The National Chamber Ensemble to Present Music of Price and Brahms This Month

The National Chamber Ensemble will present Diverse Romantic Visions: Florence Price and Brahms, Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Gunston Arts Center, Theatre 1. This program reflects the Ensemble's commitment to diversity in music and pays tribute to a truly gifted American composer, Florence Price. The evening also includes some short works for clarinet and Johannes Brahms' famous Clarinet Quintet, a work by one of the great romantic European composers. NCE will also welcome back classical star clarinetist and crossover artist Julian Milkis.

Florence Price was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1887. She was a pianist, organist, music teacher and wrote over 300 works. She was the first African American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer and the first to have her work performed by a major orchestra. She was a prolific creator of music in many forms, including four symphonies, four concertos, choral works, chamber music and music for solo instruments. Her lush string quartet No. 1 in G Major will be performed at this concert.

Acclaimed clarinetist, Julian Milkis, Benny Goodman's only student returns to enchant the audience with one of Brahms' most moving pieces. This masterpiece for clarinet, cello, viola and two violins were composed in 1891. It is considered one of Brahms' most profound works. Mr. Milkis will be joined by NCE artists: violinists Leo Sushansky and Jorge Orozco, violist Beth Walenta and cellist Vasily Popov.