EarRelevant Staff | 15 JAN 2025
SEATTLE, Washington— The Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS) has unveiled the program for its 2025 Winter Festival, a two-week series running from January 24 to February 2 at the Nordstrom Recital Hall in Benaroya Hall. The festival will spotlight music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring works by 18 composers across six main concerts and several free pre-concert recitals.
The first week focuses on pieces from 1850–1900, including compositions by Brahms, Dvořák, and Amy Beach. Highlights include Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34 and Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major. The second week shifts to works from 1900–1950, with repertoire by Bartók, Shostakovich, and Rebecca Clarke, culminating in Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4.
Performers include acclaimed artists such as violinists James Ehnes and Erin Keefe, pianist Gloria Chien, and cellist Ani Aznavoorian.
Additionally, the festival includes pre-concert recitals featuring a variety of works, some of which will be performed by emerging talents from the Academy for Chamber Music. These young artists will present selections by Anton Arensky and Felix Mendelssohn during the January 31 pre-concert recital.
“This festival is an exhilarating celebration of chamber music’s transformative power,” said James Ehnes, the artistic director of SCMS.
Here is a list of the festival’s scheduled programs:
Seattle Chamber Music Society, 2025 Winter Festival Concerts
- Friday, January 24 • at 7:30 p.m.
Bella Hristova, violin; Gloria Chien, piano; Timothy Chooi, violin; Njioma Grevious, violin; Jonathan Vinocour, viola; Yegor Dyachkov, cello; Efe Baltacıgil, cello.
Amy BEACH: Romance for Violin and Piano, Op. 23
Cécile CHAMINADE: 3 Morceaux for Violin and Piano, Op. 31
Alexander BORODIN: String Quintet in F minor
Johannes BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34Free Pre-Concert Recital @ 6:30 p.m. (In-Person Only)
Timothy Chooi, violin; Gloria Chien, piano
César FRANCK: Violin Sonata in A Major, M. 8 - Saturday, January 25 • at 7:30 p.m.
Blake Pouliot, violin; Ieva Jokubaviciute, piano; Gloria Chien, piano; Njioma Grevious, violin; Bella Hristova, violin; Rebecca Albers, viola; Yegor Dyachkov, cello; Erin Keefe, violin; Timothy Chooi, violin; Jonathan Vinocour, viola; Ani Aznavoorian, cello.
Robert SCHUMANN: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105
Samuel COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 1
Piotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11, “Accordion”Free Pre-Concert Recital @ 6:30 p.m. (In-Person Only)
Bella Hristova, violin
Nokuthula NGWENYAMA: Miasma
Dobrinka TABAKOVA: Pirin
David LUDWIG: Moto Perpetuo
Ellen Taaffe ZWILICH: Fantasy for Solo Violin - Sunday, January 26 • at 2 p.m.
Bella Hristova, violin; Njioma Grevious, violin; Jonathan Vinocour, viola; Ani Aznavoorian, cello; Timothy Chooi, violin; Ieva Jokubaviciute, piano;Gloria Chien, piano; Blake Pouliot, violin; Erin Keefe, violin; Rebecca Albers, viola; Yegor Dyachkov, cello.
Antonín DVORÁK: Selections from Cypresses for String Quartet, B. 152
Camille SAINT-SAËNS: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75
César FRANCK: Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 14Free Pre-Concert Recital @ 1 p.m. (In-Person Only)
Blake Pouliot, violin; Jonathan Vinocour, viola
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART: Duo in G Major for violin and viola, K 423
Bohuslav MARTINŮ: Three Madrigals for Violin and Viola, H. 313 - Friday, January 31 • at 7:30 p.m.
Alessio Bax, piano; Orion Weiss, piano; Eric Schweikert, percussion; Michael Werner, percussion; James Ehnes, violin; Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin; Jun Iwasaki, violin; Grace Park, violin; Che-Yen Chen, viola; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; Edward Arron, cello; Bion Tsang, cello.
Béla BARTÓK: Sonata for 2 Pianos and Percussion, Sz. 110
Georges ENESCU: String Octet in C Major, Op. 7Free Pre-Concert Recital @ 6:30 p.m. (In-Person Only)
Eura Trio – Taiyo Oishi, piano; Rachel Jung, violin; Charlie Lee, cello. Le Quatuor de la Lune – Hana Gottesman, violin; Emma Le Metzger, violin; Jayden Chae, viola; Leyna Kitahama, cello
Anton ARENSKY: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32, I. Allegro moderato
Felix MENDELSSOHN: String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44, No. 1, I. Molto allegro vivace - Saturday, February 1 • at 7:30 p.m.
Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; Orion Weiss, piano; Grace Park, violin; Jun Iwasaki, violin; Che-Yen Chen, viola; Bion Tsang, cello; Alessio Bax, piano; James Ehnes, violin; Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin; Edward Arron, cello.
Rebecca CLARKE: Sonata for Viola and Piano
Sergei PROKOFIEV: String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92
Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD: Suite for Piano Left Hand, 2 Violins, and Cello, Op. 23Free Pre-Concert Recital @ 6:30 p.m. (In-Person Only)
James Ehnes, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD: Much Ado About Nothing, suite for violin & piano, Op. 11
Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD: “Tanzlied des Pierrot” from Die tote Stadt, Op. 12 for Violin and Piano
Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD: “Marietta’s Lied” from Die tote Stadt, Op. 12 for Violin and Piano - Sunday, February 2 • at 2 p.m.
Jun Iwasaki, violin; Alessio Bax, piano; Grace Park, violin; Efe Baltacıgil, cello; Orion Weiss, piano; James Ehnes, violin; Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin; Che-Yen Chen, viola; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; Edward Arron, cello; Bion Tsang, cello.
William Grant STILL: Suite for Violin and Piano
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67
Arnold SCHOENBERG: Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4Free Pre-Concert Recital @ 1 p.m. (In-Person Only)
Grace Park, violin; Alessio Bax, piano.
Edvard GRIEG: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45
Tickets for individual concerts start at $65, with discounts for subscribers. Virtual Concert Hall access, allowing on-demand viewing of festival performances through March 17, is also available.
Founded in 1982, SCMS is known for its dedication to bringing world-class chamber music to Seattle audiences. In addition to its seasonal festivals, the organization offers year-round programming, including education and outreach initiatives that reach diverse audiences across the region.
For tickets and additional information, visit the SCMS website. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Seattle Chamber Music Society: seattlechambermusic.org
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