Music Mountain to Open 87th Season with Emerson String Quartet, 6/5

Music Mountain, America's oldest continuing summer chamber music festival, kicks off its 87th Anniversary Season on Sunday, June 5th (3PM) with a gala performance and reception featuring the multiple Grammy award winning ensemble, Emerson String Quartet! The summer will feature 15 weekends of incredible music including returning favorite chamber ensembles and musicians, including pianists Peter Serkin and Julia Hsu; first-time guests, including the great pianist Richard Goode; the ever-popular Saturday Evening Twilight Series featuring an array of Jazz ensembles and musicians and introducing, for the first time at Music Mountain, in five concerts, the incredibly talented artists of the Catskill Jazz Factory; and the second season of the new Music Mountain Master Classes for Young Artists plus so much more! See why the New Yorker called Music Mountain "The Summer Shrine of the String Quartet." Concerts are scheduled through September 11.

"We promise all our friends an exciting, unusual break-out season" says Nicholas Gordon, Music Mountain's longtime president. "The chamber music series features the great piano quintets and quartets that have excited audiences for many years. The Saturday Twilight series brings a new partner to Music Mountain in the Catskill Jazz Factory, and great enthusiasm for what is a new approach for us."

Sunday's inaugural chamber music concert featuring Emerson String Quartet will include Haydn: String Quartet in D Minor, Opus 76 # 2; Beethoven: String Quartet in G Major, Opus 18 #2; Schubert: String Quartet in G Major, Opus 161, D.887.

The Emerson String Quartet has accumulated an unparalleled list of achievements over three decades. In a season of over 85 quartet performances, mingled with the Quartet members' individual artistic commitments, the Emerson plays extensively throughout North America. Multiple tours of Europe include dates in Denmark, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom, among many other countries. Based in New York City, The Emerson String Quartet is Quartet-in-Residence at Stony Brook University.

Music Mountain is located in Falls Village, Connecticut on Music Mountain Road, where a short scenic drive will bring you to Gordon Hall atop Music Mountain. Free parking and picnic facilities are available. This summer, Music Mountain will welcome South County Crepes and Wraps offering artisan crepes filled with fresh fruits and other traditional toppings, along with healthy, delicious wraps and quesadillas. Coffee, iced teas, water, cookies, rich chocolate brownies and ice cream novelties are also available.

Music Mountain is supported, in part, by the Connecticut Commission On Culture & Tourism.

Chamber music concerts continue with Borromeo String Quartet (June 12); Penderecki String Quartet with Maurycy Banaszek, viola (June 19); Cassatt String Quartet with Colin Carr, cello (June 26); and Cantata Profana (July 3).

The Saturday Evening Twilight Series begins on Saturday, June 11 with The Galvanized Jazz Band! The series continues with The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (June 18); New Black Eagle Jazz Band (June 25); and Swingtime Big Band (July 2).

Specially Priced Concerts are as Follows: Tickets for the Season Opening Concert & Reception on Sunday, June 5 (3PM) are $75 and include a voucher for any regularly priced 2016 concert. All tickets to the Peter Serkin/Julia Hsu, Piano 4 Hands Concert on Sunday, July 10 are $60. Tickets for the Mid-Summer Benefit Concert with Richard Goode on Sunday, July 31 (3PM) are $75 and include a voucher for any regularly priced 2016 concert. Tickets for the Labor Day Benefit Concert & Reception with the Shanghai String Quartet, and pianists Gilbert Kalish and Jonathan Yates are $75 and include a voucher for any regularly priced 2017 concert.

The 87th season will continue to offer two ticketing options to complement their established family friendly ticket prices. Concert goers will be able to reserve their favorite seat(s) in advance for a one-time payment of $60 per seat, per season. For information on how to reserve a seat and specific seat availability, please call 860-824-7126. Music Mountain also continues its popular Gold Pass program. Major Gold Pass benefits include: Admission to all concerts; Priority Reserved Seating (subject to availability); $20 price for one guest per Gold Pass. Cost for Gold Pass Memberships: Individual: $780; Pair: $1,500. For a list of other benefits and more information, please call 860-824-7126. All Gold Passes are transferable.

Chamber Music Concerts are $35 at the door/$30 in advance. Twilight Series Concerts are $30 at the door/$27 in advance. Children ages 5-18 are admitted FREE for ALL CONCERTS when accompanied by a ticket holder. Saturday Twilight Concerts are at 6:30pm. Sunday afternoon Chamber Music concerts are at 3pm. Group rates and pre season ticket plans are available. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a complete summer schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit www.musicmountain.org or call 860-824-7126.

Photo Credit: Lisa Mazzucco

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