In celebration of our 75th Anniversary Season, we’re debuting a new Chamber Music Series! This new series is a continuation of the Longmeadow Chamber Music Society we acquired last season.

The chamber music concert format allows for a shorter and more casual introduction to classical music. Each concert lasts approximately 45 minutes, includes insight and educational commentary on the pieces being played, and offers personal one-on-one interaction with musicians afterward.

All three concerts will be held at Twin Hills Country Club at 700 Wolf Swamp Road in Longmeadow, MA and will feature a variety of SSO chamber music ensembles.

The first SSO Chamber Music Concert of the 75th Anniversary Season was an enormous success. More than 150 people gathered to hear the SSO Percussion Trio comprising of SSO Principal Timpanist Marty Kluger, SSO Principal Percussionist, Nathan Lassell, and Percussionist, Doug Perry. The performance featured an inventive repertoire of original works and classical compositions transcribed for percussion.

Jerry Nobel, classical music writer for The Republican, wrote in his review of the concert, “The SSO has discovered a gold mine with these intriguing chamber concerts, exploring venues throughout the city OTHER than Symphony Hall and building a new and diverse audience by offering music that would NEVER be heard elsewhere. Keep an eye out for more of these events and don’t miss them!”

If you missed that debut performance in August, you can see the SSO Percussion Trio on Sunday, January 13, 2019.

“We are very excited about this special chamber music series,” says our Executive Director, Susan Beaudry, “bringing more concerts to important community spaces throughout the region is just one of our many exciting, mission-driven initiatives for this celebratory 75th Anniversary Season.”

The Chamber Music Series continues on Sunday, November 11, featuring music by women composers performed by an all-women ensemble. The ensemble includes Kirsten Lipkins on oboe, SSO Second Flutist, Ellen Redman, SSO Principal Pianist, Nadine Shank, SSO Second Clarinet, Lynn Sussman, and SSO Second Violist, Delores Thayer.

The program will feature compositions by Marion Bauer, Rebecca Clark, Clara Shuman, local composer Karen Tarlow, Gwyneth Walker, and Yuko Uébayashi.

The series finale concert on Sunday, April 14 will feature the SSO Brass Ensemble comprised of SSO Second Trombone, Paul Bellino, SSO Principal Trumpet, Tom Bergeron, John Bottomly on tuba, and Dana Russian on 2nd trumpet.

“There are so many communities and people in the Pioneer Valley that haven’t yet discovered the SSO.” says our Music Director Kevin Rhodes, “It’s our goal that performances in unexplored and at times perhaps underserved communities will help make the SSO everyone’s orchestra!”

For all concerts in this series, doors open at 1:30 p.m. for canapés and a cash bar. Concerts will start at 2:30 p. m. sharp. Based on the standing room only concert on August 30th at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, we encoure everyone to arrive early as seating is first come, first served. Concert-goers are invited to stay after each concert for a brief post-performance cocktails mix and mingle with that afternoon’s musicians.

Single tickets for each concert are $30 and can be purchased over the phone or online for $30 plus processing fee; in-person at the SSO Box Office or at the door on concert day for no fee. Patrons may also purchase tickets to all three concerts in the SSO Chamber Music Series for only $75. For more information, please call the Box Office at 413.733.2291.