Music Mountain Announces 2018 Season

Chamber music aficionados along with Beethoven lovers will want to mark their calendars for the start of Music Mountain’s concert season! America’s oldest continuing summer chamber music festival will kick off on June 10^th with an extremely special summer event – the Complete Beethoven String Quartet Cycle performed by the acclaimed Shanghai String Quartet. The technical and emotional scope of the Beethoven cycle makes it the ultimate challenge for a string quartet. 

The Chamber Music Series will also feature Music Mountain premieres and welcome first-time guest artists and returning favorites. Concerts are scheduled for a 16-week season (through September 23^rd) and are dedicated to the memory of Music Mountain’s late impresario and Music Director Nicholas Gordon.  “Working together with Nick Gordon for a year was an honor and a privilege,” stated Music Mountain artistic director, Oskar Espina-Ruiz. “Nick Gordon’s knowledge was encyclopedic and his mentorship went a long way towards preparing me as new artistic director.”

The 89^th Season launches with brio on Sunday, June 10^th (3PM) with the Opening Concert & Reception featuring the outstanding Shanghai String Quartet performing the Beethoven Cycle Program #1:  String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 127; String Quartet in G Major, Op. 18 #2; and String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59 #3. Renowned for its passionate musicality, impressive technique and multicultural innovations, the Shanghai Quartet has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, the Shanghai Quartet has worked with the world’s most distinguished artists and regularly tours the major music centers of Europe, North America and Asia. The celebrated quartet has re-arranged its international touring schedule to perform the Beethoven Cycle in six concerts at Music Mountain this summer, on consecutive Sundays from June 10 to July 8 and returning on September 9 for a 6^th rousing concert with a celebratory reception.

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This is a one-of-a-kind season,” stated Oskar Espina-Ruiz. “In addition to the Beethoven Cycle, it includes the complete set of three rarely performed and brilliant Beethoven piano quartets from 1785; the complete Mozart “Prussian” string quartets, a set of three, which were the last string quartets Mozart composed; the great piano quintets by Schumann, Brahms, Dvorak, Dohnanyi and Shostakovich; the Mozart and Beethoven quintets for piano and winds featuring Peter Serkin; Shostakovich string quartet numbers 3, 7 and 8; and beloved master works such as Tchaikovsky’s String Sextet “Souvenir de Florence;” Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden” and “Rosamunde” string quartets, and the Cello Quintet in C Major; as well as Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet. (Complete chamber season listed below.)

The 89^th Season features Music Mountain debuts by two outstanding quartets: the American String Quartet—resident quartet at the Aspen Music Festival since 1974 and the Manhattan School of Music since 1984—and the Escher String Quartet—in residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Three new guest artists join the ranks of exceptional Music Mountain performers: 2017 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Yekwon Sunwoo, Piano, on July 15; legendary cellist of the Cleveland String Quartet, Paul Katz, on August 26; and the incomparable Robert McDonald, Piano, recital partner for many years to Isaac Stern and other distinguished instrumentalists.

Exceptional artists returning in 2018 include Penderecki String Quartet, Harlem String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Amernet String Quartet, St. Petersburg Piano Quartet, Cassatt String Quartet, Ariel String Quartet, Victoria Schwartzman, Piano; Fei-Fei Dong, Piano; Soyeon Kate Lee, Piano; and Peter Serkin, Piano; together with highly acclaimed artists Chauncey Patterson, Viola; Ronald Thomas, Cello; Jihyun (James) Kim, Oboe; Caitlin Beare, Clarinet; Shannon Hagan, Horn; Adam Romey, Bassoon. The 2018 season closes with the Music Mountain debut of artistic director Oskar Espina-Ruiz, Clarinet, on September 23.  

About Music Mountain

Music Mountain is located in Falls Village, Connecticut on Music Mountain Road, where a short scenic drive will bring you to Gordon Hall atop Music Mountain. Free parking and picnic facilities are available. Music Mountain is supported, in part, by the Connecticut Commission On Culture & Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets

Specially Priced Concerts are as Follows: Tickets for the 89^th Season Opening Concert & Reception with the artists featuring Shanghai String Quartet on Sunday, June 10 (3PM) are $75. Tickets for the Labor Day Benefit Concert & Reception with the artists on Sunday, September 2 (3PM) with Peter Serkin, Piano, Jihyun (James) Kim, Oboe, Caitlin Beare, Clarinet, Shannon Hagan, Horn, and Adam Romey, Bassoon, are $75. Tickets for the final Beethoven Cycle Concert and Wine Reception with the artists on Sunday, September 9 (3PM) are $60.

Specially Priced Packages include: the Music Mountain Gold Pass, including admission to all concerts and receptions with the artists, priority reserved seating and one $20 guest ticket available for any regularly priced concert, for $780 individual and $1,500 pair, transferable; and the Beethoven Cycle Package, including admission to all 6 concerts and 2 receptions with the artists of the Beethoven Cycle, for $225, individual, transferable.

Beethoven Cycle Package on sale from January 1. All other tickets go on sale on March 1.

Regularly scheduled Chamber Music Concerts are $35. Twilight Series Concerts are $30. Children ages 5-18 are admitted FREE to ALL CONCERTS when accompanied by a ticket holder. Saturday evening Twilight Concerts are at 6:30 pm. Sunday afternoon Chamber Music concerts are at 3 pm. 4-Pak Pre-Season Ticket Plans are available for $100. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a complete summer schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit musicmountain.org or call (860) 824-7126.