Lectures

Prior to each SCMS Festival, we commission a Preview Lecture from a local musical expert, which is related to the programming of our upcoming concert series. Topics are varied, and can include musical themes, biographical sketches of composers, or the history of musical forms.

The lecture is presented at several area locations, including retirement communities and social clubs. We strive to offer at least one presentation in a public setting. If you are interested in hosting an SCMS Preview Lecture, please contact our Director of Education.

2020 Winter Festival Preview:
Beloved Moments from Beethoven’s Immotral String Quartet Legacy

Seattle Chamber Music Society’s (SCMS) Winter Festival brings together the finest musicians in the world, offering six exceptional chamber music concerts and a fun Family Concert during the last 2 weekends of January. To prepare us for this incredible festival SCMS and Town Hall present a special preview discussion focused on the immortal string quartets by Ludwig van Beethoven, 9 of which will be performed at the Winter Festival by the Ehnes Quartet. Musicologist and author of Experiencing Beethoven: A Listener’s Companion, Geoffrey Block will give a brief overview of the composition of Beethoven’s string quartets, which traversed the breadth of his compositional life. He will then share his favorite passages in these legendary pieces of the chamber music repertoire. Learn about what the composer was doing musically in these passages, and what makes them special and memorable. Sit in for a preview of the SCMS Winter Festival!

The Forum at Town Hall Seattle (West Entrance)
1119 Eighth Ave.
Tickets available for $5.

Past lectures have included:

2019 Summer Festival – Music from the Heart of Europe: Enescu, Dvořák, & Kodály
with William C. White, Conductor and Composer is joined by Angela Drăghicescu, Festival pianist

2019 Winter Festival – Musical Dialogues: Stories Without Words
with Julia Tai, Director of Orchestra at Seattle Pacific University, Music Director of Philharmonia Northwest, and founder and co-Artistic Director of the Seattle Modern Orchestra

2018 Summer Festival – Beethoven & Brahms: Rebellion & Tradition
with Adam Stern, Music Director of the Seattle Philharmonic & Sammamish Symphony

2018 Winter Festival – What Makes a Mendelssohn? How One Family Created Two Musical Prodigies
with Aaron Grad, composer, guitarist, and artistic consultant