Go Big or Go Home! Well, in this case, we’ll do both, going big, then going home. Festival Series IV marks the conclusion of the Sixth Annual Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, and we are going out with a bang.

This program will shake the rafters of the Gesa Power House Theater, and ring on in your memory long after the WWCMF musicians leave the stage. The Concerto for violin, piano and string quartet in D, by French composer Ernest Chausson, is a masterpiece of the late ninteenth Century, demanding virtuosity from all six players. The concerto, as seen through the lens of the ninteenth Century, usually means a piece for soloist and large orchestra. Chausson, however, looks inward, pairing down the ensemble to its essentials. With pre-impressionistic shadings dominating the interior passages, this work nevertheless explodes to a joyous conclusion. As the French musical indication goes, “Laissé Vibrer!”— Let it Ring!

Tchaikovsky, for his part, gives us one of the string repertoire’s great showpieces. Souvenir de Florence is so named because Tchaikovsky composed one of the work’s principal themes while on an extended stay in Florence, Italy, where he composed his opera The Queen of Spades. This work features two violins, two violas, and two cellos. At times, the piece is made of three duos, or a pair of trios, or a soloist with an accompanying quintet, or once in a great while, an expectant silence from all six. The 2013 Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival will conclude in rapturous melody, giving you a souvenir of your own.

Ernest Chausson (1855-1899)

Concert en ré majeur pour violon, piano, et quatuor à cordes, Op. 21

I. Décidé

II. Sicilienne

III. Grave

IV. Très animé

Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Souvenir de Florence, for string sextet in D, Op. 70

I. Allegro con spirito

II. Adagio cantabile e con moto

III. Alegretto Moderato

IV. Allegro vivace

Artists: Winston Choi, Timothy Christie, Julia Gish-Salerno, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann,Stephen Miahky, Philip Payton, Maria Sampen, Meta Weiss and MingHuan Xu

WWCMF makes its first official visit to TERO Estates’ Windrow Vineyard for the final Tasting Music performance of the 2013 Season.

Why first “official” visit? Well, we had the opportunity to rehearse here behind the scenes during the 2012 season and found the environment to be most conducive to making great music. Perhaps it’s the light, which is simply magical as the sun sinks in the western sky. Perhaps it’s the rows of cab stretching across the gentle hills. Perhaps it’s the people who lovingly tend the land. It’s a place that evokes warmth, even across the expanses of time, distance and memory. Such were Tchaikovsky’s feelings toward Italy. His work Souvenir de Florence recalls his joyful time in Italy through music. We could not think of a better setting in the Walla Walla Valley to share this great work and bring to a close the 2013 Tasting Music Series.

Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Souvenir de Florence, for string sextet in D, Op. 70

I. Allegro con spirito

II. Adagio cantabile e con moto

III. Alegretto Moderato

IV. Allegro vivace

Artists: Timothy Christie, Julia Gish-Salerno, Norbert Lewandowski, Stephen Miahky, Philip Payton and Meta Weiss

This interactive series will give the you a window into the lives and experiences of the incredibly talented artists who perform here.

The Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival is proud to unveil the new Portrait of an Artist series. About 27 different artists perform at WWCMF annually. These artists, whether composer, string player, wind player, or vocalist, etc., participate in the democratic process of working within a chamber ensemble. However, individually each musician brings a unique perspective and a level of personal artistry that sometimes goes unheralded. The Portrait of an Artist series gives the audience the opportunity to forge connections with individual musicians.

This interactive series will give the audience a window into the lives and experiences of the talented artists who come to Walla Walla for the Festival. Join us for these four special recitals and meet your music maker!

Artists: Winston Choi

Whitman College philosophy professor Julia Ireland will delve into the nitty gritty of Tolstoy's novella. WWCMF Founder and Artistic Director, Timothy Christie, will guide an exploration of Janáček’s unique musical voice.

Bar and Piece: WWCMF is proud to return to the incomparable jimgermanbar in Waitsburg, WA, for our Special Event: Kreutzer Sonata. Tolstoy, famous for his epic novel War and Peace also published a novella called The Kreutzer Sonata in 1889. It was almost immediately banned in Russia, and similar instances of censorship took place in the United States in 1890. Czech composer, Leoš Janáček, wrote his string quartet of the same name in 1923. It has not yet been banned. These two works, both examples of what can happen if exposed to the music of Beethoven, wrestle with issues of morality, feminism, and the institution of marriage.

For this special event, Whitman College philosophy professor Julia Ireland will delve into the nitty gritty of Tolstoy's novella, and WWCMF Founder and Artistic Director, Timothy Christie, will guide an exploration of Janáček’s unique musical voice. Barman extraordinaire Jim German will create yet a third work of art inspired by Beethoven's Op. 47, Kreutzer Sonata, a cocktail to be so named. There will be only one opportunity to discuss, listen to, and sip. The Kreutzer Sonata. Tickets are extremely limited.

Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)

String Quartet No. 1, “The Kreutzer Sonata”

I. Adagio - Con moto

II. Con moto

III. Con moto - Vivo - Andante

IV. Con moto - (Adagio) - Più mosso

Artists: Timothy Christie, Julia Ireland, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky and Meta Weiss

First Time? Perhaps this is your first time attending a concert where the works — even the composers — are unknown to you. 

The composers Dan Welcher, Joan Tower, Friedrich Hermann and Anton Arensky fall outside of the canon of the ubiquitous “dead white guys” whose music dominates classical programming. To my knowledge, none of these composers ever sported a wig, and if they did, the wig would certainly not be powdered. How, then, could they compose great classical music, you ask? There’s only one way to find out!

Festival Series III explores exceptional music by composers you don’t encounter every day. From the wild virtuosity of Dan Welcher's Dante Dances, to the Russian liturgical influence of Arensky’s tribute to his idol, Tchaikovsky, each work on this program will surprise and delight. Petroushskates, by living American composer, Joan Tower, takes two sources for its inspiration; the Shrovetide Fair of Stravinsky’s ballet masterpiece, Petroushka, and the flowing continuous line of a figure skater’s blade on the ice. Perhaps another influence on this work is the instrumental force known as a “Pierrot Ensemble,” after the seminal work Pierrot Lunaire, by Arnold Schönberg. In every case, these works deserve our attention, and we guarantee that you will always remember your first time.

Friedrich Hermann (1828-1907)

Capriccio No. 2 in G major, Op. 5 for 3 violins

Allegro molto

Dan Welcher (b. 1948)

Dante Dances (Danzi d'Inferno) for clarinet & piano

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Prélude à l'après-midi d'une faune for piano, clarinet and flute

Joan Tower (1938-Present)

Petroushskates for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano

Anton Arensky (1861-1906)

String Quartet No. 2 in a minor, Op. 35 for violin, viola and 2 cellos

I. Moderato

II. Thème (and Variations). Moderato

III. Finale. Andante sostenuto - Allegro moderato

Artists: Sarah Brady, Winston Choi, Timothy Christie, Julia Gish-Salerno, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky, Philip Payton, David Requiro, Maria Sampen, Kevin Schempf, Meta Weiss and MingHuan Xu

Tasting Music III finds WWCMF at Rasa Vineyards tasting room for the Quartet in A minor, Op. 35, by Anton Arensky.

This work, dedicated to the memory of Tchaikovsky, stands as a truly unique and heartfelt treatment of four string instruments. A string quartet is usually comprised of two violins, a viola and a cello. Here, Arensky inverts the ensemble, reinforcing the rich soulful low end of the group with one violin, one viola, and two cellos. The result is an wondrous piece. From its introduction in the style of mournful Russian Orthodox plainchant to its rowdy and celebratory conclusion, Arensky pays homage to his idol. While there are no cannons in the percussion section, and no percussion section for that matter, the influence of Tchaikovsky abounds. It is fitting that the wines of Rasa Vineyards pay tribute to influences as diverse as the framers of the Constitution and Sir Isaac Newton, reflecting the identities of brothers and managing partner and winemaker, Pinto and Billo Naravane. Both music and wine will be a tribute to an evening you will not soon forget.

Anton Arensky (1861-1906)

String Quartet No. 2 in a minor, Op. 35 for violin, viola and 2 cellos

I. Moderato

II.Thème (and Variations). Moderato

III. Finale. Andante sostenuto - Allegro moderato

Artists: Timothy Christie, Philip Payton, David Requiro and Meta Weiss

This interactive series will give the you a window into the lives and experiences of the incredibly talented artists who perform here.

The Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival is proud to unveil the new Portrait of an Artist series. About 27 different artists perform at WWCMF annually. These artists, whether composer, string player, wind player, or vocalist, etc., participate in the democratic process of working within a chamber ensemble. However, individually each musician brings a unique perspective and a level of personal artistry that sometimes goes unheralded. The Portrait of an Artist series gives the audience the opportunity to forge connections with individual musicians.

This interactive series will give the audience a window into the lives and experiences of the talented artists who come to Walla Walla for the Festival. Join us for these four special recitals and meet your music maker!

Artists: Sara Brady

Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee! Left Jab. Right Cross. Hook. Uppercut. Where is the next blow coming from? You won’t know until it hits you. And yes, we fight dirty. Do you have what it takes to enter the ring? Your opponent: one flute, one clarinet, one soprano, one viola, three cellos, five violins, and all kinds of chamber music. WWCMF’s annual Collage performances will take place at the ultra-hip Charles Smith Wines Tasting Room in Downtown Walla Walla this year. That means music from five stages (four on the floor, and one above). The wide variety of music will only be matched by the extensive collection of wines available by the glass and bottle. It will be a knockout!

What’s the fighting all about? (Or, what is Collage?)

While past performances have been compared to Paella and Molten Chocolate Cake, it appears that such gustatory comparisons have given way to pugilism. Collage is a style of performing in which varied musical styles are performed continuously and seamlessly without pause from multiple locations in and around the audience. In this way, music from antiquity rubs elbows with “wet ink” compositions in a way that keeps the audience guessing throughout. The performance unfolds in two sets with an intermission in between. Once the music begins, there are no pauses to applaud or to catch your breath. Each set becomes its own truly unique piece of amalgamated chamber music, never to be repeated in any setting ever again. Tallis, Debussy, and Tan Dun? Why not. Beethoven, Carter and Pink Floyd? Done. Anything is fair game!

Artists: Sarah Brady, Timothy Christie, Jennifer Goltz-Taylor, Andrew Jennings, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky, Philip Payton, David Requiro, Maria Sampen, Kevin Schempf, and Meta Weiss

Will the real Kreutzer please stand up? Festival Series II presents one of the towering masterpieces for violin and piano, the Sonata in A Major, Op. 47, by Beethoven, a work more familiarly known by its nickname, the Kreutzer Sonata.

Rudolphe Kreutzer was a preeminent violinist in Paris in the early ninteenth century, and this work has almost nothing to do with him. Today, Kreutzer is known to violinists and Jack Benny as the author of a set of 42 studies designed to improve technique. To wider audiences, he is known only as the namesake for this incredible piece by Beethoven. Though Beethoven sent a copy to Kreutzer, the violinist never played the piece and declared it to be unintelligible.

Augmenting the legacy of this sonata are works by Tolstoy and Leos Janacek, both bearing the same title. You will find these Slavic spin-offs elsewhere during the 2013 Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival (namely, at jimgermanbar on June 25! See the Special Event listing for more information). Tonight, violinist Andrew Jennings and pianist Oksana Ezhokina bring Beethoven’s heroic score to life.

Also on the program is the debut of vocal chamber music at WWCMF. Soprano Jennifer Goltz-Taylor joins WWCMF for the first time in the brooding Seven Songs, Op. 127, by Dmitri Shostakovich. This work, originally commissioned by Mstislav Rostropovich, represents a Who’s Who of twentieth century Soviet music. It was conceived as a vehicle for the power quartet of soprano Galina Vishnevskaya (wife of Rostropovich), Rostropovich, violinist David Oistrakh, and Shostokovich himself. Shostakovich, to ill to perform at the premiere, was replaced by his close associate, Mieczyslaw Weinberg. The music is as deeply personal a statement as we have from this prolific composer. Rounding out the evening is a very charming work by German-American composer Charles Martin Loeffler. 

Charles Martin Loeffler (1861-1935)

String Quintet in One Movement for 3 violins, viola, and cello

Allegro commodo

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

Seven Songs on Poems by Aleksandr Blok, Op. 127 for piano, violin, cello, and soprano

I. Song of Ophelia

II. Gamayun, the Bird of Prophecy

III. We Were Together

IV. The City Sleeps

V. The Storm

VI. Secret Signs

VII. Music

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47, “Kreutzer” for violin and piano

I. Adagio sostenuto - Presto - Adagio

II. Andante con variazioni

III. Finale. Presto

Artists: Timothy Christie, Oksana Ezhokina, Jennifer Goltz-Taylor, Carolyn Heubi, Andrew Jennings, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky, Maria Sampen, and Felix Wang

Tasting Music II finds WWCMF on the familiar ground of Walla Walla Vintners

On two previous occasions, WWCMF has had the pleasure of presenting performances in this beautiful setting. Musically, however, this performance breaks most unfamiliar ground, and that, as you will discover, is a very good thing. Charles Martin Loeffler, born Martin Karl Löffler near Berlin, emigrated to the United States in 1881. He served as the Assistant Concertmaster of the renowned Boston Symphony for 21 years until his retirement to a life of composition. His compositional style shows influences of French and Russian schools of the latter ninteenth Century, including pre-impressionism and a relationship to Symbolist literature. In many senses, Loeffler’s aesthetic can be looked at as a kind of reduction of the 2013 WWCMF program as a whole. Like many of the works on this season’s program, the String Quintet in One Movement was composed in 1891.

Charles Martin Loeffler (1861-1935)

String Quintet in One Movement for 3 violins, viola, and cello

Allegro commodo

Artists: Timothy Christie, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky and Maria Sampen

This interactive series will give the you a window into the lives and experiences of the incredibly talented artists who perform here.

The Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival is proud to unveil the new Portrait of an Artist series. About 27 different artists perform at WWCMF annually. These artists, whether composer, string player, wind player, or vocalist, etc., participate in the democratic process of working within a chamber ensemble. However, individually each musician brings a unique perspective and a level of personal artistry that sometimes goes unheralded. The Portrait of an Artist series gives the audience the opportunity to forge connections with individual musicians.

This interactive series will give the audience a window into the lives and experiences of the talented artists who come to Walla Walla for the Festival. Join us for these four special recitals and meet your music maker!

Artists: Stephen Miahky

Czech this out! The 2013 Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival opens with the World Premiere of composer Ching-chu Hu’s String Sextet.

Tonight, we feast and we dance! Opening night of the 2013 Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival at the Gesa Power House Theater will crackle with the lively Bohemian dance rhythms of the Dvorak Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81. Czech dances, such as the Dumka and Furiant, loom large in this audience favorite.

Also on the program is Beethoven's delightful "Harp" string quartet, Op. 74. The work, from the same period as the "Emperor" Concerto, belies none of the circumstances of Beethoven's existence in 1809: encroaching deafness, Napoleon's siege of Vienna, and attending economic woes. Beethoven, ever crafty, negotiated his way through the maze as a freelance composer.

This season marks the sixth year of the WWCMF tradition of opening the Festival Series with a specially commissioned work. It is fitting that it is a work for six players. Our featured composer is Ching-chu Hu, whose new String Sextet was commissioned for the 2013 Festival and has its World Premiere tonight!

Ching-chu Hu

Spheres of Influence, for String Sextet (2013 World Premiere, WWCMF Commission)

The 2013 Commission of the “Spheres of Influence, for String Sextet” by Ching-chu Hu was made possible by the generosity of John Jamison and Kathy Wildermuth.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 74, “Harp”

I. Poco adagio - Allegro

II. Adagio ma non troppo

III. Presto - Più presto quasi prestissimo

IV. Allegretto con variazioni

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81

I. Allegro ma non tanto

II. Dumka. Andante con moto

III. Scherzo (Furiant). Molto vivace

IV. Finale. Allegro

Artists: Timothy Christie, Oksana Ezhokina, Carolyn Heubi, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann,Stephen Miahky, Maria Sampen, and Felix Wang

Harp Attack — The first Tasting Music performance of the 2013 Season of WWCMF rolls into the historic trolley house, home of Canoe Ridge winery.

Canoes and trollies were pretty good modes of transportation back in the day, but we prefer to be transported by incredibly beautiful music, and Beethoven’s String Quartet in E Flat, Op. 74 fits the bill. Known affectionately as the “Harp” quartet (so named for the plucked arpeggios that get passed among the instruments in the first movement), this work ushers in the tail end of Beethoven’s so-called “middle period.” Cast in the heroic key of E Flat, the quartet begins with appropriate solemnity. The first movement’s principal theme is sweeping, and the movement closes with dramatic virtuoso passage work in the first violin. In the third movement, the C minor of the scherzo suggests that we are in for one of Beethoven’s fire and brimstone sermons. However, the quartet relaxes as it goes, and when it concludes most gently and humorously, one is left with the feeling that he has had a harp attack. Is there a doctor in the house?

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 74, “Harp”

I. Poco adagio - Allegro

II. Adagio ma non troppo

III. Presto - Più presto quasi prestissimo

IV. Allegretto con variazioni

Artists: Timothy Christie, Norbert Lewandowski, Stephen Miahky and Maria Sampen

This interactive series will give the you a window into the lives and experiences of the incredibly talented artists who perform here.

The Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival is proud to unveil the new Portrait of an Artist series. About 27 different artists perform at WWCMF annually. These artists, whether composer, string player, wind player, or vocalist, etc., participate in the democratic process of working within a chamber ensemble. However, individually each musician brings a unique perspective and a level of personal artistry that sometimes goes unheralded. The Portrait of an Artist series gives the audience the opportunity to forge connections with individual musicians.

This interactive series will give the audience a window into the lives and experiences of the talented artists who come to Walla Walla for the Festival. Join us for these four special recitals and meet your music maker!

Artists: Stephen Miahky