Milestone anniversaries commemorated at 13 concerts featuring seasoned veterans, award-winning young quartets and the regional premiere of a commissioned work inspired by National Seashore.
The Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (CCCMF), celebrating 37 years as Cape Cod’s premiere presenter of summer chamber music, announces its 2016 summer season, presenting 13 compelling concerts from July 29 through August 26 at 7:30 pm in locations throughout the region.
Several major milestones are commemorated during the Festival’s 37th season, including the 10th anniversary of Artistic Directors Jon Nakamatsu and Jon Manasse, and Executive Director Elaine Lipton. “We are greatly anticipating the outstanding artists and thrilling repertoire that will make this 4-week season unforgettable!” said Nakamatsu and Manasse. “We can’t wait to be back on the Cape!” The artistic directors take the stage in several concerts over the course of the festival.
A notable season highlight, the opening concert, The Next Generation features stars of tomorrow. Phenomenal students and faculty of Curtis On Tour, the global touring initiative of the famed Curtis Institute present a program of Schubert, Elgar and a regional premiere of composer Jonathan Bailey Holland’s String Quartet, a new work commissioned by CCCMF, inspired by Cape Cod National Seashore, in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service.
Celebrating their 40th anniversary as a world renowned ensemble, Emerson String Quartet marks their 4th consecutive Festival appearance performing Tchaikovsky’s rarely programmed 3rd String Quartet, along with works by Beethoven and Shostakovich. Imani Winds also makes a reprise appearance, recently named Ensemble in Residence at University of Chicago, featuring newest member Mark Dover on clarinet. Former CCCMF Artistic Director Brian Zeger joins the ensemble for the performance, with music ranging from Ravel and Poulenc to jazz, and works written especially for the quintet. Cellist Amit Peled returns for the Festival debut of The Tempest Trio, performing cornerstones of the piano trio repertoire. Grammy® award-winning and versatile Harlem Quartet makes its CCCMF debut with an eclectic program ranging from Grieg to Dizzy Gillespie. The Borromeo Quartet returns for two concerts including the premiere of Nicholas Kitchen’s arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier.
A popular feature added last season, the Festival again hosts an ensemble in residence for the Festival’s final week. Critically acclaimed Escher String Quartet begins its stay in concert at the Festival’s newest venue in Orleans, boasting a performance of Tchaikovsky’s monumental masterwork Piano Trio in A Minor, featuring Festival Director Jon Nakamatsu. A second concert highlights Festival Director Jon Manasse performing Carl Maria von Weber’s rousing Clarinet Quintet in a performance that will truly inspire and dazzle, with Schubert and Schoenberg also on the program. Joined by other Festival favorites, Jon Manasse, Jon Nakamatsu and the Escher perform a vibrant season finale offering chamber arrangements of three giant orchestral works by Strauss, Beethoven and Chopin.
Concerts are held in six communities from Provincetown to Cotuit, ensuring maximum accessibility to Cape Cod audiences, at these venues:
- Provincetown: Provincetown Art Association and Museum, 460 Commercial Street
- Wellfleet: First Congregational Church, 200 Main Street
- Orleans: Church of the Holy Spirit, 204 Monument Road: 73 Main Street
- Chatham: First Congregational Church: 650 Main Street (at the Rotary)
- Dennis: Dennis Union Church: 713 Main Street (Route 6A)
- Cotuit: Cotuit Center for the Arts: 4404 Falmouth Road (Route 28)
Tickets ordered on or before June 30: $34 General Admission; $15 for students over 18; Free for attendees 18 and under. General admission to three or more concerts $32. Emerson String Quartet $50 (individually or as part of a three concert series.)
Tickets ordered on or after July 1: $38 General Admission; $15 for students over 18; Free for attendees 18 and under. General Admission to three or more concerts $36. Emerson String Quartet $55 (individually or as part of a three concert series.)
Special benefit premium tickets are $100 to $125, including reserved seating and a pre-concert or post-concert reception for concerts on August 1, 4 and 9.
Festival seating is limited to venue capacity, advance purchase is recommended. Tickets ordered online are available at will call at the performances. Tickets may also be purchased by calling or visiting the box office at 508-247-9400 or at 3 Main Street Unit 6, North Eastham. Box office hours are 10 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday. Phone orders are available until 12 noon on the day of each concert.
For more information about Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival’s 2016 season, performers, mission and venues, visit capecodchambermusic.org, or follow Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival on Facebook and Twitter.
2016 Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival Schedule of Events:
Friday, July 29: ‘The Next Generation’: First Congregational Church, Wellfleet, 7:30 p.m. Curtis on Tour (Kevin Lin, violin; Laura Park, violin; Yoshi Nakano, viola; Youna Choi, cello; Meng-Chieh Liu, piano.
Program: Schubert: Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello, D. 581
Holland: String Quartet (2015)
Elgar: Quintet in A Minor for Piano and String Quartet, Opus 84
Monday, August 1: ‘Brian Zeger Returns with Imani’: Orleans, Church of the Holy Spirit, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 2: ‘Brian Zeger Returns with Imani’: Cotuit, Cotuit Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.
Imani Winds (Valerie Coleman, flute; Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe; Mark Dover, clarinet; Jeff Scott, horn; Monica Ellis, bassoon); and Brian Zeger, piano.
Scott : Startin’ Something (2012)
Ravel: Four Movements from Le Tombeau de Couperin (1924-1917, arranged by Mason Jones)
Poulenc: Sextuor for Piano and Winds, FP 100
Hillborg: Six Pieces for Wind Quintet (2007)
Shifrin: La nouvelle Orleans
Zarvos: Quase Choro from Changes – Sextet for Winds and Piano (2003)
Thursday, August 4: ‘The Emerson Plays Two Russian Greats’: Wellfleet, First Congregational Church, 7:30 p.m. Eugene Drucker, violin; Philip Setzer, violin; Lawrence Dutton, viola; Paul Watkins, cello.
Beethoven: String Quartet in D Major, Opus 18 No. 3
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 10 in A-flat Major, Opus 118
Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 3 in E-flat Minor, Opus 30
Monday, August 8: String Trio Virtuosity: Provincetown Art Association and Museum, 7:30 p.m. Carmit Zori, violin; Rebecca Young, viola; Bion Tsang, cello.
Beethoven: Serenade in D Major for Violin, Viola and Cello, Opus 8
Klein: Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello
Mozart: Divertimento in E-flat Major for Violin, Viola and Cello, KV 563
Tuesday, August 9: The Tempest Trio: Cotuit Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. Ilya Kaler, violin; Amit Peled, cello; Alon Goldstein, piano.
Beethoven: Trio No. 5 in D Major for Piano, Violin and Cello (“Ghost”) Opus 70, No. 1
Bernstein: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello (1937)
Ravel: Piano Trio in A Minor
Dvorak: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Opus 21 (B. 51)
Thursday, August 11: ‘Tchaikovsky’s Trio’: Chatham, First Congregational Church, 7:30 p.m. Carmit Zori, violin; Bion Tsang, cello; Jon Nakamatsu, piano.
Kodaly: Duo for violin and Cello, Opus 7
Haydn: Trio in E Major for Piano, Violin and Cello. Hob. XV:28
Tchaikovsky: Trio in A Minor for Piano, Violin and Cello, Opus 50
Tuesday, August 16: ‘The Harlem Quartet’: Cotuit, Cotuit Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.: The Harlem Quartet (Ilmar Gavilan, violin; Melissa White, violin; Jaime Amador, viola, Felix Umansky, cello).
Grieg: String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Opus 27
Bolcom: Three Rags (1970)
Garrido-Lecca: String Quartet No. 2 (1988)
Jobim: The Girl from Ipanema (1962) (arranged for string quartet by Dave Glenn)
Gillespie: A Night in Tunisia (1941) (arranged for string quartet by Dave Glenn)
Hernandez: El Cumbanchero (1946) (arranged for string quartet by Guido Lopez-Gavilan)
Wednesday, August 17: ‘Bach and the Borromeo’: Dennis, Dennis Union Church, 7:30 p.m.: Borromeo String Quartet (Nicholas Kitchen, violin; Kristopher Tong, violin; Mai Motobuchi, viola; Yeesun Kim, cello).
Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, Prelude and Fugue Nos. 1-24 (arranged for string quartet by Nicholas Kitchen)
Friday, August 19: ‘Musical Monuments’: Wellfleet, First Congregational Church, 7:30 p.m. Borromeo String Quartet (Nicholas Kitchen, violin; Kristopher Tong, violin; Mai Motobuchi, viola; Yeesun Kim, cello); and Randall Hodgkinson, piano.
Ligeti: String Quartet No. 1
Shostakovich: Quintet in G Major for Piano and String Quartet, Opus 57
Beethoven: String Quartet in E-flat Major, Opus 127
Monday, August 22: ‘Escher Residency and Nakamatsu’: Orleans, Church of the Holy Spirit, 7:30 p.m. Escher String Quartet (Adam Barnett-Hart, violin; Aaron Boyd, violin; Pierre Lapointe, viola; Brook Speltz, cello), and Jon Nakamatsu, piano.
Schubert: Sonata in A Minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821
Ravel: Quartet in F Major (1903)
Brahms: Quartet in G Minor for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello, Opus 25
Wednesday, August 24: ‘Escher Residency and Manasse’: Chatham, First Congregational Church, 7:30 p.m. Escher String Quartet (Adam Barnett-Hart, violin; Aaron Boyd, violin; Pierre Lapointe, viola; Brook Speltz, cello); and Jon Manasse, clarinet.
Schubert: String Quartet in C Minor, D.703
Schoenberg: String Quartet No. 1 in D Minor, Opus 7
Von Weber: Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B-flat Major, Opus 34
Friday, August 26: ‘Escher Residency and Symphonic Finale’: Wellfleet, First Congregational Church, 7:30 p.m. Escher String Quartet (Adam Barnett-Hart, violin; Aaron Boyd, violin; Pierre Lapointe, viola; Brook Speltz, cello); and Tony Falanga, bass; Jon Manasse, clarinet; Eric Reed, horn; Cynde Iverson, bassoon; and Jon Nakamatsu, piano.
Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel (arranged for violin, bass, clarinet, horn and bassoon by Franz Hasenohri)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Opus 36 (arranged for string quartet, bass, clarinet, horn and bassoon by Andy Stein)
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Opus 11 (arranged for piano and string quartet by Richard Hoffmann)
About the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival
Hailed by The New York Times as “A Triumph of Quality,” the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (CCCMF) has been a year-round presenter of chamber music and a major contributor to the cultural life of Cape Cod since its inception in 1979. Founded as the Cape & Islands Chamber Music Festival by the late collaborative pianist Samuel Sanders, the Festival continues his legacy. Now entering its 37th season, CCCMF presents four weeks of intensive chamber music programming in a variety of Cape locations in July and August. Throughout the rest of the year, CCCMF presents autumn and spring concerts, a community outreach program, and benefit concerts in New York and on Cape Cod. Hoping to ignite the interest of a younger audience, CCCMF welcomes all youth up to age 18 to attend any regular concert free of charge. The Festival is also host to a Composer-in-Residence program, and features composers with Cape Cod connections. CCCMF is a private, non-profit organization supported by a volunteer Board of Directors with financial support from individuals, corporations, and foundations both local and nationwide. For more information about CCCMF’s programs, schedule or tickets, visit capecodchambermusic.org, call 508-247-9400 or follow Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival on Facebook and Twitter.
Photos: Courtesy, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival
Top Right: CCCMF Artistic Directors Jon Manasse and Jon Nakamatsu
Middle Left: The Tempest Trio
Middle Right: Imani Winds
Bottom Right: The Harlem Quartet