Munich quartet opens chamber music season

Posted 11/1/19

Newburgh Chamber Music opens its 2019-2020 season with the renowned Munich Philharmonic String Quartet. The concert is Saturday, Nov. 2, at 2 pm at St. George’s Church, 105 Grand St., Newburgh.

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Munich quartet opens chamber music season

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Newburgh Chamber Music opens its 2019-2020 season with the renowned Munich Philharmonic String Quartet. The concert is Saturday, Nov. 2, at 2 pm at St. George’s Church, 105 Grand St., Newburgh.

Highlighting the season’s theme of “Turning Points,” the ensemble will perform the last quartets written by Haydn, Victor Ullmann, and Mendelssohn. The composers were at the height of their personal powers but facing great personal challenges when they completed these works.

This is a return engagement for the quartet, which last performed for NCM in 2017. Founded in 2007, the quartet has distinguished itself through unusual programs in a variety of formations.

The artists –- violinists Iason Keramidis and Clement Courtin, violist Konstantin Sellheim, and cellist Manuel von der Nahmer --are long-time members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. They individually have won prestigious international competitions and performed with many world-class conductors, including Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel and Christian Thielemann.

Keramidis, who began playing at age 13 while growing up in Greece, performs as a soloist and as an orchestral and chamber musician. He joined the Munich Philharmonic in 2013 and last year became deputy concertmaster.

Courtin, a native of France, began playing the violin at age 8. He joined the Munich Philharmonic in 2006. Previously he was coneertmaster of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra in France, with which he made solo appearances in Norway, China and Japan.

Sellheim has toured throughout Asia and America, After serving as a member of the Staatskapelle Berlin under Daniel Barenboim, he joined the Munich Philharmonic in 2006. He has appeared on numerous radio and television programs and recorded albums with his sister Katharina and with the Munich Philharmonic’s viola quartet.

Von der Nahmer, a native of Germany, took his first cello lessons at age 9. He has been a cellist with the Munich Philharmonic since 1997. He has won numerous competitions in Europe and studied at the Yale School of Music. He has appeared as a soloist with several orchestras in Europe and the United States.

Tickets are available at the door or online at newburghchambermusic.org. Adults: $25. Students: $5. St. George’s is handicapped accessible with parking across the street. Audience members are invited to meet the artists at a post-concert reception.

Audience members are invited to bring instruments that they wish to donate to Valentina’s Instrument Donation Bank, to be repaired, if necessary, and given to area schools and music students. For further information regarding this program, or to donate at another time, contact Dr. Joël Evans at evansj@newpaltz.edu or check the website: newburghchambermusic.org.