Seattle Chamber Music Society

James Ehnes, Artistic Director / Toby Saks, Associate Artistic Director

Commissioning Club //

You can help us support the creation and evolution of new chamber music by joining Seattle Chamber Music’s Commissioning Club.

To join, or for more information, please call 206.283.8710.

As a Commissioning Club member, you make a three year commitment in support of the initiative, with a minimum of $300 per year suggested. Through their support, members help support the commissioning of a new chamber music work each year, which is performed during our Summer Festival the following year. Members receive regular updates on the progress of each composition and are invited to attend a rehearsal with the composer and musicians prior to its World Premiere performance, as well as select salon events.

As expressed by our Artistic Director James Ehnes, the introduction of new music will continue to play an important role in our organization. For 2012, we were excited about our commissioned work from Gary Kulesha, a two-time Juno Award nominee and one of Canada’s most prolific composers. Gary Kulesha’s Quartet for Piano and Strings had its world premiere at SCMS’ Summer Festival on Friday, July 20, 2012 and featured Amy Schwartz Moretti, Marcus Thompson, Efe Baltacigil, and Orion Weiss.

Since its inception, Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Commissioning Club has supported the creation of 6 new works for chamber music, and several of these have had additional performances. They are:

2007    Ronn Yedidia, Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano
2008    Jeffery Cotton, Trio for Flute Viola and Harp
2009    Christopher Theofanidis, Summer Verses for Violin and Cello
2010    Gerard Schwarz, Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano
2011    Laura Kaminsky, Horizon Lines for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano
2012    Gary Kulesha, Quartet for Piano and Strings

We are grateful to the members of the Commissioning Club for making possible the creation of new work each year to be enjoyed now—and by future generations.