Dear Friends,
Welcome to String Theory Season Seventeen - a celebration and a homecoming!
This season, as we continue to present our signature concerts showcasing extraordinary artists and cherished masterpieces, we also celebrate the friendships, shared memories, and musical collaborations that make String Theory so special. Nearly every artist on stage is a beloved member of our String Theory family, and each concert echoes favorite moments from the past - bringing joyful reunions and meaningful connections that reflect the warmth and vibrancy of our community.
The Chien-Kim-Watkins Trio - violinist, Soovin Kim, cellist Paul Watkins and pianist, Gloria Chien - who formed and debuted at String Theory exactly ten years ago in 2015, will open our season with a riveting program of Liszt/Saint-Saëns’ evocative Orpheus and Dvořák’s impassioned Piano Trio in F Minor.
During Thanksgiving week, flutist Tara Helen O’Connor returns with guitarist Jason Vieaux - whose signature holiday concerts are etched in String Theory memory - for a vibrant program including Leclair’s lyrical Sonata Schocker’s Mysterious Barcodes, Ravel’s exotic Piece en Forme de Habanera, and the Argentinean rhythms of José Luis Merlin and Astor Piazzolla.
Beloved clarinetist Anthony McGill - who performed on String Theory’s inaugural concert in 2009 - joins Gloria for a richly expressive evening in January featuring both of Brahms’s Clarinet Sonatas. These masterworks, cornerstones of the clarinet repertoire, offer an intimate exploration of Brahms’s emotional depth.
Luminous pianist Anne-Marie McDermott brings her SPA Trio with soprano, Susanna Phillips and violist Paul Neubauer to Chattanooga in February for a captivating program, highlighting Mendelssohn’s concert aria Infelice, Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder, Clara Schumann’s Nocturne for solo piano, and a tapestry of Italian serenades by Tosti, Mascheroni, Braga, and de Curtis.
Renowned cellist Gary Hoffman makes his notable String Theory debut in March, joining charismatic violinist Sasha Saitkovetsky, violist Milena Pajaro-Van de Stadt, and Gloria for a soulful pairing of Bloch’s From Jewish Life and Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 2 in A Major - one of Brahms’s most profound, tender, and expansive masterworks.
We close our season with a thrilling celebration of string, gathering a dream team of eight artists who have all graced our stage. Violinists Benjamin Beilman, Erin Keefe, Alexi Kenney, Arnaud Sussman, violists Misha Amory, Nicholas Cords, and cellists Nina Lee, and Edward Arron unite for an electrifying finale, which features Dvořák’s nostalgic Terzetto, Shostakovich’s fiery Two Pieces for String Octet and Mendelssohn’s exuberant Octet - a work performed only once before, at our unforgettable Season Three finale.
String Theory Season Seventeen is not only a celebration of world-class artistry - it is a reminder of the enduring friendships that make this series so deeply treasured. Whether you are joining us for the first time or the seventeenth, we welcome you back to the heart of String Theory.
with much gratitude and anticipation,
With much gratitude and anticipation,
String Theory is a chamber music series bringing inspiring evenings of the best chamber music to the Hunter Museum of American Art. Offering superb musical performances in an artistically satisfying setting, this series will feature some of the world’s most sought after musicians....
String Theory is a chamber music series bringing inspiring evenings of the best chamber music to the Hunter Museum of American Art. Offering superb musical performances in an artistically satisfying setting, this series will feature some of the world’s most sought after musicians.
String Theory is a chamber music series bringing inspiring evenings of the best chamber music to the Hunter Museum of American Art. Offering superb musical performances in an artistically satisfying setting, this series will feature some of the world’s most sought after musicians....
