7/8
Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 (“Cello Quintet”) 

Tuesday, August 6: Cotuit Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. Clive Greensmith, cello; The American String Quartet (Peter Winograd, violin; Laura Carney, violin; Daniel Avshalomov, viola; Wolfram Koessel, cello).

Program:
Haydn: String Quartet No. 67 in F Major, Opus 77, No. 2; Hoboken III:82 (“Lobkowitz Quartet” No. 2)
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Opus 73
Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 (“Cello Quintet”)

Friday, August 9: First Congregational Church, Wellfleet, 7:30 p.m. The Borromeo String Quartet (Nicholas Kitchen, violin; Kristopher Tong, violin; Mai Motobuchi, viola; Yeesun Kim, cello).

Program:
Kitchen: Three Animations for String Quartet (video animation by Nicholas Kitchen to music of Bach, Beethoven, and Bill Evans)
Beethoven: String Quartet in E Minor, Opus 59, No. 2 (with projection of manuscript)
Dvorak: String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, Opus 106 

Tuesday, August 13: Cotuit Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. Carmit Zori, violin; Daniel Panner, viola; Amit Peled, cello; Diane Walsh, piano.

Program:
Haydn: Trio in G Major for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Opus 53 (arrangement by Haydn of his Sonata in G Major for Piano, Hob. XVI:40)
Chopin: Sonata in B-flat Minor, Opus 35
Mendelssohn: Piano Quartet No. 3 in F Minor, Opus 3 

Wednesday, August 14: First Congregational Church, Chatham, 7:30 p.m. Carmit Zori, violin; Benjamin Hochman, piano; Escher String Quartet (Adam Barnett-Hart, violin; Aaron Boyd, violin; Pierre Lapointe, viola; Dane Johansen, cello).

Program:
Handel: Sonata in D Major for Violin and Keyboard, HXV 371
Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 in E Minor, JB 1:105 (“From my Life”)
Dvorak: Quintet in A Major for Piano and Strings, Opus 81 

Friday, August 16: First Congregational Church, Wellfleet, 7:30 p.m. Carmit Zori, violin; Daniel Panner, viola; Amit Peled, cello; Tony Falanga, bass; Benjamin Hochman, piano; Lara Nie, mezzo soprano; Escher String Quartet (Adam Barnett-Hart, violin; Aaron Boyd, violin; Pierre Lapointe, viola; Dane Johansen, cello).

Program:
Brahms: Sonata No. 2 in F Major for Cello and Piano, Opus 99
Brewbaker: The Journey for Mezzo Soprano and Strings (on poems of Mary Oliver)
Chausson: Concert in D Major for Piano, Violin and String Quartet, Opus 21 

Sunday, August 18: Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival Gala: South Yarmouth, Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 6 p.m. Manasse/Nakamatsu Duo, with special appearance by Madeleine Manasse, violin.

Program:
Saint-Saëns: Sonata in E-flat Major for Clarinet and Piano, Opus 167; first movement
Ravel: Pièce en forme de habañera (transcribed for clarinet and piano by Gaston Hamelin)
Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo capriccioso in A Minor, Opus 28
Joplin: Two Rags for Solo Piano
Novacek: Two Rags from Four Rags for Two Jons 

Tuesday, August 20: Dennis Union Church, 7:30 p.m. Kikuei Ikeda, violin; Kazuhide Isomura, viola; Julian Schwarz, cello; Jon Manasse, clarinet; Alec Manasse, clarinet.

Program:
Mozart: Duo in G Major for Violin and Viola, K. 423
Mozart: Divertimento No. 3 in B-flat Major for two Clarinets and Bassoon (Cello), K. 229
Crusell: Quartet No. 1 in E-flat Major for Clarinet, Violin, Viola and Cello, Opus 2
Dohnanyi: Serenade in C Major for String Trio, Opus 10

Wednesday, August 21: First Congregational Church, Chatham, 7:30 p.m. Kikuei Ikeda, violin; Kazuhide Isomura, viola; Julian Schwarz, cello; Jon Manasse, clarinet; Jon Nakamatsu, piano.

Program:
Haydn: Trio in G Major for Piano, Violin and Cello, Opus 82, No. 2, Hob. XV:25
Mozart: Trio in E-flat Major for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, K. 498 (“Kegelstatt”)
Schumann: Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Opus 47

Friday, August 23: First Congregational Church, Wellfleet, 7:30 p.m. Martin Beaver, violin; Elizabeth Mann, flute; Kenneth Cooper, harpsichord; Misha Rosenker, violin; Elizabeth Chang, violin; Nardo Poy, viola; Pamela Greitzer-Manasse, cello; Jordan Frazier, bass.

Program:
Bach: Sonata in B Minor for Flute and Keyboard, BWV 1030
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Opus 8, Nos. 1-4                                               

Unless otherwise specified (in italics), ticket prices for all concerts are as follows:

Orders received on or before June 30: $32 general admission; $15 for college students with ID); FREE for attendees 18 and under. General admission to three or more concerts: $30 per ticket. Van Cliburn Gold Medalists’ concert: $47 (whether individually purchased or as part of the three-concert package).

Orders received on or after July 1: $35 general admission; $15 for college students (with ID); FREE for attendees 18 and under. General admission to three or more concerts: $33 per ticket. Van Cliburn Gold Medalists’ concert: $50 (whether individually purchased or as part of the three-concert package).

Tickets to August 18 Gala: Sponsor: $150; Patron: $200.

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“Enlightening, riveting, and just plain fun to watch.” - Worcester Telegram & Gazette (of Claremont Trio)

When’s the last time you heard “enlightening,” “riveting” and “fun” used to describe chamber music? Stick around, and those words may become common in your own conversations.

“Many people think classical music is boring,” the trio says on their website (claremonttrio.com). “Some people think classical music is relaxing, pretty, even interesting. We think classical music is exhilarating, heart-wrenching, and ultimately life-changing. We want our performances to come alive so that the audience will notice more, feel more, and perhaps even live more. “

First winners of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson International Trio Award and the only piano trio ever to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the Claremonts are consistently lauded for their “aesthetic maturity, interpretive depth, and exuberance” (Palm Beach Daily News). During the 2011-12 season the Claremont Trio opened the brand new hall at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with a series of three concerts.  Their busy touring schedule also includes concerts for Friends of Chamber Music-Denver, the Sanibel Music Festival, New York’s Rubin Museum, Harvard Musical Association, Chamber Music Society of Bethlehem, Boise Chamber Music Series, American Century Music in Boston, Concerts at the Point, and the Brooklyn Public Library. As Central Virginia Ensemble in Residence, the Claremonts also begin a visiting residency at Longwood University, Randolph College, Sweet Briar College and Hampden Sydney College.         

Twin sisters Emily Bruskin (violin) and Julia Bruskin (cello) formed the Trio with Donna Kwong (piano) in 1999 at The Juilliard School. The Bruskins both play old French instruments, Emily’s violin a Lupot from 1795 and Julia’s cello a J.B. Vuillaume from 1849. Donna Kwong is a Steinway Artist.

Claremont Trio performs in Cotuit on August 7. Don’t miss them! Here’s the program:

W.A. Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in C Major, K. 548
Allegro
Andante cantabile
Allegro

Sean Shepherd (b. 1979)
Trio (2012) 
florid hopscotch
Calderwood
slow waltz of the robots

J. Brahms (1833 – 1897)
Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in B Major, Opus 8
Allegro con brio
Scherzo: Allegro molto
Adagio
Allegro

“The Claremont Trio is on the fast track to success.” – Strad magazine

“Their exuberant performance and gutsy repertoire … was the kind of fresh approach that keeps chamber music alive.” - Cincinnati Enquirer

In Celebration of Chatham’s 300th Anniversary, we’re presenting a free concert at First Congregational Church in Chatham, at 6pm on Wednesday, August 8, featuring Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School Select Chorus and pianists from the Cape Cod Conservatory of Music and Art.

Patrons who are also attending the Jupiter String Quartet at 7:30 are invited to come early for the free concert, and leave sweaters or programs on the seats to save places for the later concert.

Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School Select Chorus
Margaret Bossi, director
Art McManus, piano
Betsy Doriss, oboe
Mark Prall, percussion

PROGRAM:
Amazing Grace – American trad., arr. Francisco NunezThe Frog and the Mouse –  American folk, arr. Mary McAuliffe
Ave Maria – Giulio Caccini
Away from the Roll of the Sea – Canadian folk,  arr. Stuart Calvert
All the Pretty Little Horses – American folk, arr. Arthur Frackenpohl
Sansa kroma – Ghanaian folk, arr. Cristi Cary Miller

SINGERS

Laura Barabe

Christian Griffin
Camille LaJoie
Tess LeConey
Hanna MarchesseaultKaleigh Mason
Morgan Dexter
Gabby Gent
Rebecca LeDuc
Katerina Nowack
Emma Perry
Adeline Terry-Welsh
Lauren Berkley
Ella Hartley

PIANISTS FROM THE CAPE COD CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC AND ART 

Rachel Moberg
F. Chopin

Waltz in b minor , op. 69, no.2 

C. Debussy Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum (from the Children’s Suite)

Margaret Tierno

F. Schubert Impromptu in A flat, op. 142, no.2 

In August, Frank Almond will record an album based on the history of the “Lipinski” Stradivarius violin he plays. To support his effort, he launched a Kickstarter project, which was successfully funded (and went over the target amount). Watch Frank’s Kickstarter video (on the right) and learn more about the violin he’ll be playing.

At 17, Frank Almond was one of the youngest prizewinners in the history of the Nicolo Paganini Competition in Genoa, Italy, and five years later was one of two American prizewinners at the Eighth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Frank Almond is concertmaster  at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He returned to the MSO after holding positions as Concertmaster of the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Valery Gergiev, and Guest Concertmaster of the London Philharmonic with Kurt Masur. Other Guest Concertmaster appearances have included the Seattle Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, and the Grand Tetons Music Festival.

Frank continues an active schedule of solo and chamber music performances in the US and abroad including appearances with the Ojai Festival, Frankly Music, An die Musik, the Nara Academy in Nara, Japan, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Music in the Vineyards, and various solo appearances with orchestras.

We are thrilled that Frank and his violin will be joining us again this year!

Frank Almond plays in Cotuit on July 31, and in Chatham August 1.

Click here for ticket information.

Jon Manasse regrets that he will be unable to join us for the August 12 Gala. All is well and he will be on the Cape later in the season for his other scheduled appearances.

In his stead, the Borromeo String Quartet will be performing with Jon Nakamatsu.

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival
invites you to attend a

CAPE COD SUMMER GALA

Sunday, August 12, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.

CULTURAL CENTER of CAPE COD
307 Old Main Street, South Yarmouth, MA

Cocktail Reception at 6 p.m.
Music at 6:45
Full Buffet to follow

Program:

The Borromeo String Quartet
Nicholas Kitchen, violin
Kristopher Tong, violin
Mai Motobuchi, viola
Yeesun Kim, cello

Jon Nakamatsu, piano

DVORAK (1841-1904)
Quintet in A Major for Piano and Strings, Opus 81
Allegro, ma non tanto
Dumka: Andante con moto
Scherzo (Furiant): Molto vivace
Finale: Allegro

Please respond by Monday August 6
$135 per person ($65.00 tax deductible)

Do you have your tickets? This season opens with an especially large bang as the Tokyo String Quartet plays their last Cape Cod concert on opening night.

In April the quartet announced that this concert season (2012/2013) will be its last. One of the world’s most distinguished chamber music ensembles, the quartet was founded in 1969 and joined the faculty of the Yale School of Music as Artists-in-Residence in 1977. They are Martin Beaver, violin; Kikuei Ikeda, violin; Kazuhide Isomura, viola; and Clive Greensmith, cello.

The quartet currently performs concerts in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. They have released more than forty recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, BMG/RCA Victor Red Seal, Angel-EMI, CBS Masterworks, Harmonia Mundi, and Vox Cum Laude.

The ensemble has won the Grand Prix du Disque and Best Chamber Music Recording of the Year awards from Stereo Review and Gramophone magazines, as well as seven Grammy nominations.

“It has been a humbling and extraordinary experience to be part of such an ensemble, but it is time to step away from the hectic travel schedule and allow each of us the opportunity to pursue our individual performing and teaching interests.” Clive Greensmith

Robert Blocker, Dean of the Yale School of Music, commented: “For over 35 years, the Tokyo Quartet has been an integral part of the fabric of our School. Their artistry on the concert stage is matched by their passion for the string quartet literature and their dedication to nurturing the musicians of tomorrow. We are grateful for their friendship and for their transformative contributions to the Yale School of Music.”

The program on July 30 is:

J. Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Quartet No. 27 in D Major, Opus 20 No. 4; Hob. III:34 (“Sun Quartet” No. 4)
Allegro di molto
Un poco Adagio e afettusoso
Menuetto: Allegretto alla zingarese; Trio
Presto e scherzando

A. Webern (1883 – 1945)
Five Movements for String Quartet, Opus 5
Heftig bewegt
Sehr langsam
Sehr bewegt
Sehr langsam
In zarter Bewegung

F. Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887
Allegro molto moderato
Andante un poco moto
Scherzo: Allegro vivace; Trio: Allegretto
Allegro assai

Buy tickets online http://www.capecodchambermusic.org/tickets/order-online/
or call our Box Office at 508.247.9400, Monday through Friday, 10am to 3pm.

This concert will sell out. Please purchase tickets in advance.

PRESS RELEASE:

North Eastham, Massachusetts, March 14, 2012—  The Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival will sponsor an early-spring prelude to its 33^rd summer season: a return performance by the Futura String Quartet at the Wellfleet Congregational Church, to benefit the Mustard Seed Kitchen. The concert will be held on Saturday, March 24^th, at 4 p.m., at the Wellfleet Congregational Church.

“We are delighted to sponsor the second such benefit concert by this quartet,” said Elaine Lipton, the Festival’s executive director. “Mustard Seed is a fine organization with a critical mission, and Futura is an excellent young ensemble with a promising future. We are looking forward to an exciting event.”

Founded at the New England Conservatory in September of 2010, the Futura String Quartet was recognized early on as a promising young ensemble. Since its inception, the group has performed in NEC’s Jordan Hall multiple times— as part of its Chamber Music Gala series, the Conservatory’s 2011 Commencement Concert, and NEC Faculty member John Heiss’s Contemporary Ensemble series. In February 2011, they performed their first Festival-sponsored Wellfleet concert to benefit the Mustard Seed Kitchen. They were also participants of the 2011 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the 2011 McGill String Quartet Academy in Montreal, Quebec. Notably, two of its members – Audrey Wright and Alexandra Nelson – are Cape Cod natives with strong ties to the Festival, having performed in its student concerts and served as interns. 

The concert will feature two celebrated string quartets, from the 19^th and 20^th centuries, respectively: Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 12 in E major, op. 127, and Bartok’s String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102, BB 110. 

 “We have chosen a program that explores some of the richest and most complex writing of the standard string quartet repertoire,” violinist Audrey Wright said.  “Each of these quartets demands immense flexibility, creativity, and stamina of the players— and each has pushed the boundaries of our quartet in a very rewarding way. The awesome power of a string quartet’s unique sound is exemplified in the very first chords of both works, and to begin each piece on the program in this way is as thrilling for us up on stage as we hope it will be for those in the audience.” 

About The Mustard Seed Kitchen 

The Mustard Seed Kitchen has been serving the needs of the Outer Cape since 1997. Founded by Sharyn Lindsay and Ellen Webb, the organization has provided an effective way to involve local teens in supporting their community by preparing meals for people in crisis.  Housed in the kitchen at the First Congregational Church of Wellfleet, the Mustard Seed Kitchen is managed today by Pat Synoradzki and 20 volunteers, who serve 5000 meals over the course of the year to people in Truro, Wellfleet, and Eastham. 

About the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival

Hailed by the New York Times as “A Triumph of Quality”, the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival has been offering exceptional chamber music concerts in August and throughout the year on Cape Cod for 33 years.  As a prominent presenter of chamber music, the Festival has been a major contributor to the Cape’s cultural life, musical education, and social well-being since its inception.  

Admission to the concert is $20, and free for attendees 18 and under. For tickets and/or information, please call 508/247-9400, or visit www.capecodchambermusic.org.

On August 4, 2011 The Quartet San Francisco held a string and tango workshop in Sandwich at the Riverview School. The Riverview School serves adolescents and young adults with complex language, learning and cognitive disabilities. A group of these students spent four weeks prior to the workshop learning to dance tangos. They worked with their movement teacher and with two professional tango dancers. Their class culminated with a talk by Jeremy Cohen, first violinist of the Quartet San Francisco, about the history of tango followed by an opportunity to practice their tango dancing to live music performed by the quartet.  Also in attendance was the entire school population as well as a  number of local string players interested in the techniques used when playing tangos, particularly on violin. The event was both fun enriching for everyone involved. This workshop was supported by the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod and the Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank.