Signature Classical
Chamber Music Concerts

What better way to start a month of grand indulgence than with the Philadelphia Orchestra’s own Wister Quartet?  These old friends and consummate musicians bring Haydn, Verdi, and pianist Natalie Zhu too – the last to pitch in with some thrilling Schumann.

Members: Nancy Bean (violin), assistant concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra and artistic director of “1807 & Friends,” Davyd Booth (violin), violinist and harpsichordist with the PO; Pamela Fay (viola), Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and a substitute with the PO; and Lloyd Smith (cello), former assistant principal cellist with the PO.

Haydn, Quartet, Op. 76, No. 4, Sunrise
Verdi, Quartet
Schumann, Piano Quintet

Longtime violinist of Trio Solisti (the unquestioned leading piano trio on the planet, now that Beaux Arts is calling quits), Maria Bachmann kicks off our most intense weekend of the summer – three concerts in three days – with The Red Violin, a recital featuring music from her hit CD based on the Oscar-winning film.  Maria's CD release that included her recording of The Red Violin was selected by NPR Radio as one of the 10 best classical releases in 2007.

8/8/08 group special!  Bring your group of eight or more to hear Maria for just $8.00 per person!
Call the Gretna Music box office to order the special rate for your group.  717-361-1508. 
Maria's Site

 This month’s so stuffed with music, we couldn’t fit it all on evenings.  And for our first matinee of the new era, New Century Sax Quartet drops by for pops – light works by the likes of Bernstein and Piazzolla, and traditional favorites to fill you up, not weigh you down.
Group Site Watch

Trumpet genius Rodney Mack’s 10-piece brass band cooks up classical favorites (the finale from Tchaikovsky’s 4th), patriotic hits (Sousa’s Stars and Stripes), and virtuoso fireworks (Carnival of Venice) to compliment a tribute to Francis Johnson, the African-American trumpeter, composer, and band leader who was our country’s first international superstar.
Group Site Rodney's Site Watch the Group MySpace

At the Mt. Gretna Tabernacle.
It’ll be peaceful evening under stars with songs by Monteverdi, Mahler, Debussy, Rameau and Henry Purcell.  So come out, sit down and close your eyes.  Let soprano Priscilla Porterfield transport you to a simpler time of music-making in the summer’s open air.

Meet and greet the Audubon Quartet on the eve of their first concert as part of their week long residency in Mt. Gretna.  Join us at the Mt. Gretna Playhouse for a little music, some dessert, sharing and plenty of time to chat with a Mt. Gretna institution.
The Audubon Quartet is the resident string quartet at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia
.Audubon Site Listen to the Audubon

Our favorite flutist and some dance spice up the Audubon’s first dish, with Music at Gretna founder Carl Ellenberger joining the group for an Amy Beach flute quintet, and Ting-Yu Chen debuting her original choreography for Peter Shickele’s ‘American Dreams’.

Beach, Theme & Variation
Schickele, Quartet No. 1, ‘American Dreams’
Smetana, Quartet No. 1, ‘From My Life’

The Audubon Quartet is the resident string quartet at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.Audubon Site Listen to the Audubon Ting Yu's Site

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Krantz & Audubon, two great names that play great together, will pair again, but with an entirely different program for this Friday matinee.  Gershwin’s and Mendelssohn’s finest bookend a quirky work by Krantz himself.
Gershwin, Suite from Porgy & Bess
Krantz, Quintet for strings & electric guitar
Mendelssohn, Quartet, Op. 44, No. 1

The Audubon Quartet is the resident string quartet at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.Audubon Site Listen to the Audubon Listen to Allen

It may be the last of our Audubon events, but it’s hardly fair to call this awesome evening mere desert!  Brothers violist Jeremiah, and cellist Frank Shaw team with their father, Audubon cellist Tom, and the rest of the quartet, for a family night buffet of Strauss, Vaughn Williams, and Shubert.

Strauss, Sextet from Capriccio
Vaughn Williams, Phantasy Quintet
Schubert, Cello Quintet

The Audubon Quartet is the resident string quartet at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.
Audubon Site Listen to the Audubon

Pianist Simon Tedeschi, featured in the movie Shine, performed to rapturous applause in 2006, his Music at Gretna premiere performance.  Now we bring him back to do it all again.  Bach, Prokofiev, Brahms, Gershwin, Thelonius Monk – Simon offers up a smorgasbord with something for everyone.  He’ll even be joined by saxophonist Owen Watkins at the end for some old time, foot-stompin’ Dixie.
Simon's Site Watch Simon*
*From his Music at Gretna debut in 2006

We hope you’re not stuffed yet, classical connoisseurs, because the season’s got one more tasty treat in store for you:  the Lark Chamber Artists, and our good friend Anna Polonsky serve up some Mozart and Schubert.  Then a rarely heard treat – Chausson’s spectacular Piano Quartet – puts a cherry on the top.
 
Schubert, String Trio, D. 471
Mozart, Piano Quartet, K. 478
Chausson, Piano Quartet, Op. 30
Anna's Site Listen to Anna LCA Site