Celebrating 30+ Years of Wild and Scenic Music

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
The Second Annual Holiday Festival with 2 programs (3 concerts)
at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos

“From Bach to Liszt to Schubert”
Friday, 12/13/24 5:30 p.m.
and
“Mindful Meditations with Friends”
Saturday, 12/14/24 5:30 p.m. & Sunday, 12/15/24 3:00 p.m. (matinee)

The Taos Chamber Music Group presents its Second Annual Holiday Season Festival with 2 programs (3 concerts) at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos as follows: “From Bach to Liszt to Schubert,” Friday, 12/13/24, 5:30 p.m.; and “Mindful Meditations with Friends,” Saturday, 12/14/24, 5:30 p.m. & Sunday, 12/15/24, 3:00 p.m.

TCMG’s Holiday Season Festival is a Taos holiday treat for music lovers. The ever-popular Gleb Ivanov returns to commence the musical festivities with his annual solo piano performance at the Harwood’s Arthur Bell Auditorium on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. This is typically a sold-out concert with patrons returning every year to hear Ivanov’s powerful performance reverberating throughout the night.

Ivanov, called a “super-virtuoso” with a “talent larger than life” will delight us with classics from Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt and Franz Schubert. Concert attendees will no doubt recognize most if not all of the well-known compositions for the Friday evening solo concert which include as follows: Bach’s “French Suite No.2 in C minor” and “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor;” and Schubert’s “Piano Sonata in A major No.13”.

And, perhaps befitting a moving holiday season celebration, Friday evening’s concert will also feature Schubert’s “Ave Maria S.558/12 (Arr. Liszt)”. Although “Ave Maria” is familiar to most people, some of its history may not be as obvious to everyone. In particular, this piece was composed by Schubert to be a prayer of sorts, however it never had liturgical purposes in mind. Schubert wrote it in 1825 and it is the third of 3 songs (hence its original title was “Ellens dritter Gesang” or “Ellen’s Third Song”) based on a section of Sir Walter Scott’s poem, “The Lady of the Lake”. Regardless of its subsequent history of use and Schubert’s intentions in composing it, “Ave Maria” continues to captivate listeners and evoke powerful emotions for people of all backgrounds and denominations.

Ivanov will then be joined by friends and TCMG core performers, LP How and Sally Guenther, on Saturday, December 14, and Sunday, December 15, for “Mindful Meditations with Friends”. TCMG devotees will remember past concerts where How has joined TCMG in varying roles as violinist and violist. Cellist Guenther recently performed with TCMG in October’s “Viaje Especial” at the Harwood.

The concerts at the Harwood on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. (matinee) will include the following compositions: Felix Mendelssohn’s “Trio No. 1 in D Minor”; Jules Massenet’s “Thaïs, Do 24 Meditation (special arrangement for violin, cello and piano)”; and Antonín Dvořak’s “Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor (Dumky)”.

Dvořak’s “Dumky” trio was completed in Prague in 1891. This mature composition followed a string of successes for a composer known for folk stylizations. The stylistic name “Dumky” derives from the Slavic or Ukrainian “dumka”, a musical term for a folk song with abrupt changes throughout from mournful to elated. Dvořak’s intention for this trio was aimed at it being a lighter, more popular, piece that would appeal to persons from all echelons. This is a perfect composition to round out TCMG’s holiday season festival and provide a welcome uplifting, yet thoughtful, moment this December.

TCMG’s 32nd Season will then continue on January 11 and 12 in 2025 for “Philosophers and Polarities”. With this program to start off the new year, TCMG is pleased to present the return of David Felberg and the Chatter ensemble to Taos for Kate Soper’s “Ipsa Dixit”.

For more information on artists and performances, visit taoschambermusicgroup.org. For tickets visit taoschambermusicgroup.org or harwoodmuseum.org.

Do you want to help bring wild and scenic music to Taos? Email pam@taoschambermusicgroup.org for more information on volunteer opportunities.