EarRelevant Staff | 7 AUG 2024
ATLANTA, Georgia—The Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta (ECMSA) will commence its 32nd season on Friday, September 6. The 2024/25 season will feature an expansive schedule of concerts, masterclasses, classes, world premieres, and more. All events are free and open to the public. Performances will be held at various locations, such as the Emory campus, First Presbyterian Church, the High Museum, the Breman Museum, and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.
Season highlights include performances by violinist Chee-Yun, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove in “Sonata Mulattica,” and tenor Timothy Miller in “Valentine’s Day Love Songs.” ECMSA will also celebrate founder and artistic director William Ransom’s 40th year at Emory with a special concert early in the season.
The ECMSA will also continue to host its Quartet in Residence Program, featuring the international award-winning Vega String Quartet.
Detailed information and the complete season schedule are available at chambermusicsociety.emory.edu.
Additionally, the ECMSA will return to Carnegie Hall on April 25, 2025, for “Beethoven & Bluegrass” with the Vega Quartet and Grammy Award-winning musicians Mark and Maggie O’Connor. ■
The complete schedule for the 2024-25 season, concerts followed by masterclasses:
CONCERTS
- Friday, September 6, 2024 @ 12pm
ECMSA: Cooke Noontime Series—Opening Concert
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall - Saturday, September 14, 2024 @ 8pm
ECMSA: Emerson Series—William Ransom 40th Anniversary
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall - Sunday, Sept. 22 @ 1pm
Family Series—@ Celebration of Fall
Celebrate the first day of Fall in front of the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum with beautiful Autumn-themed music by Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Fanny Mendelssohn, and more. The Vega Quartet and pianist Julie Coucheron perform.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Free with Museum Admission) - Friday, September 27 @ 12pm
Bach’s Lunch Series—The Enchanted Harp
Virtuoso harpist Elisabeth Remy Johnson weaves her magic in a varied program of Ravel, Debussy, Tournier, and Piazzolla with flutist Christina Smith and the Vega Quartet.
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta - Friday, November 1 @ 12pm
Bach’s Lunch Series—Ettore Causa, viola; William Ransom, piano.
Italian-born violist Ettore Causa has been praised for his exceptional artistry, passionate intelligence, and complete musicianship. He makes solo and recital appearances in major venues around the world, and regularly performs at prestigious Festivals. Since 2009, he has been on the faculty of Yale University.
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta - Saturday, November 2, 2024 @ 8pm
ECMSA: Emerson Series—Friends and Mentors
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall - Friday, November 22, 2024 @ 12pm
ECMSA: Cooke Noontime Series—Danielle Hahn Piano Trio
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall - Sunday, Dec. 8 @ 4pm
Family Series—Santa’s Favorite Chamber Music
We welcome back Old Saint Nick himself to introduce some of his favorite classical works and give treats to good listeners. He’ll also lead a sing along of favorite Holiday songs with pianists Julie Coucheron & William Ransom.
Michael C. Carlos Museum - Friday, Jan. 10 @ 12pm
Bach’s Lunch Series—Joseph Skerik, viola
Hear the newest member of the Vega Quartet perform virtuosic works for his instrument.
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta - Friday, January 17, 2025 @ 8pm
ECMSA: Emerson Series—Sonata Mulattica: The True Story of Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall - Friday, January 31, 2025 @ 12pm
ECMSA: Cooke Noontime Series—Chee-Yun, violin
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall - Sunday, February 9, 2025 @ 4pm
ECMSA: Emerson Series—Bach Bowl–Inspired by Bach
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall - Friday, February 21 @ 7pm
Family Series—Pajama Concert: “Musical Bedtime Stories”
Enjoy hot chocolate with marshmallows before hearing the musical stories of “The Three Little Pigs” and “Paddington Bear’s First Concert” with pianist Julie Coucheron and narrator Frank McDonnell. Bring a stuffed animal and a blanket — and wear your PJs if you like!
Michael C. Carlos Museum - Sunday, March 23 @ 4pm
Family Series—Just Jazzin’ Around with the Gary Motley Trio
The Gary Motley Trio introduces young audiences to the quintessential American musical art form in this fun and interactive performance.
Michael C. Carlos Museum - Friday, March 28, 2025 @ 12pm
ECMSA: Cooke Noontime Series—The Rites of Spring
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall - Sunday, April 13 @ 4pm
Family Series—Atlanta’s Young Artists
Some of the area’s finest pre-college musicians perform on this exciting annual showcase of what talent and hard work can produce at a very young age.
Michael C. Carlos Museum - Sunday, May 4, 2025 @ 4pm
ECMSA: Emerson Series—Jon Kimura Parker, piano
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall - Friday, May 9 @ 12pm
Bach’s Lunch Series—Summer Music
Celebrate the beginning of Summer with a variety of beautiful seasonally-themed music by Vivaldi, Barber, Piazzolla, Gershwin, and Amy Beach. A wind quintet, solo violin, string quartet, and even piano four-hands will perform.
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta - Sunday, May 11, 2025 @ 1:30pm
ECMSA: Emerson Series—Cherry Emerson Memorial Alumni Concert
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Emerson Concert Hall
MASTERCLASSES
- Sat., Sept. 28, 10am-12pm
Elisabeth Remy Johnson, harp
Elisabeth Remy Johnson has held the Principal Harp position with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1995. She is a founder of The Merian Ensemble, a group of colleagues from the ASO dedicated to performing and commissioning chamber music composed by women.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall - Saturday, Oct. 19, 10am-12pm
Emil Altschuler, violin
Acclaimed violinist, Emil Altschuler, maintains an active career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral musician. Extensively involved in music education, he has served at New England Conservatory as Head of Strings for the Festival Youth Orchestra, chamber music coach at the School of Continuing Education and Preparatory School, and instructor at Northeastern University.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall - Saturday, Nov. 2, 10am-12pm
Ettore Causa, viola
Italian-born violist Ettore Causa is praised for his exceptional artistry, passionate intelligence and complete musicianship. He has made solo and recital appearances in major venues around the world, such as Carnegie Hall, and has performed at numerous international festivals, such as the Menuhin, Salzburg, Tivoli, Prussia Cove, Savonlinna, Launadire and Norfolk Festivals.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall - Saturday, Nov. 23, 1-3pm
Danielle Hahn, piano
A seasoned performer and arts professional, Ms. Hahn is currently the head of music programs at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, where she curates a weekly concert series. Formerly principal pianist of the Baltimore Opera Company and the Washington Concert Opera, she has also worked on the music staffs at the Ash Lawn Highland Opera Festival, New York Opera Society, and the Chautauqua, Indianapolis, Kentucky, North Carolina, Portland, Sarasota, and Washington National Opera Companies.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall - Saturday, Dec. 7, 10am-12pm
Norman Krieger, piano
A native of Los Angeles, Norman Krieger is one of the most acclaimed pianists of his generation and is highly regarded as an artist of depth, sensitivity and virtuosic flair. In recital, Krieger has appeared throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico and Asia, while chamber music collaborations have included appearances with soprano Sheri Greenawald, violinists Paul Huang, Sarah Chang, as well as the Tokyo string quartet. Since 2008, he has served on the summer faculty at the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina. In August 2016 he was appointed Professor of Piano at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall - Saturday, Jan. 18, 10am-12pm
Hannah White, violin
Described by New York Concert Review as “phenomenal”, Award-winning Black female violinist, Hannah White, pursues to be an authentic and relatable voice in today’s changing landscape of classical music. Hannah believes in giving back to her community through imparting her world class training to kids of all social and economic status. She boasts of her participation in residencies at Columbia University, Penn State, University of Houston, and San Jose State University.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall - Saturday, Feb. 1, 10am-12pm
Chee-Yun, violin
Chee-Yun has performed with many of the world’s foremost orchestras and conductors. Her past faculty positions have included serving as the resident Starling Soloist and Adjunct Professor of Violin at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and as Visiting Professor of Music (Violin) at the Indiana University School of Music. From 2007 to 2017, she served as Artist-in-Residence and Professor of Violin at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall - Saturday, Mar. 1, 10am-12pm
Jessica Tong, violin
Dedicated to finding innovative ways to make the classical music art form relevant and understood by current society, Jessica Tong is a passionate advocate for music education and humanizing the concert experience. She has been an Artist-in-Residence for the Perlman Music Program in Florida, the Gorgeous Sounds Program in Oregon and a two time recipient of the ProQuartet Odyssee Residency Grant in France. She has also served as a Co-Artistic Director for several chamber music workshops including Chamber Music of the Rockies in Colorado, University of Florida’s ChamberFest, and the Harlaxton Music Festival in England.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall - Saturday, March 29, 10am-12pm
Julie Coucheron, piano
Ms. Coucheron has performed with the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic; Jena Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Philarmonic and the Ukrainian Symphony Orchestra in Kiev. In addition to her busy concert schedule, Ms. Coucheron is a sought after teacher and pedagogue. In August 2014, she was appointed Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the top 50 state schools in the United States.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall - Saturday, May 3, 10am-12pm
Jon Kimura Parker, piano
Pianist Jon Kimura Parker is known for his charisma, enthusiasm, and dynamic performances. A veteran of the international concert stage, he has performed regularly in the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, London’s South Bank, the Sydney Opera House, and the Beijing Concert Hall. A committed educator, Mr. Parker is Professor of Piano at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Tharp Rehearsal Hall
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta: chambermusicsociety.emory.edu
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