CSO Chamber Players Announce 2019-2020 Series

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announces the annual series of chamber concerts for the 2019-2020 season. The CSO Chamber Players series performances are held at Music Hall's Corbett Tower and features an array of Orchestra members. CSO musicians curate these programs showcasing their artistry, creativity and virtuosity. This season, the series includes four unique programs starting November 15. Subsequent programs are January 24, March 27 and April 24.

"Beethoven's Last Quartet" - November 15

In the first CSO Chamber Players program of the season, audience members are invited to hear what Beethoven never could-late life introspections, transformed into inevitably moving music with the composer's final String Quartet No. 16. Juilliard composer Eric Ewazen covers a spectrum of moods in his Trio, and CSO First Assistant Concertmaster Philip Marten grounds a 17th-century form in the present with Passacaglia, his own composition. With his fourth string quartet Mendelssohn, demonstrates the effectiveness of writing for the player, not just the instrument.

"Pocket Groove" - January 25

After the premiere of the Quintet, Mozart professed it to be "the best thing I have written in my life." Despite instant popularity, Beethoven's premiere at the keyboard of the Trio in B-flat sparked a heated and life-long rivalry with pianist Daniel Steibelt. Koshinski's whimsical Pocket Grooves shrinks the ensemble to a duo of percussion and bassoon.

"Manny & Moore" - March 27

Emanuel Ax, "among the most highly sought-after pianists globally" (Los Angeles Times), joins CSO musicians for a program steeped in romanticism. Written during a year dedicated solely to chamber music, Schumann's Quintet introduced a piano to the language of the string quartet. Paired with Beethoven's popular Septet, these works balance parlor room aesthetics with the sound and scale of symphonies.

"Mendelssohn & Braunstein" - April 24

Bartók's Contrasts emphasizes the composer's promise to write "whatever he wanted" for commissioning artist Benny Goodman, and Shostakovich's film and ballet works sneak in ample sweetness to works for two violins and piano. CSO Artist-in-Residence Guy Braunstein, the youngest person ever appointed concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, collaborates with CSO musicians for Octet, a birthday gift from Felix Mendelssohn.

Subscriptions for these concerts are now on sale. Single tickets go on sale October 8 at 10:00 am, and concerts frequently sell out. All seating is General Admission. Tickets are available by calling the CSO Box Office at 513.381.3300. More information can be found at www.cincinnatisymphony.org.