Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival 2023 40th Season To Feature Eleven Concerts, July 16 - August 13
Featuring six of the festival's favorite works from four decades of commissioning new music: pieces by Elizabeth Brown, Kenji Bunch, Eric Ewazen, and more.
By: A.A. Cristi May. 19, 2023
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival marks its 40th summer season in 2023. Long Island's longest-running classical music festival celebrates this milestone with 11 concerts, July 16 - August 13, that showcase a theme of "Beethoven as Innovator" alongside six of the festival's favorite works from four decades of commissioning new music: pieces by Elizabeth Brown, Kenji Bunch, Eric Ewazen, Bruce MacCombie, Kevin Puts, and Ned Rorem.
"Who would have thought that from a pair of concerts over a single weekend - where I was selling tickets off my front porch - that 40 years later we would not only still be putting on concerts, but would have expanded to a month-long summer festival, a fall series and a spring series," said festival Founder and Artistic Director Marya Martin. "As we celebrate this landmark year, I also salute my husband, Ken Davidson, who has been my partner on this sometimes wild ride, always sure and steady as the rising sun."
The returning BCM commissions being performed this summer are Ned Rorem's The Unquestioned Answer for flute, two violins, cello, and piano; Kenji Bunch's Summer Hours for piano and wind quintet; Elizabeth Brown's Island Nocturnes for flute, horn, violin, viola, cello, and piano; Eric Ewazen's Bridgehampton Suite for flute, violin, viola, and cello; Kevin Puts's Seven Seascapes for flute, horn, violin, cello, bass, and piano; and Bruce MacCombie's Light Upon the Turning Leaf for flute, clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and piano. The Beethoven focus includes a chamber music arrangement of the Symphony No. 6 for flute, violin, cello, and piano by Beethoven contemporary Johann Nepomak Hummel, and other programs feature such works as Elgar's Piano Quintet, Debussy's Piano Trio, Thomas Adès's "O'Albion" from Arcadiana for String Quartet, and a chamber arrangement of Haydn's Symphony No. 94 by Haydn's publisher, Johann Peter Salomon.
The festival's annual concert at the Parrish Art Museum explores nature and landscapes through music with a program including Sofia Gubaidulina's Sounds of the Forest and Beethoven's Horn Sonata. The Wm. Brian Little Concert, an event with wine and hors d'oeuvres in the Channing Sculpture Garden, is an "American Adventure" featuring selections by Dvořák, Harry Burleigh, Leonard Cohen, Mark O'Connor, and Aaron Copland, with guest artist the young singer and pianist Joseph Parrish, a recent winner of the Young Concert Artists auditions. And the festival's annual benefit, a concert with cocktails and dinner, takes place at the Atlantic Golf Club.
As always, the festival's roster of artists comprises one of the best multi-generational groups of chamber musicians to be found anywhere. Led by flutist and festival founder Marya Martin, this summer's BCM musicians are James Austin Smith, oboe; Bixby Kennedy and Graeme Steele Johnson*, clarinet; Peter Kolkay, bassoon; Stewart Rose, horn; William Hagen*, Chad Hoopes, Bella Hristova, Sirena Huang, Ani Kavafian, Erin Keefe, Alexi Kenney, Anthony Marwood, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, violin; Ettore Causa, Matthew Lipman, Cynthia Phelps, Masumi Per Rostad, and Cong Wu, viola; Carter Brey, Nicholas Canellakis, Brannon Cho*, Mihai Marica, and Peter Stumpf, cello; Donald Palma, bass; Michael Stephen Brown, Juho Pohjonen, Gilles Vonsattel, Orion Weiss, and Shai Wosner, piano; and Joseph Parrish*, voice and piano. (Those marked with an asterisk are making their BCM debuts.)
"This longtime East End festival, directed by the flutist Marya Martin, has flourished by offering concerts both effervescent and distinguished," said The New Yorker. In the 39 years since its founding, Bridgehampton Chamber Music has become known for presenting a broad range of music performed by some of the best musicians in the world in one of the most beautiful seaside settings on the East Coast. With autumn and spring mini-series joining the summer festival, Bridgehampton Chamber Music now offers programs almost year-round.
BCM Festival: Usually comprising a dozen events over four weeks, the summer festival has developed a loyal core audience among local residents and summer visitors since it began with four artists in two concerts in the intimate setting of the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church. The festival is still based in the graceful 1842 church - which boasts glowing acoustics - and has expanded to include other special event venues, including the Channing Sculpture Garden and Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton and the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill.
BCM Records: In 2012, BCM launched its own record label, BCMF Records. Signifying the festival's commitment to American composers, the label's first recording was BCMF Premieres, a disc of contemporary American music. The label's current discography of 12 releases includes music by Bruce Adolphe, Robert Beaser, Leon Kirchner, Howard Shore, Paul Moravec, Kevin Puts, and Elizabeth Brown, as well as Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, and more.
BCM Spring: Convinced that there were music lovers looking for more opportunities to hear excellent chamber music year-round, BCM introduced its Spring series in 2015, and in 2017 expanded it from two concerts to three.
BCM Autumn: This three-concert series was launched in the fall of 2021.
Bridgehampton Chamber Music has a wide variety of performance videos and online programs from past seasons posted on its website and YouTube channel.
Internationally acclaimed flutist Marya Martin enjoys a musical career of remarkable breadth and achievement. Gracefully balancing the roles of chamber musician, festival director, soloist, teacher, and supporter of musical institutions, she has performed throughout the world in such halls as London's Royal Albert Hall and Wigmore Hall, Sydney Opera House, Casals Hall in Tokyo, and other international venues.
A native of New Zealand, Ms. Martin studied at Yale University, and shortly thereafter moved to Paris to study with flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal. After winning top prizes in the Naumburg, Munich International, and Jean-Pierre Rampal International competitions, and the Concert Artists Guild and Young Concert Artists International Auditions-all within a two-year period-she returned to the U.S. and has since appeared as a soloist with major orchestras and at leading festivals and chamber music series throughout the country.
In 2006 she received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Auckland, and in 2011 received the Ian Mininberg Distinguished Service Award from Yale University. Committed to expanding the flute repertoire, she has commissioned more than 20 new works. She most recently commissioned eight works for flute and piano comprising Eight Visions, an anthology published by Theodore Presser, and recorded them for the Naxos label. In 2011, Albany Records released Marya Martin Plays Eric Ewazen. Ms. Martin has been a faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music since 1996.
BRIDGEHAMPTON CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2023
Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival: Beethoven, Innovator
Hot-tempered. Ill-mannered. Stubborn. Eccentric. Inquisitive. Driven. Innovative. Beethoven was all of these, and his music both contains and transcends all of these qualities. We celebrate Beethoven this summer and his influence on composers of today.
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 17
Ludwig van Beethoven Seven Variations on "God Save the King", WoO 78
Ludwig van Beethoven (arr. Hummel) Symphony No. 6 arr. for Flute, Violin, Cello, and Piano, Op. 68
Marya Martin, flute; Bella Hristova, violin; Cong Wu, viola; Nicholas Canellakis, cello; Orion Weiss, piano
Tickets: $75, $50, $10 student ticket
Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 6pm
Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival: Mozart/Ewazen/Shostakovich
Mozart and Shostakovich share a precocity of spirit and both have signature styles. American composer Eric Ewazen's approachable style is also distinctly his own, represented here in a 2011 BCM commission.
W. A. Mozart Piano Concerto No 12 in A Major, K. 414
Eric Ewazen Bridgehampton Suite for Flute, Violin, Viola, & Cello (BCM commission, 2006)
Dmitri Shostakovich Piano Quintet, Op. 57
Marya Martin, flute; Erin Keefe, violin; Sirena Huang, violin; Masumi Per Rostad, viola; Brannon Cho, cello; Orion Weiss, piano
Tickets: $75, $50, $10 student ticket
Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival: Connections - Haydn/Rorem/Brahms
An arrangement of Haydn's Symphony 94 created by Haydn's publisher is paired with Brahms's third attempt at reworking his own material resulting in his astounding Piano Quintet. In between, we hear Ned Rorem's response to Charles Ives's The Unanswered Question in his BCM-commissioned piece from 2002.
Franz Joseph Haydn (arr. Salomon) Symphony No. 94 in G Major for Flute, String Quartet, and Piano
Ned Rorem The Unquestioned Answer for Flute, Two Violins, Cello, and Piano
(BCM commission, 2002)
Johannes Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 35
Marya Martin, flute; Erin Keefe, violin; Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, violin; Masumi Per Rostad, viola; Brannon Cho, cello; Shai Wosner, piano
Tickets: $75, $50, $10 student ticket
Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 6pm
Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival: Festival of Color - Debussy/Martinů/Fauré
Though French music is often characterized by color, don't forget about the Czechs. Bohuslav Martinů's brilliant Madrigals makes great company with Debussy's rarely heard Piano Trio (here flute substitutes for violin) and Fauré's deeply felt Piano Quartet in C minor, creating a vibrant and enticing tableau.
Claude Debussy Piano Trio, arranged for Flute, Cello, and Piano
Bohuslav Martinů Three Madrigals for Violin and Viola
Gabriel Fauré Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 15
Marya Martin, flute; Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, violin; Ettore Causa, viola; Mihai Marica, cello; Michael Stephen Brown, piano
Tickets: $75, $50, $10 student ticket
Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 6:30pm
Atlantic Golf Club
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Annual Benefit: Turning a New Leaf
A cultural and social highlight of the East End, the annual BCMF benefit is an evening of sublime music and friendship. This season, we are looking forward to the future while remembering the past, with gorgeous works by Dvořák and a BCM commission from 2010.
Antonin Dvořák "Goin' Home" arranged for ensemble
Bruce MacCombie Light Upon the Turning Leaf for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (BCM commission, 2010)
Antonin Dvořák Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81 (selections)
Marya Martin, flute; Bixby Kennedy, clarinet; Peter Kolkay, bassoon; Ani Kavafian, violin; Alexi Kenney, violin; Ettore Causa, viola; Mihai Marica, cello; Michael Stephen Brown, piano
Tickets: from $1,500
Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival: Something Borrowed, Something Gained -Beethoven/MacCombie/Dvořák
Like all composers, Beethoven learned from his peers and forebears. For the main melody of the final movement of his Clarinet trio, Beethoven borrowed a popular song. Meanwhile, MacCombie stole material from earlier works of his own, while Dvořák's Quintet was spurred by an earlier work that he considered a failure. Sometimes, practice does make perfect.
Ludwig van Beethoven Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Op. 11
Bruce MacCombie Light Upon the Turning Leaf for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (BCM commission, 2010)
Antonin Dvořák Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81
Marya Martin, flute; Bixby Kennedy, clarinet; Peter Kolkay, bassoon; Ani Kavafian, violin; Alexi Kenney, violin; Ettore Causa, viola; Mihai Marica, cello; Michael Stephen Brown, piano
Tickets: $75, $50, $10 student ticket
Thursday, August 3, 2023, at 6pm
Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival: Beethoven Septet
Beethoven's most famous student was the pianist and composer Carl Czerny, who wrote over 1,000 works. His Fantasia Concertante sets the stage for a bright program that features a sunny 2019 BCM commission and Beethoven's sublime Septet.
Carl Czerny Fantasia Concertante for Flute, Cello, and Piano, Op. 256
Kenji Bunch Summer Hours for Piano and Wind Quintet (BCM commission, 2019)
Ludwig van Beethoven Septet in E-flat for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Bass, Op. 20
Marya Martin, flute; James Austin Smith, oboe; Graeme Steele Johnson, clarinet; Peter Kolkay, bassoon; Stewart Rose, horn; Chad Hoopes, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Peter Stumpf, cello; Donald Palma, bass; Gilles Vonsattel, piano
Tickets: $75, $50, $10 student ticket
Sunday, August 6, 2023, at 6pm
Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival: Inspirations - Dvořák/Brown/Schumann
Composers often draw on personal relationships for their inspirations, and all the works on this program were inspired by others. Dvořák's friend sparked the Terzetto, Brown's Island Nocturnes drew on her admiration of Marya Martin's flute playing, and Schumann was inspired by his wife, Clara.
Antonin Dvořák Terzetto for Two Violins and Viola
Elizabeth Brown Island Nocturnes for Flute, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano
(BCM commission, 2018)
Robert Schumann Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47
Marya Martin, flute; Stewart Rose, horn; William Hagen, violin; Chad Hoopes, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Peter Stumpf, cello; Gilles Vonsattel, piano
Tickets: $75, $50, $10 student ticket
Monday, August 7, 2023, at 6pm
Parrish Art Museum
BCMF@The Parrish: Landscapes and Pastorales
BCM's partnership with the Parrish Art Museum continues with a program exploring nature and landscapes through music. From Sofia Gubaidulina's sparkling Sounds of the Forest to hunting calls found in Beethoven's Horn Sonata, the music of the outdoors sings.
Sofia Gubaidulina Sounds of the Forest for Flute and Piano
Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata for Horn and Piano, Op. 6, I. Allegro Moderato
Donald Crockett Night Scenes for Piano Trio, IV. Night Hawks
Eric Ewazen Pastorale and Dance for Flute, Horn, and Piano
Ernst von Dohnányi Serenade for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 10
Marya Martin, flute; Stewart Rose, horn; William Hagen, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Peter Stumpf, cello; Gilles Vonsattel, piano
Tickets: $35
Channing Sculpture Garden
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Wm. Brian Little Concert: American Adventure
One of the festival's most festive nights is the annual Wm. Brian Little Concert, featuring hors d'oeuvres, Channing Daughters wine and wonderful music in stunning surroundings. This summer, the program journeys from traditional American songs to Dvořák's "American" quartet, heavily influenced by Spirituals and Native American music, all the way to contemporary classics.
Antonin Dvořák String Quartet No. 12, "American"
Leonard Cohen "Hallelujah" for Voice and Ensemble
Traditional "Amazing Grace" for Voice and Ensemble
Mark O'Connor Emily's Reel for Violin, Viola, and Cello
Aaron Copland Old American Songs for Voice and Ensemble
Marya Martin, flute; Anthony Marwood, violin; Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin; Cynthia Phelps, viola; Carter Brey, cello; Donald Palma, bass; Juho Pohjonen, piano; Joseph Parrish, voice/piano
Tickets: $175
Sunday, August 13, 2023, at 6pm
Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival: A Seaworthy Finale
The season comes to a rousing close with British flair. Another of BCM's commissions, Kevin Puts's Seven Seascapes, opens the program before we travel to the cliffs of Dover for Thomas Adés's "O'Albon" and we end the season with the first BCM performance of Elgar's gorgeous Piano Quintet.
Kevin Puts Seven Seascapes for Flute, Horn, Violin, Cello, Bass, and Piano
(BCM commission, 2013)
Thomas Adés "O'Albion" from Arcadiana for String Quartet
Edward Elgar Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84
Marya Martin, flute; Stewart Rose, horn; Anthony Marwood, violin; Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin; Cynthia Phelps, viola; Carter Brey, cello; Donald Palma, bass; Juho Pohjonen, piano
Tickets: $75, $50, $10 student ticket
Tickets may be purchased on the festival's website, www.bcmf.org, or by calling 631-537-6368.
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