Saratoga Performing Arts Center Announces Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's 2024 Summer Season

Saratoga Performing Arts Center will welcome the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) back to the Spa Little Theater for its summer residency from June 16-August 18. Part of its year-round presence in Saratoga Springs, the six-concert summer season follows its spring series, which will culminate on May 11 with Wu Han, David Finckel and Chad Hoopes.

“Opening the Spa Little Theater doors for our community to experience world-class chamber music – now year round -- is an important part of our expanded mission. We look forward to continuing this new tradition with our partners at CMS under the brilliant direction of Wu Han and David Finckel,” says Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's summer season opens with “Romantic Masterpieces,” showcasing works from Brahms and Arensky (June 16), followed by “Musical Mosaics” featuring Mozart, Puccini, Brahms and Dvořák (June 23); “Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Brahms” with the Escher String Quartet (July 14); an “Enchanting Winds” program (July 21); and “Beethoven, Ravel, and Schumann” (August 11). The season closes with “The Carnival of the Animals” (August 18), in its original instrumentation for chamber ensemble.  

Anchored by Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Artistic Directors Wu Han (piano) and David Finckel (cello), this season's guest artists also include violinists Bella Hristova, Chad Hoopes, Kristin Lee, Adam Barnett-Hart, Brendan Speltz, Danbi Um, and Francisco Fullana; violists Paul Neubauer, Pierre Lapointe, Matthew Lipman, and Guillermo Figueroa; cellists Dmitri Atapine, Brook Speltz, Nicholas Canellakis, and Sterling Elliott; double bassist Nina Bernat; pianists Wu Qian, Anna Geniushene, Evren Ozel, and Michael Stephen Brown; clarinetists Romie de Guise-Langlois and David Shifrin; flutists Demarre McGill and Sooyun Kim; Hugo Valverde on horn; bassoonist Peter Kolkay; harpist Bridget Kibbey; percussionists Ian David Rosenblum and Ayano Kataoka, and The Escher String Quartet.

“SPAC is a very special place to hear music,” say CMS Artistic Directors Wu Han and David Finckel. “We always find the brief journey from the highway into the park totally transformative, preparing us to experience the greatness of music surrounded by the glories and miracles of nature. SPAC is so much more than a park: it's a place for communal appreciation of the finest the world has to offer, and CMS is immensely proud to be a part of it.”

The summer season follows two previously announced spring concerts offered by CMS. The final spring performance is slated for May 11 with pianist Wu Han, violinist Chad Hoopes, and cellist David Finckel featuring works by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Smetana.

All summer 2024 CMS events will take place at the Spa Little Theatre (19 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866). There is one performance of each program at 3pm. Doors open at 2pm and the house opens at 2:30pm. Visit spac.org for more information

To Purchase Tickets:

Subscriptions to all six summer programs will be available to purchase at spac.org beginning on March 13. Subscription packages will be $198 - $378 depending on seating location. Single performance tickets will be available to purchase beginning on March 20 for members (tiered by level) and March 22 for the general public, and will be $38 - $68 each.

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center residency is presented by Charles Schwab - Maureen Parker.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: June 16-August 18

SUN, JUN 16 | 3PM: Romantic Masterpieces

Wu Han, piano

Wu Qian, piano

Bella Hristova, violin

Dmitri Atapine, cello

Arensky                 Six Children's Pieces for Piano, Four Hands        

Arensky                  Trio No. 1 in D minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello

Brahms                   Selections from Hungarian Dances for Piano, Four Hands

Brahms                 Trio in C major for Piano, Violin, and Cello

SUN, JUN 23 | 3PM: Musical Mosaics

Chad Hoopes, violin

Kristin Lee, violin

Paul Neubauer, viola

Matthew Lipman, viola

David Finckel, cello

Dvořák                   Drobnosti (Miniatures) for Two Violins and Viola

Puccini                   Crisantemi for String Quartet

Mozart                   Quintet in C minor for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello

Dvořák                   Selections from Cypresses (Echo of Songs) for String Quartet

Brahms                   Quintet in G major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello

SUN, JUL 14 | 3PM: Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Brahms

Escher String Quartet

Adam Barnett-Hart, violin

Brendan Speltz, violin

Pierre Lapointe, viola

Brook Speltz, cello

Anna Geniushene, piano

Mozart                        Quartet in B-flat major for Strings

Mendelssohn             Quartet No. 1 in E-flat major for Strings       

Brahms                       Quintet in F minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello

SUN, JUL 21 | 3PM: Enchanting Winds

Evren Ozel, piano

Demarre McGill, flute

Romie de Guise-Langlois, clarinet

Juri Vallentin, oboe

Hugo Valverde, horn

Peter Kolkay, bassoon

Rossini            Quartet No. 4 for Flute, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon in B-flat major 

Saint-Saëns    Sonata for Oboe and Piano

Taffanel          Quintet in G minor for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn

Poulenc          Sonata for Flute and Piano

Mozart            Quintet in E-flat major for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano

SUN, AUG 11 | 3PM: Beethoven, Ravel, and Schumann

Michael Stephen Brown, piano 

Nicholas Canellakis, cello 

Danbi Um, violin 

Beethoven      Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano

Ravel               Sonata for Violin and Cello  

Schumann      Trio No. 1 in D minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello

SUN, AUG 18 | 3PM: The Carnival of the Animals

Wu Han, piano 

Wu Qian, piano 

Sooyun Kim, flute 

David Shifrin, clarinet 

Bridget Kibbey, harp 

Ian David Rosenbaum, percussion 

Ayano Kataoka, percussion 

Richard Lin, violin 

Francisco Fullana, violin 

Guillermo Figueroa, viola 

Sterling Elliott, cello 

Nina Bernat, double bass 

Biber               Sonata representativa in A major for Violin and Continuo

Bach                Concerto in A major for Keyboard, Strings, and Continuo

Vivaldi             Concerto in D major for Flute, Strings, and Continuo 

Ravel               Introduction et allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet

Saint-Saëns     Le carnaval des animaux for Ensemble

Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), located in the historic resort town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, is one of America's most prestigious outdoor amphitheaters. Its tranquil setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and natural mineral springs draws lovers of arts, culture and nature for performances by resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival, and concerts by Live Nation. SPAC also hosts imaginative programming such as Caffè Lena @ SPAC and initiatives in culinary, literary, healing and visual arts.  

SPAC is a 501c3 charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events benefit the Center's thriving education program, community outreach efforts, and the vibrancy of its programming. For more information visit spac.org.

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is one of eleven constituents of the largest performing arts complex in the world, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Through its many performances, education, recording, digital, and broadcast activities, CMS brings the experience of great chamber music to more people than any other organization of its kind with a full season in New York, as well as national and international tours. Under the artistic leadership of David Finckel and Wu Han, CMS presents a wide variety of concert series and educational events for listeners of all ages, appealing to both connoisseurs and newcomers. The performing artists constitute a revolving multi-generational and international roster of the world's best chamber musicians, enabling CMS to present chamber music of every instrumentation, style, and historical period. The CMS Bowers Program, its competitive three-season residency, is dedicated to developing the chamber music leaders of the future and integrates this selection of extraordinary early-career musicians into every facet of CMS activities. Its incomparable digital presence, which regularly enables CMS to reach hundreds of thousands of viewers and listeners around the globe annually, includes: a growing number of live-streamed programs; more than 1,000 hours of performance and education videos free to the public on its website; a 52-week public radio series across the US; radio programming in Taiwan and mainland China; appearances on American Public Media; the monthly program “In Concert with CMS” on the ALL ARTS broadcast channel;  the NY-Emmy-nominated documentary “Transcending: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Celebrates 50 Years;” and performances featured on Medici.tv, Tencent, and SiriusXM's Symphony Hall channel.