Works by Johannes Brahms and More Set for Shriver Hall Concert Series 60th Season

Shriver Hall Concert Series off its 60th anniversary and 2025-26 concert season this fall with a season opening performance featuring the return of violinist Gil Shaham and pianist Orli Shaham, followed by the Baltimore debut of the Sphinx Virtuosi with cellist Sterling Elliott, who makes his Subscription Series debut.

SHCS's 60th anniversary season opens on Sunday, October 5, 2025, with Grammy-winning Gil Shaham and Orli Shaham. The siblings and star soloists join forces for a rare and illuminating duo-recital after appearing separately on previous SHCS seasons – the October 5 concert will mark Gil Shaham's seventh appearance on the series and Orli Shaham's second appearance. Together, they perform works by Clara and Robert Schumann, and their close friends Johannes Brahms and Amanda Maier.

Orli Shaham remarks, “My brother Gil and I are excited to come back to Shriver Hall Concert Series, where we've enjoyed playing in the past. We're delighted to bring to Baltimore a program centered around the pianist and composer Clara Schumann, and the warm and visionary musical world that she created for herself and her compadres. We're bringing music that we've played together for years, like the Brahms D-minor Sonata, which has always been one of our favorites. We're also including a couple of pieces that we began performing together just this past season. These included Clara Schumann's stunning masterpiece, Romances, Opus 22 for violin and piano, which she wrote for herself and the violinist Joseph Joachim to play together, and Amanda Maier's virtuosic and brilliant Violin Sonata, which she wrote as an homage to Robert Schumann's Sonata, and which Brahms himself admired greatly.”

On Sunday, October 19, 2025, the pioneering Sphinx Virtuosi, an 18-member self-conducted string orchestra and flagship ensemble of the Sphinx Organization, make their Baltimore debut. With “immeasurable power, unwavering command, and soulful beauty” (Washington Post), these masterful players present a program devoted to peace and the resilience of the human spirit. Acclaimed young cellist Sterling Elliott, who debuts on the SHCS Subscription Series after appearing on the Discovery Series in 2023, joins as the soloist for American composer William Grant Still's Suite, inspired by Harlem Renaissance sculptures.

“We at Sphinx Virtuosi are thrilled to present “Visions of Peace” at Shriver Hall Concert Series, marking our debut in Baltimore,” shares Andre Dowell, Chief Programming Officer at the Sphinx Organization. “This powerful collection of music explores themes of unity, harmony, and hope, aligning with our shared mission to uplift and connect communities through transformative artistic experiences.”

Shriver Hall Concert Series' Subscription Series continues in November with a powerful trio comprised of violinist Tessa Lark, cellist Joshua Roman, and double bassist Edgar Meyer on Sunday, November 16, 2025. SHCS launches its acclaimed free Discovery Series on Saturday, November 8, 2025, with the Baltimore debut of the Abeo String Quartet.

For six decades, SHCS has created unforgettable musical experiences in the intimacy of Shriver Hall. The upcoming season builds on this legacy with a vibrant lineup of programs featuring enduring masterworks and fresh perspectives, from Bach to Beethoven to Billy Childs. Woven through the season are themes of another milestone: the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. Featuring American composers past and present, texts from the nation's greatest poets, classical works infused with bluegrass and jazz, and some of today's most thrilling young performers, these concerts will celebrate a nation brimming with musical treasures and talent.

Concert Information

Gil Shaham, violin and Orli Shaham, piano

Sunday, October 5, 2025, at 5:30 pm
Shriver Hall | 3400 N. Charles Street | Baltimore, MD 21218
Tickets: $291 Subscription; $48 Single Tickets and $10 Students
Link: https://www.shriverconcerts.org/shaham

AMANDA MAIER: Violin Sonata in B minor
CLARA SCHUMANN: Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22
Robert Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105
Robert Schumann: Three Romances, Op. 94
JOHANNES BRAHMS: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108

Pre-concert talk at 4:30 pm with WJBC's Jonathan Palevsky.

The Mity Clarke Gann Memorial Concert
The Reiko T. and Yuan C. Lee Concert for Outstanding String Performers

Sphinx Virtuosi (Baltimore Debut) and Sterling Elliott, cello
Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 5:30 pm
Shriver Hall | 3400 N. Charles Street | Baltimore, MD 21218
Tickets: $291 Subscription; $48 Single Tickets and $10 Students
Link: www.shriverconcerts.org/sphinx 

JOSÉ WHITE: La bella cubana
CLARICE ASSAD: Selections from Impressions
JESSIE MONTGOMERY: Chemiluminescence (Baltimore Premiere)
William Grant STILL: Suite for Cello & Orchestra (arr. Randall Goosby)
QUENTON BLACHE: A Vision for Peace (Baltimore Premiere)
SERGEY PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 7, “Stalingrad” (arr. Rubén Rengel)
ALBERTO GINASTERA: Finale from Concerto for Strings, Op. 33

Pre-concert talk at 4:30 pm, speakers TBA.

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