Thursday, August 3 | 7:30PM | Camden Opera House

Age 35 +: $45 | Age 22-34: $20 | Age 21 & Under: Pay What You Wish

MICHELLE CANN, piano

VERONA QUARTET: JONATHAN ONG and DOROTHY RO, violins | ABIGAIL ROJANSKY, viola | JONATHAN DORMAND, cello

Our opening concert is a loving tribute to a dear friend, Alexandra (Sani) Wolf Fogel, and a celebration of her remarkable life. For over 60 years, Sani was passionately involved with Bay Chamber, which was founded by two of her brothers, Thomas and Andrew Wolf, who we also honor in this concert. Sani loved music and was a visionary advocate of the power of culture to build community. She has left her mark on so many aspects of our organization and we will treasure her memory always.

The program for this concert expresses emotions related to loss and mourning, but also joy and exuberance. Puccini composed his beautiful Chrysanthemums in memory of a friend who had passed away, creating a sense of emotional release and comfort. Grażyna Bacewicz’s quartet was composed during World War II and features tense harmonies and angular melodies expressing sorrow, while providing sumptuous lyricism and beauty as a response. Schumann’s masterpiece, a particular favorite of both Sani and Andrew Wolf, also features moments of melancholy, particularly in the funeral march, but is cherished for its gorgeous melodies and lush harmonies, its joy and sense of celebration that ultimately triumph over sadness.

We are enormously proud to welcome back pianist Michelle Cann, our Andrew Wolf Award winner. Michelle is the Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music and “a compelling, sparkling virtuoso” (Boston Music Intelligencer). The Andrew Wolf Award recognizes a pianist who has made a significant contribution to the landscape of chamber music. Michelle will be joined by the Verona Quartet, acclaimed as an “outstanding ensemble…cohesive yet full of temperament” (The New York Times). The quartet has been awarded multiple awards and honors and has performed across the globe.