Dimitri Papadimitriou, Founder & Artistic Director
With a mission to make high-level music-making accessible to everyone, the Carnegie Mellon Chamber Series is housed in Pittsburgh's Kresge Theatre and brings together exceptional guests artists, musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and faculty members of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music. The series offers a unique chamber experience in a small, intimate space, and is currently on its tenth season. Some of the past guest artists include: Augustin Hadelich, James Ehnes, Alexi Kenney, Noah Bendix-Balgley.
2024/25 Season:
Monday October 28, 2024: NEW SOUNDS
Einojuhani Rautavaara: Violin Fantasia
Philip Glass: Quartet Satz
Jeanine Rueff: Clarinet Concertino
Wil Offermans: Honami
Robert Muczynski: Fantasy for Clarinet, Cello and Piano
Jennifer Higdon: Piano Trio
Tuesday December 3, 2024: LORNA MCGHEE BACK @ CMU!
Beach: Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet, op.80
Britten: String Quartet No.2
Saturday January 11, 2025: VADIM GLUZMAN @ CMU!
Silvestrov: Five Pieces for Violin and Piano
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G minor, op.57
Thursday February 13, 2025: AN EVENING WITH THE AKROPOLIS REED QUINTET
Mendelssohn: Hebrides (arr. Jelte Althius)
Stephanie Ann Boyd: Lake of Muses (world premiere)
Katherine Pukinskis: Puddle
Katherine Pukinskis: Pivot
Jeff Scott: Homage to Paradise Valley
Monday February 24, 2025: HAPPENING NOW
Anjelica Negron: Marejada
Aftab Darvishi: Daughters of Sol
Nokuthula Ngwenyama: Primal Message
Nancy Galbraith: Introduction and Allegro for Violin and Piano
Mason Bates: Ford's Farm
Dobrinka Tabakova: Suite in Jazz Style
Claude Bolling: Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano Trio
Tuesday April 1, 2025: SCHUMANN & SCHUBERT
Schumann: Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, op.47
Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D.956
2023/24 Season:
Tuesday September 12, 2023: A JAZZY SOIRÉE
Bach: Prelude in C# Major Book I
Brad Mehldau: After Bach Prelude in C# Major Book I
Debussy: Beau Soir
An Improvisation on Debussy's Beau Soir, featuring "Congregation of Drones"
Dave Brubeck: Points on Jazz (selection)
Claude Bolling: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (selection)
Thursday November 16, 2023: VIOLINS OF HOPE, FEATURING
THE CLARION QUARTET
Weinberg: Aria op.9 & Capriccio op.11
Korngold: String Quartet No.3
Schulhoff: String Sextet
Monday January 22, 2024: AN EVENING WITH DAVID McCARROLL
Debussy: Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor
Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Piano
Brahms: Piano Quartet No.3 in C minor
Monday January 29, 2024: ALEXI KENNEY RETURNS @ CMU!
Schubert: Sonata for Violin and Piano No.2 in A minor D.385
Shostakovich: Piano Trio No.2 in E minor
Tuesday February 20, 2024: BACH'S GOLDBERG VARIATIONS
FOR STRING TRIO
Bach: Sonata for Violin and Piano No.4 in C minor
Bach: Goldberg Variations (arrangement for string trio)
Monday March 25, 2024: BRUCH AND STRAUSS
Bruch: String Octet in B-flat Major
Strauss: Sonata for Violin and Piano in E-flat Major
2022/23 Season:
Saturday October 15, 2022: AUGUSTIN HADELICH @ CMU
Schumann: Dichterliebe op.48
Dvorak: Piano Quintet in A Major op.81
Tuesday November 15, 2022: UKRAINIAN GEMS
Lyatoshinsky: String Quartet No.4
Skoryk: Melody for Piano Trio
Skoryk: Allegretto and Dance for Violin and Piano
Lysenko: Elegy for Cello and Piano
Barvinsky: Piano Trio in A minor
Monday February 20, 2023: MAHLER, SCHULHOFF AND "TROUT"
Mahler: Ruckert-Lieder
Schulhoff: Concertino for Flute, Viola and Bass
Schubert: Piano Quintet in A Major D.667, "Trout"
Tuesday March 28, 2023: FROM 1920 TO 2020
Bartok: Contrasts
Ravel: Duo for Violin and Cello
Gregory Walker: Selections from Rock, Pop and Hip-Hop Fantasies for two violins
Quinn Mason: Two Fleeting Daydreams
Jennifer Higdon: Celestial Hymns
Thursday April 27, 2023: "DUMKY" AND A TWIST
Rota: Sonata for Viola and Piano (1934-35/70, U.S. Premiere)
Dobrinka Tabakova: The smile of the flamboyant wings
Jonathan Bailey Holland: Piano Trio
Dvorak: Piano Trio in E minor op.90, "Dumky"
2021/22 Season:
Monday October 4, 2021: A NEW DAWN
George Walker: Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1
Steven Franklin: Sonata for Tuba and Piano (world premiere)
Granados: Piano Trio No.1 in C Major
Monday November 8, 2021: THE NEW B's: BOLOGNE & BEETHOVEN
Bologne: Quartet Concertante No.5 in G major
Beethoven: Quintet for Winds and Piano in E-flat Major, op.16
Monday February 7, 2022: A FEMALE COMPOSER GALA
Galbraith: "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" , "The Mountain and the River"
Viardot: "Aimez-moi ma mignonne", "Hai Lui"
Florence Price: "My Soul's Been Anchored in de Lord"
C.Schumann: Three Romances for Violin and Piano
L.Boulanger: Nocturne for Violin and Piano
F.Mendelssohn: Romance in G minor for Cello and Piano
Jessie Montgomery: Duet for Cello and Piano
Thursday March 17, 2022: NOAH RETURNS @ CMU: A SPECIAL EVENT FEATURING THE ROSAMUNDE STRING QUARTET
Beethoven: String Quartet in D Major, op.18 no.3
Barber: String Quartet in B minor op.11
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, op.44
Tuesday March 22, 2022: A SPECIAL EVENT FEATURING ALEXI KENNEY
Jessie Montgomery: Rhapsody No.1 for solo Violin
John Adams: Road Movies
Dvorak: Piano Quartet No.2 in E-flat major, op.87
Tuesday April 19, 2022: BEETHOVEN 250+: ARCHDUKE
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Romance in G for Violin and Piano
Beethoven: Piano Trio No.7 in B-flat Major, op.97 "Archduke"
2020/21 Season: "ARTS UNIFIED"
Monday September 21, 2020: AMERICAN VOICE Vol.1
READING: "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes
Jessie Montgomery: Strum
George Walker: String Quartet No.1
Monday October 12, 2020: GREAT DAMES
READING: Excerpt from "Sula" by Toni Morrison
Florence Price: Fantasy for Violin & Piano No.1
Florence Price: Fantasy for Violin & Piano No.2
Clara Schumann: Piano Trio in G minor
Monday November 23, 2020: AMERICAN VOICE Vol.2
READING: "Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation" by John Lewis
Samuel Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915
William Grant Still: Suite for Violin and Piano
(CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19)
Monday January 18, 2021: AN EVENING WITH VADIM GLUZMAN
READING: "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks
Chevalier de Saint George: Sonata for Violin and Piano No.3
Jessie Montgomery: Rhapsody No.1 for solo Violin
Brahms: Piano Quartet No.3 in C minor
(CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19)
Monday February 15, 2021: BEETHOVEN 250+: QUINTET FOR WINDS & PIANO
READING: "Human Family" by Maya Angelou
Valerie Coleman: "Fanmi Imen" for flute and piano
Beethoven: Quintet for Winds and Piano in E-flat Major, op.16
(CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19)
Monday March 29, 2021: BEETHOVEN 250+: ARCHDUKE TRIO
READING: "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Romance in G for Violin and Piano
Beethoven: Piano Trio No.7 in B-flat Major, op.97 "Archduke"
Monday April 26, 2021: AMERICAN NARRATIVE
READING: "I, Too" by Langston Hughes
William Dawson: Spirituals
2019/20 Season:
Wednesday September 25, 2019: THE RUSSIAN EFFECT
Arensky: Suite for Two pianos, op.15
Prokofiev: Five Melodies for Violin and Piano, op.35bis
Shostakovich: Piano Trio No.1 in C minor, op.8
Stravinsky: Octet for Wind Instruments
Monday November 25, 2019: OUR NEW HAMBURG STEINWAY
Debussy: Suite Bergamasque
Ravel: La Valse for two Pianos
Schubert: Sonatina for Violin and Piano in A minor, D.385
Prokofiev: Lieutenant Kije Suite, Romance (arr. Frederic Chiu)
Prokofiev: Toccata in D minor
Monday February 10, 2020: MUSIC OF STEEL: CELEBRATING PITTSBURGH-BASED COMPOSERS
David Stock: A Vanished World
Marilyn Taft Thomas: Sonic Moments for oboe, cello and piano (premiere)
Leonardo Balada: Caprichos No.3 for Violin and Piano
Reza Vali: Persian Suite
Nancy Galbraith: Interrupted Atmosphere (premiere)
(CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19)
Tuesday March 24, 2020: BEETHOVEN'S 250th WITH JOHN O'CONOR
Beethoven: String Quartet No.11 in f minor, op.95 "Serioso"
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor, "op.27 No.2 "Moonlight"
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.4 in G Major, op. 58 (arr. for piano & string quintet)
(CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19)
Tuesday April 28, 2020: TWO MASTERPIECES: BEETHOVEN'S ARCHDUKE TRIO & BRAHMS' F MAJOR STRING QUINTET
Beethoven: Piano Trio No.7 in B-flat Major, op.97 "Archduke"
Brahms: String Quintet in F Major, op.88
2018/19 Season:
Monday October 8, 2018: RUSSIAN GEMS
Tchaikovsky: Selection of Songs for Soprano and Piano
Stravinsky: Divertimento for Violin and Piano
Rachmaninov: Vocalise for Cello and Piano
Prokofiev: Ballade for Cello and Piano in C Major, op.15
Shostakovich: Concertino for Two Pianos in A minor, op.94
Thursday November 8, 2018: A VIENNESE SOIRÉE: A SPECIAL EVENT FEATURING JOHN O'CONOR
Mozart: Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K.448
Schubert: Selection of Songs for Soprano and Piano
Beethoven: Sonata for Cello and Piano No.3 in A Major, op.69
Monday February 18, 2019: MUSIC OF THE AMERICAS
Barber: Hermit Songs, op.29
Copland: Duo for Flute and Piano
Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango for Flute and Harp
Selections from two Brass Quintets by Enrique Crespo and Paquito D’Rivera
Wednesday March 27, 2019: ROMANTIC EMBARKMENT -
DVORAK AND BRAHMS
Dvorak: String Quintet in E-flat Major, op.97
Brahms: Piano Quintet in F Minor, op.34
Monday April 29, 2019: AN EVENING WITH THE CLARION QUARTET
Mendelssohn: String Quintet No.2 in B-flat Major, op.87
Weinberg: Piano Quintet, op.18
2017/18 Season:
Wednesday September 27: THE GOLDEN TRADITION - BACH, BEETHOVEN, BRAHMS & MAHLER
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D Major, BWV 1050
Beethoven: String Trio op.9 no.3 in C Minor
Brahms: Two Songs for Voice, Viola & Piano, op.91
Mahler: Piano Quartet in A Minor
Thursday November 16: WONDERFUL WINDS
Mozart: Piano Quintet in E-Flat Major, K.452
Martinu: Sonata for Flute and Piano, H.306
Galbraith: ”Rhythms and Rituals” for Piano & Woodwind Quintet
Poulenc: Sextet for Piano & Woodwind Quintet, op.100
Monday February 12: RUSSIAN DUOS
Prokofiev: Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in F Minor, op.80
Rachmaninov: Selection of songs for Soprano and Piano
Prokofiev: Sonata for Flute and Piano in D Major, op.94
Monday April 2: A FRANCO-GERMAN EVENING - SPOHR & RAVEL
Spohr: Double Quartet No.3 in E Minor, op.87
Ravel: Piano Trio in A Minor
Monday April 23: SLAVIC CHARM - A SPECIAL EVENT FEATURING JAMES EHNES
Dvorak: Terzetto in C Major for two violins and viola, op.74
Dvorak: Piano Quintet No.2 in A Major, op.81
2016/17 Season:
Monday September 26: DAS IST GUT
Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer
Hindemith: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano
Brahms: Horn Trio in E-flat major op.40
Monday November 7: CLASSICAL FOLKLORE
Bartok: Sonata for 2 Pianos and Percussion
Dvorak: Piano Quartet No.2 in E-flat major op.87
Monday February 13: A RUSSIAN VOYAGE
Arensky: String Quartet No.2 in A minor op.35
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G minor op.57
Tuesday March 28: UNEQUIVOCALLY ROMANTIC
Mendelssohn: String Octet in E-flat major op.20
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat major op.44
Wednesday April 26: BLOWN AWAY
Beethoven: Trio for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano in B-flat major op.11
Previn: Sonata for Bassoon and Piano
Poulenc: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Fletcher: Romance for Piano, Clarinet and Bassoon
Mendelssohn: Concert Piece No.1 op.113
2015/16 Season:
Monday October 26: SCHUBERTIADE
Schubert: Fantasy in F minor for 4 hands D.940
Schubert: ‘Auf dem Strom’ D.943
Schubert: ‘Trout’ Quintet in A major D.667
Monday November 23: BRILLIANT DUOS
Beethoven: Sonata for Horn and Piano in F major op.17
Schumann: 3 Romances for Oboe and Piano op.94
Poulenc: Sonata for Flute and Piano
Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major
Monday February 2: LA BELLE MUSIQUE
Debussy: Sonata for Viola, Flute and Harp
Debussy: Violin Sonata in G minor
Debussy: Cello Sonata in D minor
Fauré: Piano Quartet No.1 in C minor
Tuesday March 29: PIECES OF EIGHT
Shostakovich: Two pieces for String Octet op.11
Enescu: String Octet in C major, op.7
Tuesday May 10: BOLSHOI TRIOS
Shostakovich: Piano Trio No.2 in E minor
Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor