2019 Summer Festival

July 1-27, 2019 | Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall

Festival Overview

The 2019 Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival is a celebration of variety. From Purcell to Poulenc, Beethoven to Boulanger, the programs celebrate the astounding range of musical expression over the past four centuries.

It is one of my greatest pleasures as Artistic Director of this wonderful organization to create programs that feel both self-contained and also part of a larger, season long journey. We continue our celebration of the iconic masterworks along with our exploration of lesser-known gems. Special highlights include our continuing survey of the music of Georges Enescu (Concert Piece for Viola and Piano, July 12, Aubade for String Trio, July 24, and the US premiere of his early Piano Trio in G Minor, July 8), string quartets by both Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn (July 19, July 15), a set of early English songs with Festival favorite Nicholas Phan (July 10), Rachmaninov’s passionate and epic Piano Trio Op. 9 (July 22), and the world-premiere of Sebastian Currier’s Piano Quintet, commissioned by the SCMS Commissioning Club (July 15). Our season closes with one of the great masterpieces of all time, the Piano Quintet in F Minor by Johannes Brahms (July 26).

As always, celebrated world-class chamber musicians (seven of whom will be making their debuts with our organization) bring this music to life in the fabulous acoustics of Nordstrom Recital Hall.

We look forward to welcoming you to another wonderful summer of music!

 

James Ehnes

12
concerts
11
pre-concert recitals
0
family concerts
0
park concerts
0
open rehearsals
0
classical conversations

Your Concert Experience

PRE-CONCERT RECITALS

Join us 60-minutes before every concert for a free Pre-Concert Recital. One or two Festival musicians play repertoire of their choosing with a brief introduction from the stage.

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Meet the Artists

After every performance two of that evening’s musicians will answer your questions in this short, moderated 15-minute Q&A.

CLASSICAL CONVERSATION

Dave Beck of Classical KING-FM 98.1 leads these informative and informal conversations with Festival musicians that are recorded live for our podcast series.

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OPEN REHEARSALS

Take a behind the scenes look at the collaborative effort at how musicians prepare for a chamber music concert.

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The performance brought forth the huge emotional range of the Shostakovich — and brought down the house, as well.

— The Seattle Times

More to Hear

Family Concert

These delightful concerts are the perfect introduction for children ages 5-10. This Summer Festival you’ll hear Saint-Saëns’ beloved The Carnival of the Animals performed by Festival pianists.

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MUSIC UNDER THE STARS

Pack a picnic and join us for a live audio broadcast of every concert during the Summer Festival at local Seattle parks. Each concert includes a live performances by talented local students.

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Chamber music in the park

Join us for a live performance at Volunteer Park. This concert, featuring our Festival musicians, lasts about an hour and is the perfect way to wrap up the summer concert series.

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