American Chamber Music Society: Fire and Remembrance

The American Chamber Music Society Presents: FIRE AND REMEMBRANCE: OPENING NIGHT “Electric . . . performance extracted all the tensions, fun, and charm that can be found” ~THIRD COAST REVIEW FIRE AND REMEMBRANCE is an evening of passionate and deeply personal chamber music, bringing together the vitality of young artists with works shaped by love, loss, and memory. ACMS welcomes Aelous Quartet violinist Isabelle Ai Durrenberger and internationally acclaimed cellist Joshua Halpern in their series debuts. They join ACMS audience favorite Matthew Cohen on viola and Artistic Director and violinist Eric Gratz in a program of Schumann’s String Quartet No. 1, Puccini’s haunting Crisantemi, and Mendelssohn’s searing String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80. From Schumann’s restless Romanticism to Puccini’s intimate meditation on remembrance, the program explores music that burns brightly even in the shadow of loss. Crisantemi opens the second half with a moment of luminous reflection before giving way to Mendelssohn’s final string quartet, written in the wake of his sister Fanny’s death. Its anguish, volatility, and extraordinary emotional intensity bring the evening to a powerful close—a work in which youthful fire and profound grief become inseparable. ACMS performs all concerts at PianoForte, an intimate 75-seat concert hall with spectacular acoustics in downtown Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. A reception and meet-and-greet with the performers will follow the program. Tickets are $30 GA/$10 students. ——– The American Chamber Music Society is deeply invested in inspiring and connecting with our local community. As one of the most intimate classical music experiences in Chicago, it is our honor to enrich our culture by performing repertoire ranging from centuries ago to the present, providing a variety of educational opportunities and offering tickets at a discounted price. There is nothing like sitting a few feet away from the best musicians in the world, especially when many of them are from your home town. I am confident the diverse and innovative programming of our events will leave you moved, exhilarated, and eager to return. –ERIC GRATZ, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR