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ChamberFest Cleveland: genre-hopping with Kings Return

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by Jarrett Hoffman

There’s a beloved type of small ensemble that is rarely heard in programs of chamber music: the a cappella group. For that reason, the appearance of Dallas-based Kings Return on this year’s roster for ChamberFest Cleveland is one of the most unique elements of the Festival’s 10th season.

Formed almost by accident in 2016 when Gabe Kunda gathered singers for his college graduation recital, the group has found fame through viral videos of their music-making, which spans a variety of genres. Their versatility is quite clear in their ChamberFest setlist — part of a program that pairs a cappella and instrumental music on Friday, June 17 at 7:30 pm in the Cultural Arts Center at Disciples Church. Tickets are available here. [Read more…]

ChamberFest Cleveland 2022 —
“The Revelry We Need”

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by Donald Rosenberg

This essay was written as an overview of ChamberFest’s tenth season. It is reposted with the permission of the author and ChamberFest Cleveland.

If you’re reading these words, you don’t have to be convinced that chamber music is a gift — anytime, anywhere. But we should be especially grateful this year, when we have cravings to connect (reconnect?) on so many levels. The pandemic has continued to disrupt our lives. A senseless war has placed the world at risk. So why chamber music? And why now? [Read more…]

ChamberFest Cleveland & Cleveland Chamber Music Society at the Maltz (Apr. 5)

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by Daniel Hathaway

Having discovered surprisingly little overlap between their mailing lists, Cleveland’s two main purveyors of chamber music decided to bring their followers together on April 5 to enjoy a joint concert at the Maltz Performing Arts Center.

Although they tend the same vineyard, The Cleveland Chamber Music Society and ChamberFest Cleveland go about their mission differently. [Read more…]

ChamberFest & Chamber Music Society come together April 5 “For the Love of Chamber Music”

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by Mike Telin

Examining the mailing lists of an arts organization can reveal a lot. First and foremost that list tells you who is attending the events. And when comparing the mailing lists of two like-minded organizations, for example ones devoted to chamber music, one would expect to find more than a fair amount of overlap.

“Many of us at Cleveland Chamber Music Society have gone to a lot of ChamberFest concerts over the years and admired their exceptional quality and creative programming,” Steve Somach, the CCMS director of programming, said by telephone. “We have commented amongst ourselves that when we attend those concerts, there are so many unfamiliar faces.”

During a separate conversation these sentiments and observations were echoed by Franklin Cohen, one of ChamberFest Cleveland’s artistic directors. “I’ve always loved going to CCMS concerts,” he said, adding that it is a different audience.

After some discussion, the two organizations decided to compare their respective mailing lists, and they were met with a surprising discovery — there was very little duplication. “It became apparent that having a collaborative event would be a great way for Cleveland-area chamber music lovers to be introduced to both organizations,” Somach said. [Read more…]

ChamberFest Cleveland: Goldberg Variations with Roman Rabinovich (June 18)

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by Peter Feher

ChamberFest Cleveland’s simplest concert this season was also its most daunting. The 90-minute program on June 18 at St. Paschal Baylon involved only one performer and one piece — pianist Roman Rabinovich in Bach’s Goldberg Variations. If the listener is in the right frame of mind, this is challenging but ultimately rewarding music.

[Read more…]

ChamberFest Cleveland: Emerging into Light (June 24)

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by Timothy Robson

It was with a sense of relief and anticipation that I attended last Thursday’s third-to-last concert of ChamberFest Cleveland 2021, after a complete pandemic cancellation of its 2020 season. This musical star of Cleveland summers returned along with many performers from past seasons, plus talented younger musicians in CFC’s Rising Star program. As usual, the performances were top-notch. [Read more…]

ChamberFest Cleveland — Together Again (June 13)

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by Mike Telin

The weather on Sunday morning, June 13, was bright and sunny but not too hot  — perfect for a ChamberFest lawn concert. Not to miss out on the occasion, a multitude of people, lawn chairs in hand, made their way down Guilford Road in Cleveland Heights to hear a wonderfully varied program titled Bach and More. [Read more…]

ChamberFest Cleveland — Luscious Soundscapes (June 16)

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by Mike Telin

On Wednesday, June 16 at 7:00 at The Grove Amphitheatre, ChamberFest’s theme of the evening was Luscious Soundscapes and included music by Richard Strauss and Amy Beach.

However, it was pianist Shai Wosner’s imaginative interweaving of sonatas by Italian Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti with sonatas by American composer Frederick Rzewski that got things off to a fascinating start. [Read more…]

ChamberFest Cleveland: Nature Emerging (June 19)

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by Cait Winston

Nature Emerging, the June 19 installment of ChamberFest Cleveland’s Together Again! created a space where audience members could meditate on and celebrate the beauty of nature, and the many sonic forms it can take. While rain prevented the concert from being held outdoors at The Grove amphitheater, natural scenery could still be appreciated through the many windows of St. Paschal Baylon church. 

To begin a program intended to provide “wildly diverse portraits of natural elements,” clarinetist Frank Cohen and pianist Roman Rabinovich performed a set of four songs by Franz Schubert. [Read more…]

ENCORE and ChamberFest: World Class Music in the eastern suburbs (June 11 & 12)

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by Daniel Hathaway

Since many Clevelanders don’t have a clue why State Route 91 in Cuyahoga and Lake Counties is called SOM Center Road, maybe it’s time to rename at least one five-mile segment of that thoroughfare that passes through the centers of Solon, Orange, and Mayfield townships.

Based on recent events, its new designation might well be “Chamber Music Way” in honor of the fine performances that are taking place this month at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills and The Grove Amphitheatre in Mayfield, courtesy of ENCORE Chamber Music Institute and ChamberFest Cleveland, respectively. In addition to the distinction of presenting some of the first in-person performances to come onto the calendar since the pandemic, both organizations were making their debuts in new venues. [Read more…]

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