Music Mountain Announces 90th Season

The venerable, Connecticut-based Music Mountain concert series has announced its full 2019 summer season comprising two distinct series. Marking 90 continuous years of presenting outstanding artists and beloved repertoire to East Coast concertgoers, Music Mountain is now the oldest running chamber music series in the nation, which now features the Chamber Music Concerts series and Twilight Series.

Founded by Jacques Gordon in 1930 and directed by his son, Nicholas, for 45 years until his passing in 2017, Music Mountain is housed in the idyllic Falls Village community in Northern Connecticut, where the 355-seat Gordon Hall remains at the heart of the campus. Called an acoustical marvel by Nick Gordon, Gordon Hall's unique construction, made to mimic the curvature of the belly of a violin, has long been the pinnacle of Music Mountain's stunning natural aesthetic. It's an extraordinary place to hear a concert. It is both spiritual and beautiful, said Mr. Gordon Jr.

Music Mountain welcomes its constantly growing and diversifying audience to the scenic backdrop of this truly beloved series, says Oskar Espina-Ruiz, Music Mountain's Artistic Director. This year, with our 90th Anniversary celebrations and the spectacular caliber of artists we are presenting, I am confident that we will continue to see this cultural institution, now very much a national treasure, blossom to new heights.

Opening on June 9 with a special benefit concert and reception to celebrate this milestone year, globally-renowned pianist Peter Serkin joins violinist Alexi Kenney, cellist Fred Sherry, and clarinetist Kristyna Peti kov in the Music Mountain debut of Sch nberg's Verkl rte Nacht (Transfigured Night), arranged by Eduard Steuermann, as well as Brahms's A Minor Clarinet Trio and Beethoven's Ghost piano trio. Additional season highlights include performances from the Escher, Ariel, Harlem, Emerson, St. Petersburg, Daedalus, Dover, and Juilliard String Quartets, as well as the 30th anniversary return of the Shanghai Quartet. Acclaimed soloists include clarinetist Oskar Espina-Ruiz, pianists Victoria Schwartzman, Stewart Goodyear and Tanya Bannister, cellist Paul Katz, and many of the finest chamber musicians of our day.

On June 15, the Twilight Series, which reflects the diversity and versatility of artistic programming at Music Mountain, opens with a vibrant performance of the Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet, with additional highlights including the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, the New Black Eagle, Wolverine, and Galvanized Jazz Bands, cabaret masters Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock, and many others.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 3 PM
90TH SEASON OPENING BENEFIT CONCERT & RECEPTION
Peter Serkin, Piano
Alexi Kenney, Violin
Fred Sherry, Cello
Kristyna Peti kov , Clarinet
Sch nberg: Transfigured Night Op. 4 (arr. Steuermann)*
Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114
Beethoven: Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70 #1 Ghost

SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 5 PM
Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet
This dynamic ensemble explores the affinities between modern jazz and the
Afro-Latin continuum in Per -The New York Times

SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 3 PM
Escher Quartet
Soyeon Kate Lee, Piano
Schubert: Quartettsatz in C Minor, D. 703
Beethoven: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135
Dvo k: Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81

SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 5 PM
New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players
Well paced and extremely entertaining -Talk Entertainment
Underwritten by an Anonymous Donor

SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 3 PM
Cuarteto Latinoamericano
Sally Pinkas, Piano
Villa-Lobos: String Quartet #5*
Philip Glass: String Quartet #5*
Amir Bitran: Piano Quintet Kol Haneshama (Psalm 150) *
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E Flat Major, Op. 44

SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 5 PM
Steve Ross: The Songs of Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Fred Astaire and
Irving Berlin
Astaire style with wry aside striking comic -The New York Times

SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 3 PM
Arianna Quartet
Richard Young, Viola
Wolf: Italian Serenade
Schubert: String Quartet in D Minor, D. 810 Death and the Maiden
Mendelssohn: Viola Quintet in B Flat Major, Op. 87

SATURDAY, JULY 6, 5PM
Jive by Five
The sizzling dance music of the jazz age: from the Charleston to the Two-Step and the Fox Trot.

SUNDAY, JULY 7, 3 PM
American String Quartet
Oskar Espina-Ruiz, Clarinet
Shostakovich: String Quartet #7 in F Sharp Minor, Op. 108
Brahms: Clarinet Quintet in B Minor, Op. 115
Beethoven: String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59 #3

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 5 PM
Peter & Will Anderson Quartet:
The Magic of Benny Goodman
These guys flood the room with joy -Seattle Times

SUNDAY, JULY 14, 3 PM
Penderecki String Quartet
Stewart Goodyear, Piano
Haydn: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76 #5
Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 12
Brahms: Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34

SATURDAY, JULY 20, 5 PM
New Black Eagle Jazz Band
The very best in New Orleans Jazz, Gospel and Blues.

SUNDAY, JULY 21, 3 PM*
Ariel Quartet
Victoria Schwartzman, Piano
Haydn: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 71 #2*
Shostakovich: String Quartet #4 in D Major, Op. 83
Brahms: Piano Quartet in G Minor, Opus 25
*Including a Silent Auction, beginning at 2 PM

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 5 PM
Swingtime Big Band
Big Band classics from the Great American Songbook
Musicians who make the sounds of the pre-rock era rock -The New York Times

SUNDAY, JULY 28, 3 PM
Harlem String Quartet
Francine Kay, Piano
Debussy: String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10
Gabriela Lena Frank: Milagros (Miracles) for string quartet*
William Bolcom: Three Rags for String Quartet
Franck: Piano Quintet in F Minor

SATURDAY, AUG. 3, 5PM
Michael Berkeley & No Tune Like a Show Tune: The Envelope, Please
A celebration of award-winning songs from the Tonys, Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and
Country Music Awards
Underwritten by an Anonymous Donor

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 3 PM
Emerson String Quartet
Mozart: String Quartet in D Major, K. 575 Prussian
Dvo k: String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 51
Shostakovich: String Quartet #5 in B Flat Major, Op. 92
Underwritten by Harold and Deko Klebanoff

SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 5 PM
Wolverine Jazz Band
Kings of Swing, Ragtime and Hot Dance

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 3 PM
St. Petersburg String Quartet
Tao Lin, Piano
Turina: La oraci n del torero (The bullfighter's prayer), Op. 34
Ravel: String Quartet in F Major
Sofia Gubaidulina: Piano Quintet*

SATURDAY, AUG. 17, 5 PM
Barbara Fasano & Eric Comstock: Busy Being Free
Meet the new fun couple on the cabaret block. Mr. Comstock and Ms. Fasano are turning the neighborhood into a hotbed of pleasure. -The New York Times

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 3 PM
St. Petersburg String Quartet & Piano Quartet
Glazunov: String Quartet #1 in D Major, Op. 1*
Beethoven: Grosse Fuge, Op. 133
Schumann: Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 47

SATURDAY, AUG. 24, 5 PM
Galvanized Jazz Band
The best Jazz Band in the State (Connecticut Magazine) gets your blood running (Jazzbeat) with hot Dixieland, New Orleans Jazz, and more

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 3 PM
Cassatt String Quartet
Paul Katz, Cello
Pei Shan, Piano
Mozart: Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, K. 493
Beethoven: String Quartet in B Flat Major, Op. 18 #6
Brahms: Cello Quintet in F Minor (precursor of Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34, arr. Anssi Karttunen)*

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 5 PM
Shanghai Quartet
Haydn: String Quartet in G Major, Op. 77 #1
Penderecki: String Quartet #3 Leaves of an unwritten diary
Beethoven: String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132

SUNDAY, SEPT 1, 3 PM
LABOR DAY BENEFIT CONCERT & RECEPTION
Shanghai Quartet
Todd Crow, Piano
Beethoven: String Quartet in G Major, Op. 18 #2
Frank Bridge: Novelletten*
Brahms: Piano Quartet in A Major, Op. 26

SUNDAY, SEPT 8, 3 PM
Daedalus Quartet
Tanya Bannister, Piano
Bach: Selections from 'Art of the Fugue' BWV 1080
Beethoven: String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 74 Harp
Elgar: Piano Quintet in A Minor, Op. 84

SUNDAY, SEPT 15, 3 PM
Dover Quartet
Bound by Brahms
Mozart: Adagio and Fugue in C Minor, K. 546
Hindemith: Quartet No. 3
Brahms: Quartet No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 67
Underwritten by Joyce Schwartz

SUNDAY, SEPT 22, 3 PM
Juilliard Quartet
Mozart: String Quartet in B Flat Major, K. 458 The Hunt
Britten: String Quartet No. 3 in G Major, Op. 94
Brahms: String Quartet in A minor, Op. 51 No. 2

*Denotes Series Premiere