Celebrating 30+ Years of Wild and Scenic Music
IN THE PRESS
Praise for the Taos Chamber Music Group!
“One of the great treasures of Taos” -The Taos News
“Big magic…silken ensemble playing” -Albuquerque Journal
“A remarkable concert of juxtaposed styles” -Horse Fly
“Depth, vitality and inventiveness” -Spencer Beckwith, KUNM
Press Release
Taos Chamber Music Group presents a celebratory program
“Hommage à Fauré”
Saturday, 3/16/24 and Sunday 3/17/24 at 5:30 p.m.
at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos
The Taos Chamber Music Group presents a celebratory program honoring those that teach and forge new paths, “Hommage à Fauré” on Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17, 5:30 p.m. at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos. The preeminent pianist, Robert McDonald, will join Sally Guenther (cello) and Ruxandra Marquardt (violin) in a tribute to Gabriel Fauré in the centenary year of his death.
This program presents a logical progression from romanticism to Fauré and his link to the beginnings of the modern era. Fauré, perhaps one of the most influential French composers, studied as a youth with Camille Saint-Saëns and together they cofounded the Société Nationale de Musique (1871) to promote new French music.
Guenther, TCMG musician, teacher and creator of “Hommage à Fauré” says, “March’s concert begins with a wonderfully charismatic and vigorous example of Fauré’s writing, Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op. 180. This more youthful sonata contrasts temperamentally with the lyrical piano trio from Fauré’s last years which ends the program, Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 120.” Guenther and her friend pianist McDonald have enjoyed many discussions over the years about Fauré’s beautiful piano and cello compositions. These discussions inspired them to perform for TCMG the first of Fauré’s cello sonatas, that in D Minor, written in 1917.
McDonald, a faculty member at both the famed Juilliard School in New York since 1999 and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia since 2007, is a wonderful complement to this program honoring esteemed music educators. Of course, Taos also knows McDonald for his summer residency here as Artistic Director of the Taos School of Music. Says Pam Morris, Executive Director of TCMG, “It seems particularly important to have Robert McDonald join us for this special program recognizing the indelible impression educators make on our lives. We are honored to present him on this program with his friend, Sally Guenther. They share so many things in common not the least of which is that Guenther received her Master’s degree from Juilliard and attended the Taos School of Music.”
As there are threads of educational commonality among the musicians for this program, there are also connections for the composers of the works to be performed. Guenther says, “A work by the Swiss composer, Arthur Honegger, seems a perfect addition to this significant concert of French music. A student at the Conservatoire de Paris during Faure’s time there as director, Honegger was, of course, inspired by the great composer and encouraged by his mentorship. His Sonatine for Violin and Cello is a lively, driving and even boisterous example of his unique style.” Guenther will perform this piece with a colleague with whom she has had the great pleasure of performing over several years, Ruxandra Marquardt, a Romanian-born violinist. Marquardt attended the “George Enescu” School of Music and Conservatory of Music in Bucharest and is also a dedicated and highly-prized violin teacher in Central New Mexico.
Rounding out the connections in this program, McDonald will perform selected Preludes by Debussy for his solo performance portion of the program. Debussy and Fauré lived and worked in France at the same time and Debussy attended the Conservatoire de Paris. However the connection really ends there as Debussy forged his own new musical path. He rebelled against what he was taught at the Conservatoire and surprised his teachers with his unusual compositional choices. But isn’t that really what the best teaching is about–inspiring students to exceed expectations and test boundaries?
There are so many beautiful threads of connection woven throughout this program and wonderful reminders of how impactful teachers are for everyone. Concertgoers can make their own connection with TCMG, education and music at “Hommage à Fauré” opening Saturday March 16, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. at the Harwood Museum of Art with a repeat performance on March 17, 2024 also at 5:30 p.m.
TCMG’s 31st Season continues with just two more programs to follow from April through May, 2024. For more information on artists and performances, visit taoschambermusicgroup.org. For tickets visit taoschambermusicgroup.org. or harwoodmuseum.org. TCMG is always looking for volunteers. Email pam@taoschambermusicgroup.org for more information.