Capital Region Classical’s 50th season to feature 19 concerts

SCHENECTADY — The 50th anniversary season of Capital Region Classical will feature eminent artists as well as several on the cusp of major careers in repertoire spanning over 300 years and a celebration of Bach and Chopin, artistic director Derek Delaney has announced.

Concerts are held at the Union College Memorial Chapel, except where noted in the schedule.

To celebrate the milestone, pianist Emanuel Ax will perform a program of the late masterworks of Chopin at the 50th Anniversary Gala on Dec. 12. The works were composed at the end of Chopin’s brief life and represent some of the most profound pieces he wrote.

The season features two special chamber music collaborations featuring leading soloists joining eminent string quartets.

American pianist Jonathan Biss joins the London-based Doric Quartet for Edward Elgar’s rarely performed Piano Quintet. The Dorics perform works of Haydn and Bartok.

Yale’s quartet-in-residence, the Brentano Quartet, offers a program of 18th century Viennese works and is joined by NY Philharmonic principal clarinetist and one of the music world’s most prominent black voices, Anthony McGill, for Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet.

As health conditions continue to improve, Capital Region Classical will continue to work closely with Union College and its other venues throughout the summer to formulate audience protocols for its performances. To allow for flexibility in communicating these plans to the public and in anticipating any unforeseen changes in conditions, the series will be making tickets available for purchase on Aug. 1 on its website, capitalregionclassical.org.

Capital Region Classical 50th Anniversary Season

All concerts at 3 p.m. at the Union College Memorial Chapel, except where noted.

Oct. 10 — Doric Quartet with Jonathan Biss, piano

Oct. 17 — Belcea Quartet

Oct. 21 — Belcea Quartet, 7 p.m., location TBD

Nov. 5 — Castalian Quartet, 7 p.m., location TBD

Nov. 14 — Jennifer Koh, violin

Nov. 21 — Oliver Herbert, cello

Dec. 5 — Eric Lu, piano

Dec. 12 — Emanuel Ax, piano (50th Anniversary Gala)

Jan. 16 — Roman Rabinovich, piano

Jan. 23 — Alexi Kenney, violin, Lark Hall, Albany

Feb. 13 — Brentano Quartet with Anthony McGill, clarinet

Feb. 20 — Jeremy Denk, piano

Feb. 27 — Boris Giltberg, piano

March 1 — Mark Padmore, tenor, and Ethan Iverson, piano, 7 p.m., location TBD

March 20 — Rafal Blechacz, piano

March 27 — Ebene Quartet

April 3 — Benjamin Grosvenor, piano

April 12 — Horizons Young Artist Residency, Jordan Bak, viola, and Ji Yung Lee, piano, 7 p.m., Troy Music Hall

April 24 — Llyr Williams, piano

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