In last week’s Boomer With Attitude column about the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s problems, we wrote that we’d love to see CSO launch a reasonably priced, creatively programmed, chamber music series. An encouraging number of readers e-mailed in agreement, so CSO, please take note. In the meantime, there are some choices in Charlotte for chamber music lovers, including the Charlotte Chamber Music series, which has offered free Tuesday concerts uptown for some time and will ostensibly start again in the fall. There’s also a Queens University summer series, which starts this Saturday, June 20, with a performance by the Terzetto Piano Trio. The Queens series, at least this year, offers primarily what we refer to as the 19th century’s greatest hits. The classics are great, of course, which is why they’ve lasted, but we’re looking for a series that more closely resembles Spoleto’s renowned programs, featuring a healthy portion of 20th century and contemporary composers along with the classics. That’s the kind of concert we enjoyed last weekend at the Unitarian Universalist Church. Alex Kramer, cellist with the CSO, organized two innovative, energetic concerts, delivered beautifully in a relaxed, decidedly non-stuffy atmosphere, that mined the classics while introducing us to works by more recent composers, Ferenc Farkas and Luis Branco, that knocked our socks off. Kramer says he’d like to start a new summer series at UUC, and that “plans are in the works.” Anyone who’s interested can get in touch with Kramer on Facebook or at 704-531-9101.
This article appears in Jun 16-23, 2009.
Check out Charlotte Chamber Music’s upcoming season, featuring everything from historical performance of Mozart to 20th century music for percussion. Then there’s Music at St. Alban’s in Davidson’s successful eclectic series, with music from Baroque to Celtic to Gospel.
Chamber music is alive and well in the greater Charlotte area.