Chestnut Hill Concerts Announces its 2011 Season

Four World-Class Chamber Music Programs at The Kate in Old Saybrook

June 9, 2011 | For Immediate Release

Chestnut Hill Concerts, under the artistic direction of Ronald Thomas, will present four programs of world-class chamber music this August at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center (“The Kate”) in Old Saybrook. Now in its forty-second year, the concert series will offer a wide range of musical selections spanning four centuries, and will feature baroque, classical, romantic, twentieth-century, and contemporary masterworks.

The 2011 season of Chestnut Hill Concerts will take place at 8:00 p.m. on four consecutive Fridays: August 5, 12, 19, and 26. Concert sponsors include Guilford Savings Bank on August 12 and Essex Savings Bank on August 19. The series is also supported by a generous grant from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

Thirteen outstanding instrumentalists are on the artists roster this season, with four performing for the first time on the Chestnut Hill Concerts series. These artists have been drawn from the ranks of America’s finest chamber musicians, having appeared with many of the world’s most celebrated performers, as soloists with major orchestras, and as members of prestigious chamber and orchestral organizations. In addition to Ronald Thomas, the renowned cellist and artistic director of the series, performers include pianists Mihae Lee, Steven Beck, and Benjamin Hochman; violinists Steven Copes, Harumi Rhodes, Jennifer Frautschi, and Ida Levin; violists Jonathan Vinocour and Maiya Papach; cellists Julie Albers and Raman Ramakrishnan; and clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois. For biographies and photographs of the performers, in addition to complete program information, visit the Chestnut Hill Concerts website, www.chestnuthillconcerts.org.

Subscriptions to the four concerts are $100 (orchestra) and $80 (balcony). Single tickets are $30 for orchestra and $25 for the balcony. To purchase tickets, contact the Kate box office at 877-503-1286, or visit www.thekate.org.

The beautiful Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center is located in an historic theatre/town hall on Main Street in Old Saybrook. Originally opened in 1911 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Center was renovated and reopened in 2009. It includes a 250-seat theatre and a small museum honoring Katharine Hepburn. For more information, visit www.thekate.org.

About Chestnut Hill Concerts
Chestnut Hill Concerts was founded in 1969 by Dr. Elsa Redlich in Killingworth, Connecticut. The concerts evolved from informal performances that were associated with Dr. Redlich’s summer program, the Chestnut Hill Creative Arts Center for Children. Many of the performers, who also served as faculty at the camp, were drawn from the Yale School of Music. From the beginning, the concerts sought to involve young people in experiencing fine classical music. That goal has persisted throughout Chestnut Hill’s history.

The present Artistic Director, Ronald Thomas, has led the series since 1989. He has brought musicians and programs of both musical excellence and broad appeal. As Artistic Director and co-founder of the Boston Chamber Music Society he has succeeded in enhancing Chestnut Hill’s growth, support and acclaim.

 

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  1. Chestnut Hill Concerts 2011 Season

All concerts are Friday nights at 8:00 pm at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main Street in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Subscriptions to the four concerts are $100 (orchestra) and $80 (balcony). Single tickets are $30 for orchestra seats and $25 for the balcony. To purchase tickets, contact the Kate box office at 877-503-1286, or visit www.thekate.org


August 5

Piston: Duo for Viola and Cello (1949)
Beethoven: Violin Sonata in C minor,
Op. 30, No. 2
Dvorak: Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op.87

Harumi Rhodes, violin
Jonathan Vinocour, viola
Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
Steven Beck, piano

 

August 12

Stravinsky: Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet (1918)
Bach "Chaconne" from Partita in D minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1004
Bartok: Contrasts [for Violin Clarinet and Piano, 1938]
Dvorak: Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 90, “Dumky”

Romie de Guise-Langlois, clarinet
Jennifer Frautschi, violin
Julie Albers, cello
Mihae Lee, piano

August 19

Mozart: Violin Sonata in F major, K. 376
Strauss: Cello Sonata in F major, Op. 6
Schubert: Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 99

Ida Levin, violin
Ronald Thomas, cello
Mihae Lee, piano

August 26

Tsontakis: Knickknacks for Violin and Viola
Brahms: Cello Sonata in E minor, Op. 38
Faure: Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 15

Steven Copes, violin
Maiya Papach, viola
Ronald Thomas, cello
Benjamin Hochman, cello