Chamber Music Athens is back for second season

The Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia is proud to present the second season of Chamber Music Athens, a premier festival that brings together internationally acclaimed guest artists, UGA faculty and students for ten days of concerts, public masterclasses, panel discussions, and intensive collaboration in rehearsals and chamber music coaching.

“We are tremendously excited to be restarting the festival after an involuntary two-year hiatus brought on by COVID-19,” said piano faculty and CMA organizer, Dr. Liza Stepanova.

Chamber Music Athens (CMA) brings an incredible line-up of guest artists from around the country, including the Grammy-winning Parker String Quartet, two extraordinary New York City-based performers: pianist Orli Shaham and violinist Joseph Lin, and CMA’s first Composer-In-Residence, Lowell Liebermann.

Celebrating the long-awaited return of CMA, the opening night gala in Ramsey at 7:30 p.m. on May 15 features the World Premiere of a new work by CMA 2022 composer-in-residence Lowell Liebermann written for and performed by UGA’s own Yargo Trio. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concertmaster David Coucheron leads Chausson’s passionate Concerto for violin, piano, and string quartet, and exciting young cellist Khari Joyner receives a spotlight in Schumann’s gorgeous Adagio and Allegro.

The next concert in Ramsey Hall on May 17 entitled “Music and Words” is a unique program that explores fascinating connections between music and words. Acclaimed operatic soprano Talise Trevigne sings a beguiling selection of art songs, including music by Franz Schubert, with UGA’s Liza Stepanova at the piano. On the second half of the program, CMA is proud to partner with the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic (Connie Frigo, producer) for a thrilling program of jazz, hip hop, and spoken word. Featured artists include award-winning performance poet Tifara Knowles; fan-favorite, Athens-based Hip Hop artist Caulfield; UGA jazz piano faculty Greg Satterthwaite and James Weidman; and the School of Music Contemporary Chamber Ensemble performing boundary-breaking, newly created works by the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic.

Audiences will enjoy concerts in the acoustically spectacular UGA Performing Arts Center as well as beautiful venues on and off the UGA campus, such as the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, the UGA Chapel, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, the Lyndon House Arts Center, and First Presbyterian Church. Members of the community are also invited behind the scenes to enjoy fascinating masterclasses with guest artists featuring talented UGA student chamber ensembles.

Enjoy intimate works of the chamber music repertoire in the scenic Day Chapel, located in the heart of the Botanical Garden, featuring duet, trio, quartet, and quintet combinations of instruments on May 19. Members of the Grammy Award-winning Parker String Quartet join forces with acclaimed guest pianist Orli Shaham and UGA faculty in music by Mozart and Brahms as well as the beloved Piano Quintet by Antonin Dvorak. Another highlight of the program is a string quartet titled Unrequited by the great American jazz pianist and composer Billy Childs. UGA faculty performers include D Ray McClellan, clarinet; Maggie Snyder, viola; David Starkweather, cello; and Alan Woo, piano.

The Radiant Mozart program on May 22 features The Parker String Quartet, pianist Orli Shaham, and HHSOM alumnus and bass player Luca Lombardi. The CMA Gala Finale will take place on May 24 in the UGA Chapel on North Campus, and will feature violinist Joseph Lin, former first violinist of the legendary Juilliard String Quartet. UGA faculty member, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Knight will join the Parker String Quartet in Respighi’s ravishing Il Tramonto (“The Sunset”). The concert and the festival come to a joyous end with Mendelssohn’s exuberant String Octet, which brings together Lin, the Parker Quartet, and UGA performers.

For more information, visit chambermusicathens.org and like and follow the CMA Facebook page for up-to-date posts. Patrons can purchase a CMA Pass for all of the concerts for $100, as well as individual concert tickets, through the Performing Box Office website or by calling 706-542-4400.

The CMA Festival is made possible by the generous contributions of donors and organizations, such as WUGA FM, The Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and the UGA Botanical Garden. If you would like to give to the festival or are interested in underwriting a future concert, please contact Melissa Roberts at robert@uga.edu.