THE HUDSON VALLEY CHAMBER MUSIC CIRCLE CELEBRATES ITS FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH A STELLAR ARTISTIC LINEUP Performers include the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, pianist Ursula Oppens and violinist Rolf Schulte, and pianist Blanca Uribe with the

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—The Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle (HVCMC) is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary season this June by bringing a stellar array of artists to perform at Bard College. The Saturday evening concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. in Olin Hall. Preconcert discussions will be led by participating musicians at 7:00 p.m.

On Saturday, June 3, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio will perform a program that includes works by Beethoven and Brahms. The trio made their debut at the White House for President Carter's inauguration in January 1977. Pianist Joseph Kalichstein, violinist Jaime Laredo, and cellist Sharon Robinson have shared classic works and exciting new repertoire with loyal audiences around the world for over twenty consecutive seasons. One of very few chamber music ensembles to retain all of its original members, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio balances the careers of three internationally acclaimed soloists while maintaining its musical mission through both close personal friendship and a strong dedication to music.

On Saturday, June 10, pianist Ursula Oppens joins violinist Rolf Schulte for a program including works by Leoš Janáèek, Elliott Carter, and Maurice Ravel. Ursula Oppens was one of the first pianists to test the boundaries of traditional concert programming by performing both classics and contemporary pieces and is equally confident in both mediums. She is one of the foremost champions of new music, and several modern composers refer to her as "Saint Ursula" because of her invaluable encouragement and advice in composition and her illumination of their music. Oppens has appeared with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe and received two Grammy nominations for her recordings. The Boston Globe has applauded her "intelligence, clarity and strength." Celebrated German violinist Rolf Schulte has recorded works by some of the most innovative and inspiring composers in contemporary music. The New York Times has described Schulte's performances as "uncommonly expressive and giving" and "a mixture of technical fireworks, emotional heat, and intellectual command."

On Saturday, June 24, the fiftieth season of the HVCMC concludes as pianist Blanca Uribe joins the Orion String Quartet for a program including works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Marsalis. Blanca Uribe was born in Bogota, Colombia, into a family of many generations of professional musicians. With an extensive repertoire ranging from Scarlatti to contemporary works, Uribe is particularly noted for her interpretations of all thirty-two Beethoven sonatas and the complete Iberia Suite of Isaac Albéniz. She has received many honors, including the General Francisco de Paula Santander Medal, awarded for outstanding contribution to Colombian culture, and the Order of Saint Charles, which she received in 1986 from the president of Colombia. She was also the recipient of the first Dutchess County Artist Award. Uribe holds the George Sherman Dickinson Professorship of Music at Vassar College. The Orion String Quartet earned rave reviews in 1996 when they appeared in the Laguna Chamber Music Series under the umbrella of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where they are the resident quartet. Last season the quartet celebrated its tenth anniversary. The quartet's members are violinists Daniel and Todd Phillips, violist Steven Tenenbom, and cellist Timothy Eddy.

The Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle was founded in 1950 when Helen Huntington Hull and two friends from Staatsburg, New York, enlisted the help of violinist Emil Hauser, a member of the Bard College faculty, to bring artists to perform concerts in the drawing room of the Mills Mansion in Staatsburg. In 1979, the concert series began its association with Bard College. The HVCMC remains an association of chamber music lovers and is a venue that attracts many of the world's preeminent chamber music artists.

Individual concert tickets are $20; senior citizens $15; and students $5. A subscription to the three-concert series is $45. For further information, call 914-338-1172.

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This event was last updated on 03-02-2001

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