30th ANNUAL CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Concert Extraordinaire Boston Chamber Music Ensemble of 8 Musicians
30th anniversary of OPA Chamber Music Festival
In recent years, OPA’s Chamber Music Festival has featured an ongoing partnership with Boston Chamber Music, which every year puts together a special trio or quartet for the Ogunquit concerts, unique to OPA.
This year, in celebration of 30 years of OPA Chamber Music Festivals, pianist/leader Randall Hodgkinson has brought together an ensemble of eight musicians (piano and seven strings), for a concert extraordinaire.
Their program will include the premiere performance of the brilliant overture to Rossini’s opera, Semiramide, transcribed by Hodgkinson especially for this occasion, and the first-ever transcription for this group of instruments!
The Program:
Rossini: Overture to Semiramide for piano and string ensemble, transcribed by Randall Hodgkinson.
This popular Overture is celebrated for its dramatic tension and brilliant climaxes, often performed as a standalone concert piece. Composed in 1823, Semiramide opens with a 12-minute orchestral showcase of suspense, melodic richness, and Rossini’s signature crescendo techniques. Although it contains material from the opera, this bright Overture hardly suggests the blood and gore of the story that follows!
Mozart: Chamber version of Concerto in A, K. 488 (arranged for string quintet and piano)
One of Mozart’s finest and most lyrical concertos, this 1786 work is admired for its lyricism, emotional range, and formal perfection. It is a staple of the classical piano repertoire, frequently performed by major pianists and orchestras worldwide. Critics often single out the second movement as a sublime exemplar of Mozart’s genius for expressing deep feeling with utmost simplicity and grace.
Brahms: String Sextet in Bb, No. 1, Op. 18
The Sextet is notable for its symphonic sound, with Brahms utilizing the two cellos and two violas to create rich, dark timbres. Written in 1860, it is a masterpiece of chamber music, blending youthful romantic lyricism with mature classical structure, and is renowned for its warm, orchestral textures, tender melodies, and the expansive emotional arc across its four movements.
The Players:
Randall Hodgkinson, piano
Omar Chen Guey, violin
Alice Hallstrom, violin
Mark Berger, viola
Peter Sulski, viola
Nicholas Johnson, cello
David Russell, cello
Nathan Varga, bass
Join us for this concert of celebration! Seating is limited, so reserve your tickets today!
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