Sheer perfection would be an apt description of the first three concerts in Chesapeake Music’s six-concert Chamber Music Festival series at The Ebenezer Theater in Easton. I attended all three concerts and left exhilarated, inspired, and anxious to hear the remaining three concerts this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. These upcoming concerts also feature The Juilliard String Quartet, dubbed the most important American quartet in history!
Themed “Reflection and Celebration” in honor of its 40th year, this Festival’s first three concerts featured a thoughtful pairing of amazingly talented seasoned musicians coupled with inspirational rising-star musicians who exhibit impressive talent beyond their years. Such juxtapositioning epitomizes how far the festival has come over the last four decades and its exciting potential in years to come.
Chamber music was first performed in intimate private settings such as palace chambers, drawing rooms, and residential parlors. Thanks to Paul and Joanne Prager, Chesapeake Music’s home at The Ebenezer Theater provides a similar intimate setting to listen to amazing music but also offers more accessibility to exceptional musical performances with better acoustics and comfortable seating.
Co-artistic directors of Chesapeake Music Marcy Rosen (who also co-founded Chesapeake Music) and Catherine Cho developed programs that showcase beloved favorites, including Boccherini, Schumann, Brahms, Beethoven, Dvořák, Haydn, Mozart, and Mendelssohn, as well as less well-known and more modern composers, such as Amy Beach and Cécile Chaminade.
In addition to developing the programs, cellist Marcy Rosen and violinist Catherine Cho played several of the selected pieces accompanied by clarinetist and co-founder of Chesapeake Music J. Lawrie Bloom, pianist Robert McDonald, oboist Peggy Pearson, violist Zhanbo Zheng, and violinists/violists Todd Phillips and Carmit Zori.
Two rising stars who also performed in several of those selections were cellist Sterling Elliott and pianist Albert Cano Smit. In addition, Elliott and Cano Smit played an Opus by Beach, and Cano Smit played two selections by Chaminade. These pieces were played to perfection and were a delightful opportunity to hear music with which audiences will surely want to become more familiar.
This week’s Thursday, Friday, and Saturday concerts feature music by Mendelssohn, Farrenc, Smetana, Mozart, Widmann, Beethoven, Bonis, Schoenberg, and Fauré. For details about this week’s concerts and to purchase tickets, be sure to visit ChesapeakeMusic.org.
Let’s never take for granted how fortunate we are to experience this caliber of music on the Eastern Shore. It is indeed a reflection of Chesapeake Music’s dedication and hard work, and a time to celebrate upcoming opportunities to hear phenomenal artistic talent perform glorious, inspirational music.
Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm and currently serves on the Board of Chesapeake Music. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.
