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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will perform Haydn’s Symphony No. 94, George Crumb’s “Voice of the Whale,” and César Franck’s Piano Quintet in F Minor 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Williams Center for the Arts. The ensemble has been called “unforgettably spectacular and intense” and “everything chamber musicians should be” by The New York Times.
Tickets cost $4 with Lafayette ID and $20 for the public. They can be purchased by calling the box office at 610-330-5009.
Flutist Ransom Wilson has put together an intriguing program, led by the rarely heard arrangement of Symphony No. 94 (a.k.a. “Surprise”) for sextet by Haydn’s London impresario, Franz Salomon. Masked musicians and a darkened stage will set the theatrical environment that Crumb intended for his piece. The evening will conclude with Franck’s radiant music.
Williams Center Director Ellis Finger will give a “director’s talk” for the Friends of the Williams Center an hour before the concert.
Aside from Wilson, the chamber music ensemble is comprised of veteran Williams Center performers: André-Michel Schub, piano; Ani Kavafian, violin; Paul Neubauer, viola; Fred Sherry, cello; and Jennifer Frautschi, violin. Schub, Kavafian, Neubauer, and Frautschi are all recipients of Avery Fisher Career Grants. Schub played the dedication concert for the Williams Center’s grand piano in February 1984. He returned for a recital in 1993 and has played twice since then as part of Chamber Music Society touring programs.
This is the ensemble’s fifth performance at the Williams Center, continuing a series that began in 1996. The group received a 2001 Grammy nomination for its highly acclaimed triple-disc recording of The Complete Chamber Works of Claude Debussy. Musicians in the group have received numerous honors in the past few years, including “Artists of the Week” on A&E’s weekly nationally-televised program “Breakfast with the Arts,” a featured performance on a live PBS telecast, and a Grammy Award.
In its 34th season, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center offers concerts of every instrumentation, style, and historical period from the Renaissance to the present. At its core are 15 artist members who are among the world’s most respected musicians. This core group, along with guest artists, can expand as needed to perform virtually any chamber piece. Pioneered by the ensemble, this structure has been adapted by chamber music organizations around the world.
In addition to performances at Alice Tully Hall, Chamber Music Society’s activities include national and international tours, nationally televised broadcasts on “Live From Lincoln Center,” weekly radio shows on Public Radio International’s “Chamber Music New York,” and regular appearances on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today.” The group has commissioned over 110 new works, built a large and critically acclaimed discography, and developed educational programs reaching thousands of students.
As founding artistic director, Charles Wadsworth — an eminent pianist, chamber musician, and accompanist — developed the model with Lincoln Center President William Schuman. Former opera singer and vocal recitalist Alice Tully agreed to help finance a venue intended for chamber music on condition that it have exemplary acoustics and comfort, and on Sept. 11, 1969, Chamber Music Society’s inaugural concert marked the opening of its Lincoln Center home, Alice Tully Hall. It hosts 12 annual subscription programs, involving a cross section of the world’s leading interpreters of chamber music.
The nationally recognized Performance Series attracts more than 10,000 people each season. It has been cited for performing excellence by the National Endowment for the Arts, National Dance Project, Chamber Music America, Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund, Pennsylvania Arts and Humanities Councils, and Association of Performing Arts Presenters.
The 2003-04 Performance Series at Lafayette is supported in part by gifts from Friends of the Williams Center for the Arts; by the F.M. Kirby Foundation; by provisions of the Alan and Wendy Pesky Artist-in-Residence Program, the James Bradley Fund, and the Ed Brunswick Jazz Fund; and by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, and New England Foundation for the Arts.