Annandale-on-Hudson, NY—The Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle (HVCMC) series at Bard College presents three chamber music concerts in June. The Saturday evening concerts begin at 8 p.m. in Bard’s Olin Hall. A subscription to the three-concert series is $70. Individual tickets are $30; $5 for students. For ticket information, call the Bard Fisher Center box office at 845-758-7900 or go to fishercenter.bard.edu.


Saturday, June 1
Concert 1: Escher String Quartet
Adam Barnett-Hart, violin
Danbi Um, violin
Pierre Lapointe, viola
Brook Speltz, cello

With guest violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590
Erich Wolfgang Korngold String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 34
Antonín Dvořák String Quintet No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97

The Escher String Quartet has received acclaim for its expressive, nuanced performances that combine unusual textural clarity with a rich, blended sound. Former BBC New Generation Artists, the quartet has performed at the BBC Proms at Cadogan Hall and is a regular guest at Wigmore Hall, both in London. In its hometown of New York, the ensemble serves as Season Artists of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where it has presented the complete Zemlinsky Quartet Cycle as well as being one of five quartets chosen to collaborate in a complete presentation of Beethoven’s string quartets.

Praised by The Strad as having “lyricism that stood out . . . a silky tone and beautiful, supple lines,” violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt has already established herself as one of the most sought-after violists of her generation.

Saturday, June 22
Concert 2: The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio

Joseph Kalichstein, piano
Jaime Laredo, violin
Sharon Robinson, cello

Robert Schumann Six Études in Canonic Form, Op. 56
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Pas de Trois (local premiere, co-commissioned by HVCMC)
Maurice Ravel Piano Trio in A Minor

After four decades of success the world over, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio continues to dazzle audiences and critics alike with its performances. Since making their debut at the White House for President Carter’s inauguration in January 1977, pianist Joseph Kalichstein, violinist Jaime Laredo and cellist Sharon Robinson have set the standard for performance of the piano trio literature, consistently bringing technical mastery, expressive depth, and magnetism to the concert stage.

Saturday, June 29
Concert 3: Orion String Quartet

Daniel Phillips, violin
Todd Phillips, violin
Steven Tenenbom, viola
Timothy Eddy, cello

With guest flutist Tara Helen O’Connor

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Flute Quartet in C Major, K.Anh.171/285b
Fritz Kreisler String Quartet in A Minor
Franz Schubert String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor (“Death and the Maiden’)

The Orion Quartet is one of the leading chamber music ensembles on the classical music scene today. Admired for the diverse nature of programming that juxtaposes masterworks of quartet literature with key works of the 20th and 21st centuries, the Orion provides singularly rich dimension to its music making. The Orion String Quartet are artist members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and quartet-in-residence at the Mannes School of Music in New York.

About HVCMC

In 1950, Helen Huntington Hull joined with her two Staatsburg friends, Mrs. Lydig Hoyt and Mrs. Jonas Borak, as well as Emil Hauser (original first violinist of the Budapest Quartet and member of the Bard College faculty) to bring the best classical musicians of the time to the Hudson Valley to play chamber music for a group of appreciative friends and neighbors. This was the inception of the Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle (HVCMC). In 1979, the Circle began its formal association with Bard College as an independent program affiliated with the Bard Center. Since then, the audience has expanded to include music lovers from all over the Hudson Valley, as well as neighboring states. In 2000, the distinguished musicians Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson became artistic directors for the Circle and have maintained the early reputation for showcasing the finest performances of works from a wide-ranging repertory. 

HVCMC’s signature event is the June Concert Series—three early-summer performances held in Bard’s lovely and acoustically exceptional Olin Hall with internationally acclaimed musicians. Previous world-class ensembles have included the Emerson String Quartet, the Juilliard Quartet, and the Daedalus, Tokyo, and Miami String Quartets. Programs have also featured newer groups and individuals such as the Calidore String Quartet, which in 2016 won the inaugural, prestigious M-Prize for chamber music, Trio Con Brio of Copenhagen, and classical guitarist Sharon Isbin. Additional information can be found at hvcmc.org.