Boston Chamber Symphony To Present CLASSICAL ROMANTICS Featuring Julian Schwarz

Boston Chamber Symphony will present Classical Romantics on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. The program will feature Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 5 alongside a Boston-area premiere of Arthur Foote’s Cello Concerto, performed by cellist Julian Schwarz. Music Director Avlana Eisenberg will conduct, and a reception with the performers will follow the concert.

The concert centers on the music of Arthur Foote, a prominent figure in Boston’s musical life at the turn of the twentieth century. In addition to the Cello Concerto, the program includes Foote’s Suite for String Orchestra. Schwarz was originally scheduled to perform the concerto with Boston Chamber Symphony last season, but the appearance was postponed due to a family matter. The February performance will mark the first time the concerto, composed in 1894, is presented to Boston-area audiences.

The full program includes Arthur Foote’s Suite for String Orchestra, Arthur Foote’s Cello Concerto in its Boston-area premiere, and Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 5.

Schwarz has maintained an active career as a soloist since making his concerto debut at age 11 with the Seattle Symphony, performing with orchestras throughout the United States as well as in Mexico and Australia. He is closely associated with contemporary American music and is scheduled to premiere Jennifer Higdon’s first Cello Concerto with a consortium of orchestras in Spring 2026. His work championing Arthur Foote’s cello repertoire will culminate in the first commercial recording of Foote’s Cello Concerto, recorded with the Buffalo Philharmonic for release on the Delos label. Schwarz serves as Associate Professor of Cello and String Area Coordinator at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University and is also on the faculty of NYU’s Steinhardt School of Music. He received his training at The Juilliard School and performs on a 1743 Neapolitan cello by Gennaro Gagliano.

Eisenberg has conducted orchestras across the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom and has been recognized by Classical Radio Boston as one of “Five Powerhouse Women in Classical Music You Should Know.” Her recordings include a 2022 Naxos release of works by William Grant Still with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and albums with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV. Upcoming projects include recordings of music by Alan Hovhaness, Maurice Ravel, and Paul Ben-Haim. Eisenberg studied at Yale University and earned graduate degrees in conducting from the University of Michigan and the Peabody Institute.

Founded to foster an inclusive and accessible approach to orchestral music, Boston Chamber Symphony presents performances in a range of venues with the goal of engaging both longtime listeners and new audiences. The orchestra emphasizes community connection and the presentation of classical music as a living art form.

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