Taiwan Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble Announces “From Formosa” U.S. Tour

©Luo Wun Jie

Celebrating Taiwanese American Heritage Month with World Premieres and Cross-Cultural Collaborations

NEW YORK, NY — April 14, 2026 — The chamber ensemble from Taiwan Philharmonic embarks on its 2026 U.S. tour, “From Formosa,” with performances in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and New York, May 15–19. “From Formosa” celebrates Taiwanese American Heritage Month through a richly curated program of world premieres, Taiwanese masterworks, and cross-cultural collaborations.

An elite group of musicians led by Taiwan Philharmonic Concertmaster Hao-Tun Teng, the chamber ensemble will present performances that feature acclaimed pianist Chun-Chieh Yen and the soulful voices of Taiwan’s Taiwu Ballads Troupe. The tour highlights a distinctive artistic vision that bridges Western chamber music traditions with the cultural heritage of Taiwan and its Indigenous communities. The performances take place at Thayer Hall, at Colburn School in Los Angeles; Camelback Bible Church in Phoenix; and Merkin Hall, at Kaufman Music Center in New York City.

A defining feature of “From Formosa” is the collaboration with Taiwu Ballads Troupe — one of Taiwan’s leading indigenous vocal ensembles, dedicated to preserving and performing music from the Paiwan, an indigenous people of Taiwan. In addition, the Phoenix concert features Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai, creating a powerful artistic dialogue between Taiwanese and Native American traditions.

“The Taiwan Philharmonic has long been committed to building meaningful cultural bridges through music,” said Dr. Lydia Wen-Chen Kuo, Executive Director of the Taiwan Philharmonic. “Following our previous international tours, ‘From Formosa’ gives us the timely opportunity to share Taiwan’s artistic voice in the United States during Taiwanese American Heritage Month. These collaborations with indigenous artists from both countries reflect shared histories, traditions, and a deeply personal connection that transcends borders.”

Program Highlights

“From Formosa” weaves together traditional and contemporary voices in a program that reflects Taiwan’s cultural diversity and artistic innovation. Highlights include:

• Taiwanese indigenous polyphonic songs

• Taiwanese Indigenous Music for String Quartet & Chorus (arr. by Ting-Chuan Chen)

• Ke-Chia Chen: Silver Fields for Piano Quintet (world premiere, commissioned by Muzik 3 Foundation)

• Tyzen Hsiao: The Highlander’s Suite for Piano Quintet

• Yun-Jou Chen: Terra/ Liturgy for String Quartet (world premiere, commissioned by Hakka Affairs Council)

• Aaron Copland: Two Pieces for String Quartet

• James DeMars: Lake That Speaks for Native American Flute and Cello 

• Amazing Grace for Native American and Chamber Ensemble (arr. by Billy Williams) 

Together, these works explore themes of identity, heritage, and cultural continuity, placing Taiwanese and indigenous traditions in dialogue with the Western classical canon.

Artists

The Taiwan Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble:

• Hao-Tun Teng, violin

• Yi-Ju Chen, violin

• Jubel Chen, viola

• Yi-Shien Lien, cello

• Chun-Chieh Yen, piano

With special guest artists:

• Taiwu Ballads Troupe

• R. Carlos Nakai, Native American flute (Phoenix performance, May 17)

Los Angeles, CA
May 15, 2026 at 7 PM
Colburn School, Thayer Hall
Presented by Colburn School
Tickets: https://colburnschool.edu/calendar/events/from-formosa-taiwan-philharmonic-chamber-ensemble-2026-us-tour/

Phoenix, AZ
May 17, 2026 at 3 PM
Doors Open at 2 PM (Taiwanese Pop-up Fair starts in the church lobby)
Camelback Bible Church
Tickets*: http://taiwanphoenix.org
*Each ticket can be redeemed for $10 worth of souvenirs at the Taiwanese Pop-up Fair.

New York, NY
May 19, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
Tickets: https://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/from-formosa-taiwan-philharmonic-chamber-ensemble-2026-us-tour/

©Luo Wun Jie

About the Taiwan Philharmonic
Founded in 1986, the Taiwan Philharmonic, also known as the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at home, has been hailed as one of the best orchestras in Asia. With some of the finest musical talent from at home and abroad, trained at top schools and international orchestras, the NSO enjoys a unique voice rich in diversity and tradition. The NSO's artistic development has been carefully nurtured over the years by music directors Tsang-Houei Hsu, Tah-Sheng Chang, Jahja Ling, Wen-Pin Chien, and Shao-Chia Lü — as well as principal conductors Gerard Akoka and Urs Schneider, and conductor laureate Günther Herbig. Under the leadership of Jun Märkl as the music director since January 2022, the NSO aspires to resonate throughout the world as the cultural ambassador of Taiwan. Music by Taiwanese composers is extensively commissioned, performed, and recorded by the NSO.

As the orchestra affiliated with the National Performing Arts Center, the NSO presents a 40-week season of approximately 80 events — concerts, chamber recitals, operas, and crossover productions. Performing not only for audiences throughout Taiwan, the NSO also tours regularly overseas, having performed in such musical centers as Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Milan, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York City and many other cities.

About Taiwu Ballads Troupe
Taiwu Ballads Troupe (TBT) was founded by Camake Valaule at Taiwu Elementary School in Pingtung, Taiwan. Beginning in 2004, Camake worked closely with tribal elders to document traditional Paiwan melodies and vocal polyphony. These songs were then carefully taught to TBT’s members. The original members then continued the cycle of transmission by teaching the songs to a new generation. Today, TBT has become one of the most representative groups dedicated to preserving and performing Paiwan music.

Since its founding, TBT has appeared at major international festivals and venues across Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. In 2019, they were invited to perform on the main stage at WOMADelaide (Australia) and WOMAD New Zealand, becoming the first Taiwanese group invited to perform on the festival’s main stage.

Acknowledgements

LA Performance
Supervised by: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan; Hakka Affairs Council, Taiwan; Ministry of Culture, Taiwan; Taiwan Academy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles 
Appointed Airline: STARLUX Airlines
Event sponsored by: I-MEI Culture and Education Foundation
Event Partner: National Cultural Association of Taiwan
Special Thanks: UUIN; JIU ZHEN NAN

Phoenix Performance
Supervised by: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan; Hakka Affairs Council, Taiwan Sponsored by: TSMC Education & Culture Foundation
Appointed Airline: STARLUX Airlines
Event sponsored by: I-MEI Culture and Education Foundation
Event Partner: National Cultural Association of Taiwan
Special thanks: UUIN; JIU ZHEN NAN

New York Performance
Supervised by: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan; Hakka Affairs Council, Taiwan; Ministry of Culture, Taiwan; Taipei Cultural Center in New York
Sponsored by: CTBC Bank
Appointed Airline: STARLUX Airlines
Event sponsored by: I-MEI Culture and Education Foundation
Event Partner: National Cultural Association of Taiwan
Special Thanks: UUIN; JIU ZHEN NAN
Designated Hotel: Friendwell Group

Media Contact
Matt Herman
8VA Music Consultancy
matt@8vamusicconsultancy.com

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Seattle Chamber Music Society Launches SCMS Records

Seattle Chamber Music Society Launches SCMS Records, a
New Record Label Showcasing Celebrated Artists and Performances

Photo by Jenna Poppe

Download photos here

Seattle, WA — April 7, 2026 — Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS), a cornerstone of the American chamber music landscape, today announced the launch of SCMS Records, a new in-house record label dedicated to sharing the Society’s acclaimed performances with audiences around the world. The news was announced today by James Ehnes, the Gilbert Omenn and Martha Darling Artistic Director of SCMS, and John Holloway, the Dr. Oliver E. Cobb Chief Executive Officer of SCMS.

SCMS Records will debut in 2026 with three releases, marking the beginning of an ongoing recording initiative with a planned cadence of three to four releases annually. The inaugural releases include recordings of works by Brahms and Dvořák in June, followed by a September release featuring Franck and Enescu. Artists joining Ehnes on the first three recordings are Andrew Armstrong, Edward Arron, Ani Aznavoorian, Inon Barnatan, Che-Yen Chen, Timothy Cobb, Jun Iwasaki, Tessa Lark, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Paul Neubauer, Grace Park, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Bion Tsang, and Jonathan Vinocour. 

“Seattle Chamber Music Society has always been about bringing artists and audiences into close connection through extraordinary performances,” said Ehnes. “With SCMS Records, we have the opportunity to extend that experience far beyond the concert hall—capturing the energy, intimacy, and artistry of these performances and sharing them with listeners everywhere.”Recordings will be available across multiple formats, including CD, vinyl, and digital streaming and download platforms. Global physical and digital distribution will be handled by Naxos Music Group, the world’s largest distributor of independent classical music, with additional direct-to-consumer sales available through the SCMS website.

The label will draw from SCMS’s deep archive of live performances captured by sound engineer Simon Kiln, featuring internationally renowned artists in the uniquely collaborative environment that defines the organization’s festivals and concert series. 

“SCMS is in a golden age, shaped by the extraordinary artistry and leadership of James Ehnes, producing performances that may stand as the most compelling interpretations of these works in our lifetime. We believe those moments deserve permanence. With the launch of our label, alongside the Virtual Concert Hall, we are capturing and sharing them with audiences worldwide,” saidHolloway. 

Details about the first three releases follow.

Coming in June:

Brahms Violin Sonatas

Brahms: Violin Sonata No.1 in G major Op.78

Brahms: Violin Sonata No.2 in A major Op.100

Brahms: Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor Op.108

Brahms: Scherzo in C minor WoO 2

James Ehnes, Andrew Armstrong

Recorded at Koerner Hall, Toronto 28-31 July 2024

Dvořák: String Quintets

Dvořák: String Quintet in G major Op.77

Dvořák: Intermezzo

James Ehnes, Tessa Lark, Jonathan Vinocour, Ani Aznavoorian, Timothy Cobb

Recorded at Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle, 11-12 July 2022

Dvořák: String Quintet in Eb major Op.97

James Ehnes, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Paul Neubauer, Che-Yen Chen, Edward Arron

Recorded at Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle, 6-7 July 2022

Coming in September:

César Franck: Piano Quintet in F minor

Inon Barnatan, James Ehnes, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Che-Yen Chen, Edward Arron

Recorded at Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle 8-9 July 2025

George Enescu: Octet for Strings in C major Op.7

James Ehnes, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Grace Park, Jun Iwasaki, Che-Yen Chen, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Edward Arron, Bion Tsang

Recorded at Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle 31 Jan-1 Feb 2025

SCMS Records represents a significant step in the organization’s continued evolution—expanding beyond live performance to become a year-round, globally accessible source for exceptional chamber music. In addition to the new label, SCMS Virtual Concert Hall, a concert streaming platform, presents world-class concerts and events to music lovers from around the globe. The traveling music venue, The Concert Truck, fueled by SCMS, presents concerts across the country and redefines how people experience live music.

For more information and release updates, visit seattlechambermusic.org.

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Contact:

Matt Herman

Managing Director

8VA Music Consultancy

matt@8vamusicconsultancy.com

Bravo! Vail Music Festival Names Composer Chris Rogerson as New Artistic Director

Bravo! Vail Music Festival Names 

Composer Chris Rogerson as New Artistic Director

Photo by Sophie Zhai

Vail, CO (April 2, 2026)– The Bravo! Vail Music Festival (Bravo! Vail), a top U.S. classical music festival and the only festival in North America to host four orchestras each summer, announces composer Chris Rogerson as its next Artistic Director.

Selected from an applicant pool of internationally renowned musicians and arts leaders, Rogerson assumes the Artistic Director Designate role immediately and the Artistic Director title on September 1, 2026, for an initial three-year term. 

“We are thrilled that Chris will lead Bravo! Vail in its next era – his commitment to artistic excellence, sophisticated and innovative programming, and approach to community engagement all align perfectly with Bravo! Vail’s mission and goals for the future. It will be an exciting new chapter for Bravo! Vail,” said Caitlin Murray, Bravo! Vail’s President and CEO.  

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we welcome Chris and look to the future with excitement and inspiration. We are honored to embark on the exciting journey ahead with Chris Rogerson as our next Artistic Director for our beloved festival," said Hank Gutman, Board Chair of Bravo! Vail. "This collaboration promises to elevate our mission and enrich the cultural tapestry of Vail for years to come."Rogerson becomes the fourth Artistic Director in the Festival’s history, succeeding Anne-Marie McDermott after her 16-year tenure.His appointment underscores the Festival's continued commitment to new works and education, alongside core orchestral and chamber music programming. “Bravo! Vail represents the highest level of music-making in an incomparable natural setting. From its founding in 1987, it has served as a beacon of artistic integrity and a place of limitless artistic possibility,” stated Chris Rogerson, incoming Bravo! Vail Artistic Director Designate. “I have the deepest admiration for the artistic directors who have shaped this festival and am honored to carry forward that legacy. I have been fortunate to have contributed to the festival as a composer and have seen firsthand how magical it is: a place where excellence and collaborative joy are inseparable, and where decisions serve the music and the artists who bring it to life. The opportunity to lead the festival into its next chapter alongside the incredible team is profoundly meaningful and tremendously exciting.” Rogerson is an accomplished American-born composer. His music has been performed by artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, J’Nai Bridges, and Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, as well as leading orchestras and ensembles across the country. For the past decade, he has served as a member of the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music. In 2023, Rogerson received the prestigious Elise L. Stoeger Prize from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Rogerson’s relationship with Bravo! Vail spans multiple commissions, including Samaa’ for piano, gongs, and strings, premiered in 2022 by Anne-Marie McDermott and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Commissioned in honor of McDermott’s 10th anniversary as Artistic Director, the work was the first premiered as part of Bravo! Vail’s Symphonic Commissioning Project, an ongoing initiative supporting the creation and premiere of new orchestral works.

Prior to his appointment with Bravo! Vail, Rogerson served as Composer-in-Residence of Young Concert Artists and as Composer-in-Residence and Artistic Advisor for both the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and the Amarillo Symphony. He has also received awards and fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Chamber Music America, the Theodore Presser Foundation, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and Copland House.

In addition to being a member of the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he also studied, he is an alumnus of the Yale School of Music and Princeton University. His advisors have included Jennifer Higdon, Aaron Jay Kernis, Martin Bresnick, and Steve Mackey.

Bravo! Vail will announce its 40th anniversary season—Rogerson’s first as Artistic Director—in December of 2026.

Chris Rogerson is available for press interviews. Photos are available here. 

—

About Chris Rogerson

Chris Rogerson is a composer praised as a “confident new musical voice” (The New York Times), with music noted for its lyricism, “haunting beauty,” and “virtuosic exuberance.” His works have been performed at leading venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, and Wigmore Hall.

Recent highlights include Of Simple Grace for Yo-Yo Ma, a violin concerto for Benjamin Beilman and the Kansas City Symphony, and Dream Sequence for Anne-Marie McDermott and the Dover Quartet. He has received commissions from major orchestras nationwide and was awarded the 2022 Elise L. Stoeger Prize from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Rogerson is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Yale School of Music, and Princeton University, and serves on the faculty of Curtis. For more information about Chris Rogerson, please visit: https://www.chrisrogerson.com/

About Bravo! Vail Music Festival

Consistently cited as one of the top 10 classical music festivals in the country, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival brings world-renowned musicians to picturesque venues throughout the Vail and Eagle River Valley region for six weeks, drawing music lovers from around the world. The only festival in North America to host four of the world’s finest orchestras in a single season, Bravo! Vail celebrates its 39th season from June 25-August 6, 2026, with approximately 60 concerts—almost half of which are presented for free. Beyond its summer programming, Bravo! Vail serves the community by providing year-round low-cost music education through Music Makers Haciendo Música, a piano, violin, guitar, cello, and ensemble instruction program to help develop new generations of musicians and music lovers. "[Bravo! Vail] is the most high-profile — and high altitude — mountain music festival in America." - The Times (UK)

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Press Contacts:

Christy Pierce

8VA Music Consultancy

christy@8vamusicconsultancy.com

800.530.3318

Parker Owens

Bravo! Vail Music Festival

powens@bravovail.org

970.989.3716

"She Was First:" Marin Alsop featured on PBS

As the first American woman to lead a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria, and Great Britain, Marin Alsop is paving the way for other women to realize their leadership potential. Alsop joins host Soledad O'Brien on She Was First, as she conducts the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and teaches conducting to the next generation of trailblazers at Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Institute.

She Was First is a docuseries that profiles pioneering women who have revolutionized the arts throughout history through an intimate look at their creative processes and fearless defiance of societal expectations.

“I'm hoping that as people see more and more women, and people of color, on the podiums, they'll start to have a broader sense of what a conductor can be,” Alsop says.

Watch the 26-minute documentary here, which traces the meteoric rise of the inspirational conductor, along with the challenges and hardships she faced, and continues to overcome, shattering many glass ceilings. #PurpleBaton

Third Coast Review: Benjamin Beilman Amazes at Sun Valley Music Festival

With a fascinating program celebrating the change of seasons and the Americana of Sun Valley, Idaho, violinist Benjamin Beilman, festival Music Director Alasdair Neale, and festival musicians entertained large audiences at the Sun Valley Music Festival Winter Season. Three free concerts took place March 19-21. Louis Harris, who saw two performances, comments:

The first half of the program was intended to focus on the American experience rooted in Sun Valley, including nature, great vistas, fun road trips, and general Americana. It started with a work for solo violin that Beilman commissioned in 2022: Sanguineum by Gabriella Smith, who was a student with Beilman at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Beilman explained how Smith is an environmental preservationist who, in a restoration project, planted sanguineum on an abandoned navy air base in California’s bay area, where she’s from. Native to the western US, this red currant flower is a deciduous shrub that is beautiful in the spring. (…)

I always have some trepidation when hearing a personal favorite [Copland’s Appalachian Spring, in the original version for 13 players]. Will this performance be any good? The answer became clear in the opening measures when the musicians produced a sound that had more lushness than any other performance I’ve ever heard. I love the way Copland has the various instruments playing off one another, and, under Neale’s direction, these musicians interacted with such precision, it was like they had been playing together for decades.

Read the full piece on Third Coast Review.

This year’s main festival is scheduled from Monday, July 27, through Thursday, August 20. For more information, visit svmusicfestival.org.

Alasdair Neale and Benjamin Beilman

"Midsummer Marriage": Conductor Dane Lam and Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra on CVNA

James Bash, from Classical Voice North America, visited Honolulu to review the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra's March 8 performance of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, conducted by Dane Lam. The collaboration between the HSO and the Manoa Valley Theatre was the first concert in the HSO’s Sounds of Shakespeare Festival, a three-concert series celebrating music inspired by the Bard’s plays.

Urged on by Lam’s energetic gestures and clear baton, the orchestra elicited the magical qualities of Mendelssohn’s music. The inspired ensemble evoked a feathery fairy world, the passions of young lovers (Ari Agodong, Emily Steward, Adam Kalma, and Alex Munro), the nobility of Oberon (Kevin Keaveney), the pride of Tatiana (Jasmine Haley Anderson), and the hee-hawing of Bottom (Andrew Baker).

From beginning to end, Lam and his forces were alert to all of the action and made sure that there were no glitches and the pacing never flagged. The resulting standing ovation was well deserved.

By collaborating with the Manoa Valley Theatre, the production put a spotlight on the arts community in Hawaii and broadened the HSO audience to include theatergoers.

Read the full piece on CVNA.

Curtis Opera Theatre's "La Passion de Simone" on OperaWire

On February 26, 2026, Curtis Opera Theatre, a program of the Curtis Institute of Music, presented something unique. Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023) deliberately stripped away the familiar scaffolding of opera—no heroes, no villains, no tidy narrative arc—and replaced it with something closer to performance art with a score. Sung in French with English supertitles, La Passion de Simone, a “musical journey in 15 stations,” is a 75-minute, no-intermission work that left me genuinely perplexed. In the best way.

The soprano Nikan Ingabire Kanate carried the full 75 minutes as the Narrator, singing without interruption from start to finish. Her stamina was remarkable, her tone clear and bright throughout. With Shields and Oliva building a living atmosphere through light and smoke, Kanate’s striking voice was the constant—the element that held it all together.

The Curtis New Music Ensemble played Saariaho’s demanding score with real skill and feeling. Leading them was conductor Marc Lowenstein.

“This is not music driven by story. It simply asks us to be present.”

Read the full review by Chris Ruel on OperaWire.

Seattle Chamber Music Society Announces 2026 Summer Festival

Seattle Chamber Music Society Announces 2026 Summer Festival
June 18 - July 26

World’s Largest Chamber Music Party Expands with Performances All Across the Greater Seattle Region

Marking America250, Every Concert Features a Work Connected to America—by an American Composer or One That Helped Shape Our Nation’s Classical Voice, including music by Amy Beach, Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and George Walker and SCMS Commissions from Juhi Bansal and Kian Ravaei

Renowned performers include violinists James Ehnes, Erin Keefe, Alexander Kerr, and Tessa Lark; pianists Inon Barnatan, Alessio Bax, and Orion Weiss; cellists Ani Aznavoorian, Efe Baltacıgil, and Mark Kosower; and violists Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt and Jonathan Vinocour

To download images, click HERE

Seattle, March 9, 2026 — Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS), a cornerstone of the classical music scene since 1982, announced today the programming for its 2026 Summer Festival. From June 18 through July 26, classical music luminaries will come together for outstanding chamber music collaborations, guided by the vision of violinist James Ehnes, SCMS’s Gilbert Omenn and Martha Darling Artistic Director. This year, SCMS is broadening its geographical reach by presenting concerts in performance halls around the region and sharing chamber music in even more nontraditional spaces.“This summer, we embark on a festival-wide celebration of American music, inspired by the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Every program includes a work either written in America, or by an American, or both” says Ehnes. “We’re especially looking forward to playing this summer in many different communities; our goal is to share this incredible music with as many people as possible! Every concert brings together remarkable and dynamic combinations of the world’s most compelling musicians, and often these extraordinary ensembles exist for a single evening only,” he adds. Among the renowned artists performing this year are violinists James Ehnes, Erin Keefe, Alexander Kerr, and Tessa Lark; pianists Inon Barnatan, Alessio Bax, and Orion Weiss; cellists Ani Aznavoorian, Efe Baltacıgil, and Mark Kosower; and violists Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt and Jonathan Vinocour. For this summer’s festival, the SCMS Commissioning Club has commissioned a work from Juhi Bansal, and – with Mimir Chamber Music Festival – SCMS has co-commissioned a piece for narrator and string quartet by Kian Ravaei, in which the narrator recites the opening and closing of the Declaration of Independence. 

The Summer Festival celebrates the depth, beauty, and vitality of the chamber music tradition. Highlights include John Adams’s Shaker Loops for string septet; Amy Beach’s Piano Trio; Samuel Barber’s String Quartet; Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring (“Ballet for Martha”) in its original version for 13-instrument chamber ensemble; Antonín Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12, “American”; Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances Op. 45 (Two Pianos); and George Walker’s String Quartet No. 1. Complementing these works are beloved masterpieces, including Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60; Haydn’s Piano Trio in A-flat Major, Hob. XV:14; Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 49; and Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20. (Full program details are below.)

Nordstrom Recital Hall, Meydenbauer Center, and Town Hall concerts will be livestreamed and available on demand worldwide through SCMS’s Virtual Concert Hall. The digital concert experience features six camera angles plus live intermission interviews and commentary with SCMS musicians and hosts from Classical KING, Seattle’s classical music radio station. This season’s Virtual Concert Hall includes all nine performances from the 2026 Summer Festival, along with three special “greatest hits” concerts drawn from standout performances of past seasons, creating a 12-concert online festival that pairs this summer’s programming with some of the most beloved moments from recent years.

SCMS joyfully refers to its Summer Festival as “the world’s largest chamber music party,” and, this summer, is bringing it to new corners of the Seattle region. During the five week period, SCMS presents 11 ticketed mainstage concerts and 11 completely free and open-to-the-public pre-concert recitals at leading performing arts spaces throughout the Sound, including Benaroya Hall’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Meydenbauer Center, Town Hall Seattle, Bainbridge Performing Arts, and Vashon Center for the Arts. In addition, on Saturday, July 18, audiences can enjoy the free Chamber Music in the Park outdoor concert and community play-along at Seattle's Volunteer Park.SCMS Summer Festival also transports the joy of live music all across the greater Seattle region with a series of 20+ concerts running June 18 to July 6 from the stage of The Concert Truck, fueled by SCMS. Redefining how people experience live music, The Concert Truck is a box truck transformed into a fully equipped mobile concert hall, allowing world-class chamber music to be performed in everyday spaces—city streets, parks, schools, and neighborhoods. SCMS Summer Festival stops include Alki Beach, Bellevue Downtown Park, Gas Works Park, Seattle Center, Seward Park, and Washington Arboretum Park. (All locations and dates will be announced soon.) 

A highlight of the Festival, Tasting Notes returns July 6 with an exciting new lineup of celebrated Seattle chefs and a delicious new twist. Hosted by James Ehnes and celebrity chef and New York Times best-selling author J. Kenji López-Alt, this one-of-a-kind evening brings SCMS musicians together with acclaimed chefs Taichi Kitamura (Sushi Kappo Tamura), Mutsuko Soma (Kamonegi and Hannyatou), and Christina Woods (Temple Pastries). Guests will experience live chamber music, lively cooking demonstrations, and—new this year—a full dinner service featuring each chef’s creations, all unfolding on stage at the Triple Door (216 Union St, Seattle).

“Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Summer Festival shows the world how chamber music is a centering force,” added Ehnes. “Throughout the summer, we gather thousands of people to hear extraordinary works performed at the highest level, and we further establish Seattle as a cultural destination for exceptional artists and classical music audiences. Each concert reflects the very best of SCMS and our art form, and is designed to leave listeners uplifted, fulfilled, and more deeply connected to Chamber Music.” 

Seattle Chamber Music Society: 2026 Summer Festival

The World’s Largest Chamber Music Party: June 18 through July 26

—June 18–July 6—

The Concert Truck, fueled by SCMS, presents 18 performances in Alki Beach, Gas Works Park, Seattle Center, and other stops around Seattle. The full list of locations and dates will be announced soon.

—July 6—

Tasting Notes

The Triple Door 

216 Union St, Seattle, 98101

—July 7—

Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances for Two Pianos, Op. 45

Alessio Bax, Orion Weiss (piano) 

Mendelssohn: Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20 

James Ehnes, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Andrew Wan, and Chad Hoopes (violin), Che-Yen Chen and Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt (viola), Edward Arron and Efe Baltacıgil (cello)

Benaroya Hall’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall 

200 University St, Seattle, 98101

—July 9—

Kian Ravaei: A Free People (SCMS co-commission) 

Amy Schwartz Moretti and Andrew Wan (violin), Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt (viola), Efe Baltacigil (cello)

Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49 

Alessio Bax (piano), Chad Hoopes (violin), Mark Kosower (cello) 

Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60 

James Ehnes (violin), Che-Yen Chen (viola), Edward Arron (cello), Orion Weiss (piano) 

Benaroya Hall’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall 

200 University St, Seattle, 98101

—July 12—

Haydn: Piano Trio in A-flat Major, Hob. XV:14 

Orion Weiss (piano), Tessa Lark (violin), Mark Kosower (cello) 

Respighi: Piano Quintet in F Minor

Alessio Bax (piano), Andrew Wan and Chad Hoopes (violin), Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt (viola), Efe Baltacıgil (cello)

Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12, “American” 

James Ehnes and Amy Schwartz Moretti (violin), Che-Yen Chen (viola), Edward Arron (cello)

Benaroya Hall’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall 

200 University St, Seattle, 98101

—July 13 & July 14—

Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 18 No. 1 

James Ehnes, Amy Schwartz Moretti (violin), Che-Yen Chen (viola), Edward Arron (cello)

Dohnányi: Serenade for String Trio 

Tessa Lark (violin), Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt (viola), Ani Aznavoorian (cello)

Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12, “American” 

James Ehnes and Amy Schwartz Moretti (violin), Che-Yen Chen (viola), Edward Arron (cello)

July 13 - Vashon Island Center for the Arts 

19600 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon, 98070

July 14 - Bainbridge Island Performing Arts 

200 Madison Ave N., Bainbridge Island, 98110

—July 15—

Beethoven: String Trio, Op. 9 No. 1 

Alexander Kerr (violin), Meredith Kufchak (viola), Ani Aznavoorian (cello)

Barber: String Quartet 

James Ehnes and Amy Schwartz Moretti (violin), Che-Yen Chen (viola), Edward Arron (cello)

Suk: Piano Quartet, Op. 1 

Inon Barnatan (piano), Tessa Lark (violin), Matthew Lipman (viola), Jonathan Swensen (cello) 

Meydenbauer Center 

11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, 98004

—July 17—

Amy Beach: Piano Trio 

Paige Roberts Molloy (piano), Tessa Lark (violin), Ani Aznavoorian (cello)

Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78

James Ehnes (violin), Inon Barnatan (piano)

Mendelssohn: String Quintet No. 1 in A Major 

Alexander Kerr and Noah Geller (violin), Meredith Kufchak and Matthew Lipman (viola), Jonathan Swensen (cello) 

Meydenbauer Center 

11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, 98004

—July 18—

Chamber Music in the Park, and community play-along 

Dvořák: Terzetto in C Major, Op. 74

James Ehnes and Alexander Kerr (violin), Meredith Kufchak (viola)

Suk: Piano Quartet in A minor, Op. 1

Inon Barnatan (piano), Tessa Lark (violin), Matthew Lipman (viola), Jonathan Swensen (cello)

Volunteer Park

1247 15th Ave E, Seattle, 98112

—July 19—

Juhi Bansal: New Work (SCMS commission) 

Noah Geller and Alexander Kerr (violin), Meredith Kufchak (viola), Jonathan Swensen (cello) 

Fauré: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13 

Tessa Lark (violin), Inon Barnatan (piano)

Dvořák: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 87 

Jon Kimura Parker (piano), James Ehnes (violin), Matthew Lipman (viola), Ani Aznavoorian (cello)

Town Hall Seattle 

1119 8th Ave, Seattle, 98101

—July 21—

Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 8 

Jon Kimura Parker (piano), Jun Iwasaki (violin), Brant Taylor (cello)

Walker: String Quartet No. 1

Stephen Rose and Erin Keefe (violin), Noah Geller (viola), Bion Tsang (cello)

Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25 

Inon Barnatan (piano), Karen Gomyo (violin), Jonathan Vinocour (viola), Kenneth Olsen (cello)

Town Hall Seattle 

1119 8th Ave, Seattle, 98101

—July 24—

Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango

Karen Gomyo (violin), Paige Roberts Molloy (piano)

Adams: Shaker Loops for String Septet 

James Ehnes and Stephen Rose (violin), Jun Iwasaki and Jonathan Vinocour (viola), Brant Taylor and Kenneth Olsen (cello), Joseph Kaufman (double bass)

Schubert: Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D. 898 

George Li (piano), Erin Keefe (violin), Bion Tsang (cello)

Town Hall Seattle 

1119 8th Ave, Seattle, 98101

—July 26—

Shostakovich: Two Pieces for String Octet 

Karen Gomyo, Jun Iwasaki, Stephen Rose, and Erin Keefe (violin), Jonathan Vinocour and James Ehnes (viola), Bion Tsang and Brant Taylor (cello)

Grieg: Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 36 

Kenneth Olsen (cello), George Li (piano) 

Copland: Appalachian Spring (“Ballet for Martha”) - Original complete ballet for 13 instruments 

James Ehnes, Karen Gomyo, Erin Keefe, and Stephen Rose (violin), Jonathan Vinocour and Jun Iwasaki (viola), Brant Taylor and Bion Tsang (cello), Joseph Kaufman (double bass), Demarre McGill (flute), Benjamin Lulich (clarinet), Seth Krimsky (bassoon), and Paige Roberts Molloy (piano)

Town Hall Seattle 

1119 8th Ave, Seattle, 98101

Early bird subscriptions available now, click HERE. Single tickets go on sale April 27.

The 2026 Summer Festival is generously sponsored by Lyn and Jerry Grinstein.

The Virtual Concert Hall is generously sponsored by Diana K. Carey.

The 2025-2026 season is generously sponsored by Dave and Amy Fulton.

Community and Education programs take place throughout the festival and are free with registration. A full list of community and education programs, including free pre-concerts, will be available at seattlechambermusic.org. Offerings will include four in-depth lectures—also streamed via Zoom—an interactive sight-reading party, the popular Azure Family Concert, open rehearsals, and a Community Play-Along, bringing Chamber Music in the Park for musicians and listeners alike. Dates and details will be announced soon.

About Seattle Chamber Music Society

The mission of the Seattle Chamber Music Society is to cultivate a deep appreciation for chamber music by presenting exceptional performances in welcoming and accessible formats. Through education, community engagement, and a commitment to excellence, SCMS seeks to position chamber music as a central cultural force, both locally and globally, while ensuring its enduring relevance and sustainability. 

Each year, SCMS presents a Winter Festival in January and a Summer Festival in July at the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, bringing the world’s finest classical musicians to the stage. These intimate chamber music performances captivate both seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers alike. In addition to its renowned festivals, SCMS offers an expanded year-round lineup, including the new Signature Series, Crescendo Concerts in Seattle’s most stunning homes, and Concerts at the Center for Chamber Music, providing unparalleled access to extraordinary musical experiences. 

SCMS also enriches the community through dynamic engagement programs designed for audiences of all ages. From inspiring young learners in elementary schools to enriching lives in retirement communities, and from performances in hospitals and parks to concerts on wheels, SCMS remains steadfast in its mission to bring extraordinary chamber music to every corner of our community.

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Media contact:

Matt Herman, Managing Director

8VA Music Consultancy

matt@8vamusicconsultancy.com

Marin Alsop on The Kelly Clarkson Show

In celebration of Women's History Month, pop star P!nk, filling in for Kelly Clarkson on her talk show, meets Marin Alsop, the most famous woman conductor in the world and one of the most acclaimed conductors of our time. Marin dials in from Vienna to share how she's breaking yet another glass ceiling on International Women's Day.

“On International Women's Day I will become the first woman in the 200-year history to lead the Webern Symphony Orchestra at the Musikverein. It's shocking to me that we can be in the year 2026, and there can still be firsts for women.”

Congratulations, Marin!

Watch the full segment on YouTube.

Parlando confronts darkness and history in Haas’s unsettling ‘in vain’

Ben Gambuzza reviews Parlando’s stirring performance of in vain, by Georg Friedrich Haas, composed in 2000 as a response to the rise of the far right in Austria. It is scored for 24 instruments and explores microtonality and the acoustic properties of sound, creating strikingly novel tonalities and textures. It is performed in different levels of low lighting, even in darkness, blending with the music over 70 minutes. Simon Rattle declared in vain “one of the first masterpieces of the 21st century.”

“in vain is tragic,” writes Gambuzza about Parlando’s Feb. 22 performance at Kaufman Music Center, conducted by Ian Niederhoffer, who founded the New York-based chamber ensemble. “Haas himself has acknowledged that the ending, which takes us back to the beginning, is anything but optimistic: ‘I still cannot imagine that anybody can perceive the moment when the music from the beginning returns at the end as anything but oppressive.’”

Parlando leaned into these final moments with strung-out and exhausted descending scales. They get slower and slower, minute by minute. As the red light seeped into the blue, I had to tell my brain not to render the glockenspiel’s descending sequence as a grotesque “Three Blind Mice.” But it wouldn’t listen.

…

Like all concert music, in vain is capable of prompting a revolution in the mind rather than in the street. And like a Bach Passion, it’s music for reflection, not for celebration. It conceptualizes a fallen utopian idea. It’s an obituary in music. There was something healthily naive about Parlando’s interpretation, but for such a young ensemble, their sound was mature.

Read the full piece here.

Parlando, with conductor and founder Ian Niederhoffer.