CMH 2023/24 Season Brochure

Motion in Lines

SERIES 2023/24

EMERSON STRING QUARTET

tuesday

September 19, 2023

SEASON AT A GLANCE

SCHUMANN QUARTET*

Tuesday

February 13, 2024

JERUSALEM QUARTET

Tuesday

October 10, 2023

QUATUOR MODIGLIANI with FABIO BIDINI

tuesday

November 14, 2023

THE KING’S SINGERS Special Holiday Concert

Thursday

December 7, 2023

BALOURDET QUARTET* Emerging Young Ensemble of the 2023-2024 Season

tuesday

January 23, 2024

CASTALIAN STRING QUARTET

thursday

February 29, 2024

FAURÉ PIANO QUARTET

tuesday

March 19, 2024

QUATUOR ÉBÈNE

tuesday

April 9, 2024

HAN – SETZER – FINCKEL PIANO TRIO

tuesday

April 30, 2024

ALL CONCERTS BEGIN AT 7:30 PM IN STUDE CONCERT HALL, SHEPHERD SCHOOL OF MUSIC, RICE UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Dear Friends,

Chamber Music Houston’s 64th Season brings a series of stories told through the music, as lines in motion, each with a diversity of style, rhythm and texture.

Composer Karim Al-Zand inspired us with his CMHcommissioned lines in motion, recently given its world premiere for us by the Merz Trio. Another commissioned new work by Al-Zand awaits us next season, with the awardwinning young Balourdet Quartet, formed at the Shepherd School, in its CMH début.

The stories we will share with you are written by nineteen composers: from the Classical period with Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Mendelssohn; through the Romantic and Post-Romantic periods of Smetana, Dvořák, Grieg, and Debussy; on to the Modern period of the 20th century with Stravinsky and Britten; and up to Contemporary composers of today with Karim Al-Zand and Sarah Kirkland Snider.

The storytellers are ten superb ensembles, including nine string ensembles, three with piano, and The King’s Singers in a special holiday concert. The quartets returning to the CMH stage are Jerusalem, Modigliani, Castalian, Fauré, and Ébène. The Balourdet Quartet and the Schumann Quartet will make its CMH début. Our season finale will feature some of the best storytellers – Wu Han, Philip Setzer, and David Finckel!

Last but certainly not least, we are delighted to announce that the legendary Emerson String Quartet will grace us for one more performance, a CMH special, as their tribute to a beloved Houston audience and to friendships forged over the decades.

The lines are in motion – come and experience these stories with us!

KERRYN BOOTH Executive Director

Special thanks to the following organizations for their support.

EMERSON STRING QUARTET

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Works by Mendelssohn and Beethoven

With a New Work by Sarah Kirkland Snider ,

Commissioned for the Emerson String Quartet’s Retirement

Offered by these legendary artists in tribute to a beloved Houston audience and to friendships forged over the decades.

“America’s greatest quartet.”

TIME MAGAZINE

JERUSALEM QUARTET

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Haydn Quartet in E-flat op.76/6

Paul Ben-Haim Quartet #1 op.21 (1937)

Debussy Quartet in G minor

“An absolute triumph. Their playing has absolutely everything you could wish for.”

BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

with awesome individual and communal brilliance.”

THE KING’S SINGERS

Special Holiday Concert

Thursday, December 7, 2023

The King’s Singers have represented the gold standard in a cappella singing on the world’s greatest stages for over fifty years. They are renowned for their unrivalled technique, versatility and skill in performance, and for their consummate musicianship, drawing both on the group’s rich heritage and its pioneering spirit to create an extraordinary wealth of original works and unique collaborations.

“Subversive and open-minded beneath a honeyed veneer …

BALOURDET QUARTET

Emerging Young Ensemble of the 2023-2024 Season

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

This brilliant ensemble is shining brightly with Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild and the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition! Formed at the Shepherd School of Music in 2018, these young performers are coming home for their CMH debut.

Haydn Quartet in C op.33/3 “Bird”

Nielsen Quartet #1 in G minor

Al-Zand Quartet #4, “Strange Machines” (2022)

Mendelssohn Quartet #4 in E minor op.44/2

SCHUMANN QUARTET

Tuesday, February 13., 2024

Mozart Quartet in A K.464

Janá ek Quartet #1 “Kreutzer Sonata”

Beethoven Quartet in E-flat op.127

“Fire and energy. The Schumann Quartet plays staggeringly well…with sparkling virtuosity and a willingness to astonish”

HARALD EGGEBRECHT IN SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG

CASTALIAN STRING QUARTET

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Haydn Quartet in A op.20/6

Beethoven Quartet in B-flat op.130

“full of poetry, joy and sorrow” and “realised to such perfection.”

THE OBSERVER

FAURÉ PIANO QUARTET

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Schubert Adagio & Rondo Concertante in F D.487

Dvo ák Piano Quartet #2 in E-flat B.162

Enescu Piano Quartet #1 in D op.16

“the German foursome played on an almost superhuman level of tonal refinement, technical and ensemble precision, and expressive generosity.”

DALLAS NEWS, SCOTT CANTRELL

QUATUOR É BÈNE

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Mozart Quartet in D K.575

Schnittke Quartet #3 (1983)

Grieg Quartet #1 in G minor op.27

“a mix of soft elegance, joie de vivre and exquisite tuning – as gorgeous as any ensemble in recent memory.”

THE STRAD, BRUCE HODGES

WU HAN, PHILIP SETZER, and DAVID FINCKEL PIANO TRIO

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Debussy Piano Trio in G

Smetana Piano Trio in G minor op.15

Mendelssohn Piano Trio #2 in C minor op.66

“The music unfolded like a spontaneous, heady conversation among three intimate friends.”

CHICAGO CLASSICAL REVIEW

enjoy the benefits of being a cmh donor this season!

Ticket and subscription sales cover less than 40% of the annual operating costs for CMH. It is truly your generosity that brings the world’s greatest chamber musicians to our stage.

Donors at all levels will receive:

• An invitation to the Fall Donor Reception;

• Priority ticket purchase and exchange; and

• Recognition in the season’s Concert Programs.

Become a Contributor with your gifts of $200 – $499 and receive all benefits above, plus:

• One (1) Guest Voucher to share a concert with friends and family; and

• Invitation to one private artist reception.

Become a Patron with your gifts of $500 – $999 and receive all benefits above, plus:

• One (1) Beverage Coupon to enjoy during intermission; and

• Invitations to all private artist receptions during the season.

Become a Sustainer with your gifts of $1,000 – $2,499 and receive all benefits above, plus:

• An additional Guest Voucher (total of two) to share with

• friends and family; and

• Three (3) complimentary Valet Parking passes for the season.

Become a Benefactor with your gifts of $2,500 – $4,999 and receive all benefits above, plus:

• An additional Beverage Coupon (total of two) to enjoy

• during intermission; and

• Complimentary Valet Parking for the entire season (all nine events).

Become a Guarantor with your gifts of $5,000 and more to receive all benefits above, plus:

• Six (6) complimentary tickets to the season event of your choice; and

• A half-page Concert Program promotion/recognition.

CHAMBER MUSIC HOUSTON IS The Music of Friends

The English composer and pianist, Richard Walthew, described chamber music as “the music of friends.” Over 60 years ago, a group of friends playing quartets in their homes made the decision to create Houston Friends of Music with the intent of bringing the very best string quartets from the concert halls of Europe and New York to perform for Houston audiences.

Imagine what Houston was like in 1960. With a population of less than one million, central air conditioning was found in fewer than half of all homes. NASA did not exist in Houston, nor did the Astrodome, and there was only one airport. While the Houston Symphony was 47 years old, the Houston Grand Opera was only five years old. There were no other professional classical music organizations in Houston at that time.

Beginning with a four-concert season at an extremely reasonable rate of $6 ($3 for students), Houston Friends of Music presented the Hungarian Quartet and many more world-renowned ensembles. After more than ten years of presenting events in the Cullen Auditorium at the University of Houston, Houston Friends of Music moved to Rice University’s Hamman Hall until the Shepherd School of Music building was built in 1991. Stude Concert Hall has been the home to Chamber Music Houston events for the past three decades, and with a couple of name changes over the years, Chamber Music Houston continues to provide a nine-concert season of world class chamber music performances.

Houston has now become a hub of cultural activity, with a full calendar of activities in the arts. Chamber Music Houston is proud to have been a pioneer in this successful endeavor. Today’s Board of Directors, as passionate and dedicated as the founding group of friends, is committed to the mission of presenting world-renowned chamber music to a broad audience for their enjoyment, education and cultural enrichment.

STUDE CONCERT HALL SEATING CHART

Stude Concert Hall Seating Chart

Season Subscribers Enjoy These Benefits

SAVE up to 40% over single tickets

ENJOY Priority Seating

RECEIVE one FREE ticket for every subscription to share with a friend

ADD The King’s Singers Concert at your low Subscriber rate

ATTEND exclusive receptions with the performers

Create Your Own (cyo) Package Benefits!

SAVE up to 25% over single tickets

ENJOY the flexibility of FREE Ticket Exchanges during the season

CHOOSE from all ten events

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS

CYO — CREATE YOUR OWN PACKAGE

Adding it Up

TICKET TOTAL FROM ABOVE: $

ADD: VALET PASSES: $15 EACH = $

YOUR TICKET TOTAL: $

Please complete your purchase on the next page.

There are no ticket processing or “convenience” extra fees. The senior discount is available for those 65 or older.

SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION

Name: Street Address: City: State: Zip:

E-mail Address:

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Renewing full season for same seats:

Accessible seating requested* (We will follow up with you)

Seating preferences:

For seating choices please see the chart provided. Seats are assigned in the order that orders are received, with a guarantee only to full season subscribers renewing by April 30, 2023. All efforts are made to meet your requests, so please let us know!

DONATION:

Guarantor: $5,000+

Benefactor: $2,500–$4,999

Sustainer: $1,000–$2,499

Patron: $500–$999

Contributor: $200–$499

Friend: Up to $199

My gift amount: $

Name to be listed in program: Anonymous

Set up a Recurring Donation with my credit card: Monthly or Quarterly for $ This recurring donation may be changed or cancelled at any time.

Gifts from generous contributors make it possible to keep ticket prices low while continuing to present chamber music at the highest level of quality. Gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Chamber Music Houston is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

TOTAL OF ORDER: TICKET TOTAL: (from other side) $

DONATION: $

PAYMENT

TOTAL: $

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The Chamber Music Houston Privacy Policy is available at chambermusichouston.org, or upon request at info@chamberhoustonmusic.org or 713-348-5400. Seats are assigned in the order that subscriptions are received. Please note that there are no refunds on season ticket orders. Chamber Music Houston reserves the right to make changes in programming due to unavoidable circumstances.

*A limited amount of accessible seating is available in all price levels at our venue. If you require wheelchair accessibility or have other special seating needs, please notify us when placing your order. Most accessibility seating is located in the side balconies, and an elevator is available near the left entrance to the hall.

chambermusichouston.org 713.348.5400

OUTREACH IN OUR COMMUNITY

Join Chamber Music Houston in bringing the world’s greatest chamber musicians to the Houston stage and into our community. Your generous support allows us to further showcase the value music has in our lives through outreach programs for students, seniors and the many who may not be able to reach the concert hall.

Our newest concert series, cmh@home, has provided over 50 free concert performances to the public, reaching over 500,000 people around the world! Born from the ashes of a pandemic, CMH is now reaching young and old throughout the world with free chamber music concerts.

CMH continues to help public schools in Houston with underfunded string programs and talented students in need of private lessons. Professional musicians in our community are providing their expertise to the CMH educational programs as we seek to inspire the next generation of chamber music.

Help us bring chamber music into our community and showcase how music has the power to transform lives!

Special thanks to The Brown Foundation, Inc. and Edith and Robert Zinn for recognizing the importance of these programs with their support.