Next Up

Summer Jazz House Party!

back by popular demand, featuring the fabulous

LARRY HAM JAZZ QUARTET

with ALI RYERSON, flute

Sunday, July 12 – 4:00 pm

Weatherwatch Farm, Saranac NY

The Summer Jazz House Party! at Weatherwatch Farm is our signature fundraising event of the year to launch the new 2026-27 concert season. As always, we have superb artists and ensembles in store for you throughout the year! Scroll down through to see who is coming to delight and move you.

Admission by discretionary donation: $100 – $250 – $500 – $1000, etc.

Reservations requested: RSVP by July 9. Pre-payment confirms your reservation.

Mail check to Hill and Hollow Music 550 #37 Road, Saranac NY 12981

OR

DONATE ONLINE HERE

More Info and Reservations: 518-293-7613 or email ambrown.hillholl@gmail.com

Delicious and creative menu catered by Josh Vaillancourt of the Farmhouse Pantry

Ali Ryerson, flute

With a career spanning nearly five decades, jazz flutist Ali Ryerson has consistently ranked among the top flutists in the Downbeat Jazz Poll for well over a decade. Born in 1952 in New York City, Ali grew up in a musical family. Her father, Art Ryerson, was a renowned jazz guitarist who got his start with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, and later became a top studio player in NYC, recording with everyone from Louis Armstrong, Erroll Garner, Charlie Parker, and Sarah Vaughan, to Frank Sinatra. Ali Ryerson has carried on the family tradition, becoming an international touring/recording artist, with performances ranging from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, to the Blue Note (NYC and Japan), plus festival appearances worldwide. Ryerson has released over two dozen albums on major jazz labels, including Concord Records, DMP, Capri, and legendary jazz producer Bob Thiele’s final jazz label, Red Baron. When Ryerson’s groundbreaking Jazz Flute Big Band released their debut CD, Game Changer on Capri Records, the album hit the ‘TOP 10’ on the US Jazz Charts for six straight weeks.

Ali has recorded and/or performed with jazz greats such as Red Rodney, Roy Haynes, Kenny Barron, Frank Wess, Hubert Laws, Stephane Grappelli, Harold Danko, Art Farmer, Mike Mainieri, Joe Beck, and Gene Bertoncini, as well as a guest appearance with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She has also performed with classical artists Julius Baker, Luciano Pavarotti (as principal flutist with the Monterey Bay Orch.), and harpsichordist Anthony Newman. Ali was musical director of the Hudson River Regional Jazz Festival (2001-’04), Jazz Chair and Low Flutes Chair for the National Flute Association, and founder of the NFA Jazz Flute Big Band. As an educator and author, Ryerson published the widely acclaimed Jazz Flute Practice Method, and conducts master classes worldwide, including her longstanding annual masterclass at Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley, CA. Ali has an online jazz flute masterclass series, presented by Lessonface in NYC, and a Jazz Flute Masterclass DVD, also produced by Lessonface. As a composer, Ryerson’s flute works have been performed internationally. The Theodore Presser Co. has invited Ms. Ryerson to join their catalogue of composers, with the publication of several new works. And in Germany, Edition Kossack is adding Ryerson to their catalogue in 2020, beginning with a book of jazz flute duets.

Ryerson’s most recent invitations as guest artist include the Galway Flute Festival in Switzerland, Rochester Jazz Festival, International Flute Festival of Lima, Peru, 60 the Monterey Jazz Festival, New York Flute Club, the International Low Flute Festival, International Flute Festival in the Netherlands, NYU, Univ. of Michigan, Univ. of Wisconsin, Ohio University, Florida and MidAtlantic Flute conventions, the Chicago Flute Fair, the 2019 Japan Flute Convention and the 2021 International Low Flute Festival in Japan, La Côte Suisse Festival 2021, Master Teacher Workshop for Flute at Interlochen Center for the Arts. Ms. Ryerson will be the NFA (National Flute Association) program chair for the NFA convention in 2023 in Phoenix, AZ. Ali studied with Harold Bennett and John Wion, and is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music. Ms. Ryerson is a Gemeinhardt Artist with an Autograph Series of flutes by Gemeinhardt Musical Instruments.

Larry Ham, piano

Pianist, composer and arranger Larry Ham has long been a noted New York-based jazz musician. Famed jazz critic Nat Hentoff wrote: “Pianist Larry Ham is a master…in the legacy of Hank Jones and Jimmy Rowles.” Reviewing a recent CD, David Dupont of Cadence Jazz Magazine writes, “He glides over the keys, with every note articulated cleanly…his playing is masterful.” Larry’s professional career began in the late ‘80s with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. He then joined the Illinois Jacquet Big Band 1990-95 and has worked extensively with countless other jazz legends including Junior Cook and Dakota Staton. He has performed at jazz festivals, in concerts and nightclubs throughout the USA, Europe, West Africa, Canada, India, Brazil and Japan. Larry has performed for three US Presidents and was a US State Department Jazz Ambassador to West Africa in 2001 and 2002. He has a BA in Musical Studies from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, and an MA in Jazz Performance from Queens College in New York City. He currently teaches Jazz Studies at Bard College and Dutchess Community College. https://larryham.com/

Tom Melito, drums

Tom Melito has been a mainstay on the NY jazz scene for many years. His drumming has been heard behind such varied artists as Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Wess, Harry Allen, “Sweets” Edison, Lew Soloff, Herb Ellis, Warren Vache, John Bunch, and Bill Watrous. Tom’s talents have been in demand internationally, including numerous tours of Japan, Europe, and South America. He has also performed at most of the world’s largest jazz events, including the JVC, Montreal, and Berne Jazz Festivals. His numerous television appearances include the CBS Early Show, Entertainment Tonight, and CNN World Beat. Melito has also toured with many singers including the late Etta Jones and Kenny Rankin. He has been featured with Stacy Kent and continues to perform regularly in New York City jazz clubs. Active in jazz education he is an adjunct professor of music at Central Connecticut University. He also plays on Jerry Bergonzi’s CD play along method, and is recording a series of jazz educational CDs for “Windplayer” magazine.

Matt Dunne, bass

Matt Dunne, guitarist, bassist, and composer, has had a distinguished career as a performer and composer in both jazz and classical music, playing at festivals, in concert halls, and in jazz clubs. He has recorded CDs of classical guitar music, original jazz, and orchestral film music. He has written jazz influenced music for many classical guitar soloists and ensembles, including Grammy winners David Russell and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. He was a professor of music at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he directed the guitar program and taught jazz studies for 27 years. He has a DMA from UT Austin and a MM from Florida State University, and a BM from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Matt moved permanently to Keene, NY in 2020 and since then has continued to perform, compose, and contribute to the area’s thriving arts scene, playing double bass in a variety of settings around the region. He is the president of East Branch Friends of the Arts and serves on the board of directors for the Essex County Arts council. 

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Meadowmount Ensembles

Saturday, August 1, 2026 – 7:00 PM

Saranac Methodist Church

NYS Route 3, Saranac NY 12981

Our Annual Free Concert!

Donations accepted for Meadowmount Scholarship Fund

We are privileged once again to be host for an off-campus concert by advanced string students of the Meadowmount School of Music. Founded in 1944 by the legendary Russian violinist and pedagogue Ivan Galamian, the school soon became – and continues to be today – a pre-eminent summer program for young musicians training for professional career in music. Located in Lewis, Meadowmount offers a bucolic environment with a balance between the enjoyment of nature and the pursuit of high art.

Alumni of Meadowmount have won every major competition worldwide and are among the very best of international soloists and chamber musicians, concertmasters and principal players of the world’s leading orchestras, and the distinguished artist-teachers in every major university and conservatory.  Among hundreds of distinguished artists who attended the Meadowmount School in their youth are Joshua Bell, Soovin Kim, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Pinchas Zuckerman.

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BREAKING NEWS!

In anticipation of the “big Beethoven year” — 2027 marking the 200th anniversary of the death of the great composer who changed the course of Western music — Vassily Primakov plans to record all of Beethoven’s piano sonatas (there are 32). Vassily and his piano partner/sound technician Natalia Lavrova will be in residence with us during the second half of August, staying at Harvey House and recording daily in the splendid acoustics of the Saranac Methodist Church. They are bringing in a piano, selected especially by Vassily for this project. That means there will be TWO exceptional 9-foot Steinways under the same roof in, of all places, Saranac — quite remarkable!

VASSILY PRIMAKOV & BEETHOVEN

solo piano

Sunday, August 23, 2026 – 4:00 PM

Saranac Methodist Church

NYS Route 3, Saranac NY 12981

$20 at the door – no reservations, no tickets required, just show up!

CONCERT PROGRAM #1

selection of two or three Beethoven piano sonatas – TBD

The Russian pianist, Vassily Primakov, first studied piano with his mother, Marina Primakova. He entered Moscow’s Central Special Music School at the age of 11 as a pupil of Vera Gornostaeva, and at 17 came to New York to pursue studies at the Juilliard School with the noted pianist, Jerome Lowenthal. At Juilliard Primakov won the William Petschek Piano Recital Award, which presented his debut recital at Alice Tully Hall, and while at Juilliard, aided by a Susan W. Rose Career Grant, he won both the Silver Medal and the Audience Prize in the 2002 Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition. Later that year Primakov won First Prize in the 2002 Young Concert Artists (YCA) International Auditions.

In recent years, Vassily Primakov has been hailed as a pianist of world class importance. Gramophone wrote that “Primakov’s empathy with Chopin’s spirit could hardly be more complete,” and the American Record Guide stated: “Since Gilels, how many pianists have the right touch? In Chopin, no one currently playing and recording sounds as good as this! This is a great Chopin pianist.” Music Web-International called Primakov’s Frédéric Chopin’s concertos CD “one of the great Chopin recordings of recent times. These are performances of extraordinary power and beauty.” In 1999, as a teen-aged prize-winner of the Cleveland International Piano Competition, Primakov was praised by Donald Rosenberg of the Cleveland Plain Dealer: “How many pianists can make a line sing as the 19-year-old Moscow native did on this occasion? Every poignant phrase took ethereal wing. Elsewhere the music soared with all of the turbulence and poetic vibrancy it possesses. We will be hearing much from this remarkable musician.”

In 2007 Vassily Primakov was named the Classical Recording Foundation’s “Young Artist of the Year.” In 2009, Primakov’s F. Chopin Mazurkas recording was named “Best of the Year” by National Public Radio and that same year he began recording the 27 W.A. Mozart piano concertos in Denmark. BBC Music Magazine (November 2010) praised the first volume of Primakov’s W.A. Mozart concertos: “The piano playing is of exceptional quality: refined, multi-coloured, elegant of phrase and immaculately balanced, both in itself and in relation to the effortlessly stylish orchestra. The rhythm is both shapely and dynamic, the articulation a model of subtlety. By almost every objective criterion, Vassily Primakov is a Mozartian to the manner born, fit to stand as a role model to a new generation.” Vassily Primakov’s recent recordings include: L.v. Beethoven Sonatas (Bridge Records); the F. Chopin Concertos (Bridge Records); Tchaikovsky: The Seasons and Grand Sonata (Bridge Records); F. Chopin: 21 Mazurkas (Bridge Records); Robert Schumann: Carnaval, Kreisleriana, Arabeske (Bridge Records); Dvorak: Piano Concerto, Op. 33; Poetic Tone-Pictures, Op. 85 (Bridge Records); Schubert: Dances and Impromptus (Bridge Records); W.A. Mozart Concertos, Vol. 1 (Bridge Records) and Vassily Primakov plays Brahms, Chopin & Scriabin, Primakov’s first film, issued on DVD (Bridge Records).

VIDEO

NATALIA LAVROVA & VASSILY PRIMAKOV

piano duo

Sunday, August 30, 2026 – 4:00 PM

Saranac Methodist Church

NYS Route 3, Saranac NY 12981

$20 at the door – no reservations, no tickets required, just show up!

CONCERT PROGRAM #2

Selection of works for TWO PIANOS – TBD

Natalia Lavrova has deftly combined an international performing career as piano soloist with a variety of pedagogical and arts administrative positions. Riveting performances anchored by impeccable technical grounding and enhanced by beguiling charm have won the hearts of audiences around the world. Solo and orchestral performances have taken Ms. Lavrova throughout her native Russia to Canada, France, Hungary, Italy, United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States. She has appeared in notable New York venues such as Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Steinway Hall. Ms. Lavrova has captured top prizes at the New Orleans, Isabel Scionti, Frinna Auerbach, Heidi Hermanns, Music Academy of the West, Silver Lake, and Senigallia International Piano Competitions.

Upon her debut at the Leeds International Piano Competition, Ms. Lavrova was the youngest performer of 1996 admitted to the quarterfinal round. Her repertoire of over 30 concertos, extensive solo recital programs, and substantial chamber music literature, including that of her partnership with pianist Vassily Primakov, includes works of Arensky, Clementi, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Brahms, Schubert, Liszt, Debussy, Milhaud, Godowsky, Saint-Saens, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Corigliano, Liebermann, Barber, van Eeden and more.

Born in Moscow, Ms. Lavrova entered the prestigious preparatory division of the Moscow Conservatory at the age of five and was subsequently accepted by The Juilliard School Pre-College Division as a pupil in the studio of Herbert Stessin. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music degrees at Juilliard, under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal. Ms. Lavrova is the founder and president of a very successful private school, Music School of New York City. She is a Yamaha Artist in Education.

VIDEO

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FORMOSA QUARTET

Sunday, October 4, 2026 – 3:00 PM

Saranac Methodist Church

NYS Route 3, Saranac NY 12981

$20 at the door – no reservations, no tickets required, just show up!

Winners of the First Prize and Amadeus Prize at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, the FORMOSA QUARTET has been hailed as “spellbinding” (The Strad) and “remarkably fine” (Gramophone), and has given critically acclaimed performances at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, the Da Camera Society of Los Angeles, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Wigmore Hall in London, die Glocke Bremen, and the Kammermusiksaal at the Berliner Philharmonie.

For two decades and counting, the Formosa Quartet has forged uncharted musical terrain in performances that go “beyond the beautiful and into the territory of unexpectedly thrilling… like shots of pure espresso” (MUSO Magazine). The founding members’ interest in championing Taiwanese music and Indigenous cultures has since expanded to include the exploration of the rich folk traditions and heritages found in America today. Whether in its uncompromisingly exploratory approach to the standard quartet literature; its socio-culturally probing “American Mirror” program concept; or its unique “Sets” curated from its collection of folk, pop, jazz, and poetry arrangements, the Formosa Quartet is committed to an insatiable search for the fresh and new in string quartet expression.

CONCERT PROGRAM

Dana Wilson – 2 Hungarian Folksongs

Johannes Brahms – String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 67

Bela Bartok – String Quartet No. 5

A Formosa Quartet “Set”

VIDEOS

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EAST of the RIVER

medieval European music & traditional music of the Sephardic diaspora

Sunday, November 15, 2026 – 3:00 PM

Saranac Methodist Church

NYS Route 3, Saranac NY 12981

$20 at the door – no reservations, no tickets required, just show up!

East of the River, founded by internationally renowned recorder players Nina Stern and Daphna Mor, explores the virtuosic and haunting melodies of the Sephardic diaspora, the traditions of the Middle East, Armenia, North Africa and the Balkans as well as the timeless gems of the Medieval European classical repertory.  East of the River’s music is arranged and interpreted by musicians steeped in jazz, folk and classical traditions.

The group has performed on concert series at the National Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.), Chautauqua Institution, San Francisco Society for Early Music, Seattle Early Music, Da Camera Society (Los Angeles), Early Music Now (Milwaukee), Madison Early Music Festival, Academy of Early Music (Ann Arbor), Indianapolis Early Music, Five Boroughs Music Festival (New York, NY), Peak Performances (Montclair State University), the Logan Series at Penn State Erie, and in New York City venues as varied as Bargemusic, Joe’s Pub, Le Poisson Rouge, and the Brooklyn Public Library. East of the River has been featured on several occasions at WQXR’s annual Chanukah celebration at The Greene Space.

Stern and Mor, called “recorder virtuosos” by The New York Times, each have impressive careers as soloists and chamber music players and have appeared as a duo with the New York Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Music Before 1800, The American Classical Orchestra, and at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine’s renowned New Year’s Eve concert for Peace. In East of the River, Stern and Mor are often joined by acclaimed performers such as Ara Dinkjian on oud, Shane Shanahan and John Hadfield on percussion, Zafer Tawil on violin, Tamer Pinarbasi on kanun, Kane Mathis on oud and kora, Tal Masiasch on bass. East of the River’s various musicians have recorded and performed with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Philip Glass, Jordi Savall, Sting, Natalie Merchant, Paul Simon, and Joyce DiDonato. East of the River has recorded three albums: its self-titled debut album, Levantera, and Ija Mia, recently released on AVIE.

VIDEO

This performance took place at Music Before 1800 on Sep. 21, 2025. Video was captured and edited by Tatiana Daubek; audio captured by Robert Anderson.

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JOSEPH PARRISH, BARITONE

with the

Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir

Sunday, February 7, 2027 – 3:00 PM

E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium, SUNY Plattsburgh

Advance Ticketing TBA – stay tuned!

“impressive… a round, potent, take-notice voice” – OPERAWIRE

Joseph Parrish made his New York City solo recital debut at Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Hall in a performance co-presented by Washington Performing Arts with the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir as a follow up to his Kennedy Center debut the previous season with the same program. He joined MasterVoices to sing the role of Earl Mann’s Cellmate/Edward Vernon/Ensemble in Davenport Richards and Cote’s Blind Injustice and Town Hall NYC as James Baldwin in Sneed and Chilton’s The Tongue and the Lash. On the concert stage, Joseph performed as bass soloist in Händel’s Messiah with the Oratorio Society at Carnegie Hall and Richmond Symphony, Christus in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Musica Sacra, and baritone soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with The Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts.

Additional notable engagements include performances with Ames Town & Gown, the Harriman-Jewell Series, Detroit Chamber Music Society alongside the Miro String Quartet, Newport Classical, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Caramoor’s Schwab Vocal Rising Stars, Death of Classical, Carnegie Hall Citywide Concerts, The Kravis Center (West Palm Beach, FL), New York Festival of Song, and concerts with New York’s American Classical Orchestra, Bay Atlantic Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Aiken Symphony, Princeton Pro Musica, and the Ann Arbor Symphony.

Joseph made his European opera debut with the Salzburg Festival as Potapitsch in Prokofiev’s The Gambler and his European solo recital debut at the Usedomer Music Festival. He also debuted on the main stage with Cincinnati Opera, singing Masetto in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and joined Parlando NYC for a semi-staged production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mozart e Salieri, as Salieri. Previous operatic highlights include the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Dr. Cajus in Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, and Dulcamara in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at Juilliard. A champion of both early and modern music, Joseph has sung the roles of Augure in Rossi’s L’Orfeo, Il Sacerdote di Minerva in Händel’s Teseo, and Sodbuster in Mazzoli and Vavrek’s Proving Up. He has also participated in masterclasses with Stéphane Degout, Denyce Graves, and Hartmut Höll.

Last season Joseph appeared in recital with Ashmont Hill Chamber Music, New York Festival of Song, Baruch Performing Arts Center, and Weinberg Center for the Arts. He also appeared as soloist with the Maryland Symphony, Anchorage Symphony, Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall, Concert Artists of Baltimore, and Cathedral of St. John the Divine. He also appeared alongside members of The Orchestra of St. Luke’s in a chamber music program that will tour throughout the five boroughs of NYC. He was a recipient of the 2024 Sullivan Grant, a member of the Salzburger Festspiele Young Singers Project for the 2024 festival season, and a third prize winner in the Opera Index Voice Competition 2024. In addition to his achievements on the competition stage, Joseph is winner of the 2022 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions.

Joseph is deeply committed to giving back to the communities that have supported him. He has served as a Music Advancement Program chorus teaching fellow and a Gluck Community Service fellow at the Juilliard School. Additionally, he frequently collaborates with Voices for Bolivia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of impoverished elderly in Bolivia. Joseph holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the Juilliard School.

PROGRAM

Exact repertoire has yet to be determined, but here is the game plan: For the first half of the program Joseph will sing classical art song accompanied by his pianist from New York. After intermission on the second half, the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir, led by Dexter Criss, will perform a couple of solo numbers. Then Joseph will again come onstage to sing three songs as soloist with the Gospel Choir. With all this talent, this is sure to be an amazing concert!

VIDEO

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LUNASA

Sunday, March 7, 2027 – 3:00 PM

Strand Theater, Plattsburgh NY

Ticketing online or in-person: Strand Center for the Arts Box Office

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honour of the Irish god Lugh, Lúnasa was formed in 1997 from members of some of the greatest Irish groups of the previous decade, an early review from Folk Roots magazine describing the band as an “Irish music dream team”. From the start, the band’s complex arrangements and unique sound reshaped the boundaries of traditional music and energized audiences the world over. Critical acclaim followed, The Irish Echo describing the band as the “the hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet;” MOJO magazine named the band “the new gods of Irish music,” adding that “nobody since the Bothies has wielded such a thrilling rhythmic underlay.” Billboard raved that “anybody who listens can’t help but find them contagious.” 

Having since performed over 3,000 shows across 36 countries, Lúnasa has won multiple awards and become one of the most influential bands in the history of traditional music.  Collaborations with singers Natalie Merchant, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, and Tim O’Brien and high-profile concerts at The Hollywood Bowl, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Glastonbury Festival and Bercy Arena Paris, helped broaden the band’s audience and cement its place at the forefront of contemporary Irish music.  

Lúnasa’s current lineup features: Trevor Hutchinson, who achieved fame as the bassist with the The Waterboys and Sharon Shannon; piper Cillian Vallely was a member of Riverdance and recorded with Bruce Springsteen; flute player Kevin Crawford, considered one of Ireland’s greatest flute players, was a member of Moving Cloud; award-winning fiddler Sean Smyth, who performed with Donal Lunny’s legendary Coolfin and accordionist Alan Kelly; guitarist Ed Boyd made a name for himself in the UK folk scene with bands such as Flook, Kate Rusby, and Cara Dillon.  

The band are currently celebrating the release of their 10^th album “Live in Kyoto”, an album of new material that was recorded in the legendary Taku Taku club in Kyoto, Japan in Dec 2023. 

REVIEWS

“The result is a satisfying, well-tailored programme delivered with the distinctive blending of tightly reciprocal but almost casually dispatched ensemble playing that has become the quintet’s signature.” Songlines Magazine

“The playing here is exceptional, even by Lúnasa standards and while the music is very well done, it wouldn’t be as impactful were the recording itself not as good it is” The Irish Echo, New York

“On Live in Kyoto, you will find timeless, prodigiously performed, elegant, modern pieces that combine technical skill with deeply rooted Irish folk music traditions. The musicians deliver impeccable solos, ensemble pieces and brilliant instrumental interplay.” World Music Central

VIDEOS

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HENRY KRAMER, PIANO

Sunday, April 11, 2027 – 3:00 PM

Saranac Methodist Church

NYS Route 3, Saranac NY 12981

$20 at the door – no reservations, no tickets required, just show up!

Praised by The Cleveland Classical Review for his “astonishingly confident technique” and The New York Times for “thrilling [and] triumphant” performances, pianist Henry Kramer is developing a reputation as a musician of rare sensitivity who combines stylish programming with insightful and exuberant interpretations.  In 2016, he garnered international recognition with a Second Prize win in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. Most recently, he was awarded a 2019 Avery Fisher Career Grant by Lincoln Center – one of the most coveted honors bestowed on young American soloists.

Kramer began playing piano at the relatively late age of 11 in his hometown of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. One day, he found himself entranced by the sound of film melodies as a friend played them on the piano, inspiring him to teach himself on his family’s old upright. His parents enrolled him in lessons shortly thereafter, and within weeks, he was playing Chopin and Mozart.

Henry emerged as a winner in the National Chopin Competition in 2010, the Montreal International Competition in 2011 and the China Shanghai International Piano Competition in 2012.  In 2014 he was added to the roster of Astral Artists, an organization that annually selects a handful of rising stars among strings, piano, woodwinds and voice candidates. The following year, he earned a top prize in the Honens International Piano Competition.  

Kramer has performed “stunning” solo recital debuts, most notably at Alice Tully Hall as the recipient of the Juilliard School’s William Petschek Award, as well as at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw.  At his Philadelphia debut, Peter Dobrin of The Philadelphia Inquirer remarked, “the 31-year-old pianist personalized interpretations to such a degree that works emerged anew. He is a big personality.”  

A versatile performer, Kramer has been featured as soloist with orchestras around the world, including the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Hartford Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestras, among many others, collaborating with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Gerard Schwarz, Stéphane Denève, Jan Pascal Tortelier and Hans Graf. He has also performed recitals in cities such as Washington (Phillips Collection), Durham (St. Stephens), Hilton Head (BravoPiano! festival), and Seattle (Emerald City Music) and made summer appearances at the Anchorage, Lakes Area, Rockport, and Vivo music festivals. Recent appearances include a debut with New York’s Salon Séance and recitals at Bargemusic, Newport Classical, the Phillips Collection, Ravinia, Northwestern University’s Winter Chamber Music Festival, Toronto’s Koerner Hall, Vancouver Chamber Music Society, and Cecilia Concerts in Halifax. Highlights of the 2025-26 season include performances with the Baton Rouge Symphony, Southwest Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Windham Festival Chamber Orchestra, and performances at the Polinger Artists of Excellence Series at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington, the Seattle Series, Artist Series of Sarasota, Portland Ovations, Salle Bourgie in Montreal, Parlance Chamber Concerts, and a solo recital presented by the American Piano Association in New York City.

His love for the chamber music repertoire began early in his studies while a young teenager.  A sought-after collaborator, he has appeared in recitals at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Mainly Mozart Festival, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and La Jolla Music Society’s Summerfest.  His recording with violinist Jiyoon Lee on the Champs Hill label received four stars from BBC Music Magazine. This year, Gramophone UK praised Kramer’s performance on a recording collaboration (Cedille Records) with violist Matthew Lipman for “exemplary flexible partnership.”  Henry has also performed alongside Emmanuel Pahud, the Calidore and Pacifica Quartets, Miriam Fried, as well as members of the Berlin Philharmonic and Orchestra of St. Luke’s.  

Teaching ranks among his greatest joys. In the fall of 2022, Kramer joined the music faculty of Université de Montréal. Previously, he served as the L. Rexford Whiddon Distinguished Chair in Piano at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. Throughout his multifaceted career, he also held positions at Smith College and the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory of Dance and Music.

Kramer graduated from the Juilliard School, where he worked with Julian Martin and Robert McDonald. He received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Yale School of Music under the guidance of Boris Berman.  His teachers trace a pedagogical lineage extending back to Beethoven, Chopin and Busoni. Kramer is a Steinway Artist.

PRESS/REVIEWS

“…Henry Kramer [was] triumphant in a thrilling performance of [Prokofiev’s] Sixth Sonata.”  — The New York Times

“This is a pianist of enormous talent. Venue be damned, the music made it an event.”  — The Philadelphia Inquirer

“After a dark and quietly expressive performance of Bach’s G-sharp Prelude and Fugue (WTC I), pianist Henry Kramer pulled off a thrilling and nearly flawless performance of Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Paganini. Playing with astonishingly confident technique, steady rhythm and masterful pacing, he dazzled the ear for 25 straight minutes. There’s not much more to say about it than, ‘Wow!’”  — Cleveland Classical Review

“…the third movement of Ravel’s Presto was superb under Kramer’s hands, executed with light dexterity and tonal sensitivity.”  — International Piano Magazine

“He produced a most exceptionally rich sound, big-boned in certain respects yet intimate when it mattered. He traversed [Beethoven’s A Major Sonata (Op. 101)]’s wide-ranging emotions with great sensitivity, wistful for the opening theme and somber in the third movement, and when the gloves came off for the second movement’s march and the valedictory finale, he swept everything before him.”  — Pianomania

“… as technically flawless and precise as a faceted diamond…”  — Portland Press Herald

“Henry Kramer in Prokofiev’s Sixth Sonata was especially successful in investing this fingerbuster with expressive character.”  — Musical America

PROGRAM

J.S. Bach: Italian Concerto, BWV 971

Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83

Schubert: Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960

VIDEO

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CORDÂME

May 16, 2027 – 4:00 PM

Saranac Methodist Church

NYS Route 3, Saranac NY 12981

$20 at the door – no reservations, no tickets required, just show up!

Cordâme is a Montreal-based ensemble formed in 2004 and led by composer and double bassist Jean Félix Mailloux. The group explores the intersection of classical music, jazz, and world influences, crafting evocative and richly textured soundscapes. For Cordâme’s recent 20th anniversary Mailloux curated a program blending original compositions with reimagined works by Ravel, Debussy, and Satie, including Daphnis et Chloé, Gnossiennes, and Trois morceaux en forme de poires. His own pieces, such as À vol de colibri, Naïve, and Plante Caméléon, reflect Cordâme’s evolving sound while paying tribute to these great masters.

Cordâme has earned critical acclaim with 11 albums, international tours across Quebec, Canada, the U.S., and Asia, and awards including the 2025 Opus Prize for Jazz Concert of the Year in 2025 for Fabula Femina and Album of the Year in 2013 for Lieux imaginés, and an ADISQ (Québec Association for the Recording, Concert and Video Industries) nomination for Da Vinci Inventions. Their Satie Variations tour was a finalist for the 2018 Rideau Touring Award, was the winner of Accès Culture Award 2016-1017 and featured over 55 performances around the province of Quebec.

Jean Félix Mailloux holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the Université de Montréal. A versatile and sought-after musician, he is active in multiple projects as a composer, producer, arranger, and double bassist. He is artistic director of Cordâme, and also involved in other acclaimed projects, including the world-jazz trio Bomata, which released two critically acclaimed albums, and the Jean Félix Mailloux Trio, known for its album Aurores boréales. Over the years he has collaborated with a wide range of renowned artists, including Manela, Solawa, the Huu Bac Quintet, Perséides, Jorane, Zal Sissokho, and Nozen, all of whom have received significant recognition. He frequently works in film music with composer Robert M. Lepage. A prolific composer, Mailloux has created works for theater, dance, and film, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Cirque du Soleil, and the Conseil des arts de Montréal.

PRESS/REVIEWS

“A bassist of restraint, density, and a composer whose work takes us on a journey.” — Serge Truffaut, Le Devoir, Montreal

“One of the rare jazz bassists whose instrument truly sings across all registers.” — Dominique Denis, L’Express, Toronto

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RECENT EVENTS

Anthony Trionfo, flute with duo guitarists Miles Johnston and Michael Vascones – May 24, 2026 at the Saranac Methodist Church. This was an exquisite combination of sonorities and a program that allowed the players to express that to its fullest. Our audience responded with spontaneous appreciation. Works performed included the Sonata in E minor, BWV 1034 by J.S. Bach, Seven Canciones Populares Españolas by Manuel de Falla, and an assortment of Tangos by Astor Piazzolla, as well as contemporary works by Krzysztof Zgraja, Ian Clarke, and Michael Grebla.

François-Félix Roy and Nicolas Babineau – May 3, 2026 at Weatherwatch Farm. Québécois musicians François-Félix and Nicola were artists-in-residence with us working on a project to develop “new old” music for their next album. François-Félix has been researching the traditional music of his ancestors from the Magdalen Islands and he discovered a treasure trove to mine. The duo shared the fruits of their work – music and stories – with about 40 friends in an informal house concert.

Kiran Ahluwalia – April 12, 2026 at the Strand Theater. Ravishing vocals showcase the rich musical styles of India and Pakistan with her ensemble of guitar, accordion, organ, bass, tabla, and drum kit.  Her musical roots delve deep into Sufi, Qawalli, Ghazal, and Punjabi Folk for her contemporary compositions that effortlessly blend lyrical introspection with enticing rhythmic allure, soulfully intertwining the sounds of West African Blues and Jazz, and transcending cultural boundaries. A unique and captivating music experience!

Tapestry – March 8, 2026 at the Saranac Methodist Church. High energy eclectic ensemble of soprano and mezzo-soprano voices, clarinet, guitar and accordion offered their popular “Postcards From France,” a delightful program of Breton and Occitan folksongs, French classical and impressionist artsongs performed in a contemporary vein and interwoven with rousing instrumental dance music. Even some Edith Piaf and Josephine Baker and Django Reinhardt!

Hank Knox & La Folia – November 23, 2025 at the Saranac Methodist Church. Renowned harpsichord wizard Hank Knox joined with the extraordinary baroque violinists Dorian Bandy and Catherine Cosbey for a fascinating program The Still Point of the Turning World: baroque ground basses featuring works by Bach, Biber, Handel, Telemann, Vivaldi, Storace and Uccellini and demonstrating the astonishing creativity of “variation sets” over a repetitive bass line. We were stunned by the artists’ virtuosity, and also moved by their exquisitely sensitive and beautiful playing.

Slavic Soul Party! – October 12, 2025. Fiery Balkan brass, irresistible beats, Romani (Gypsy) accordion wizardry, and virtuoso jazz chops filled the Strand Theater with an over-the-top energetic, ringing performance. Nine virtuoso musicians pumped the sounds of Balkan-Soul-Gypsy-Funk such as has not been heard before in this neck o’ the woods. Each artist stepped forward for extended solos and then rejoined the ensemble seamlessly, organically. The band promised a party and a party we had!!

The Zodiac Trio – September 21, 2025. Recognized as one of the foremost clarinet-violin-piano ensembles performing internationally today, the Zodiac Trio includes Kliment Krylovskiy, Vanessa Mollard and Riko Higuma. Their program “The Masters” featured iconic works from the first half of the 20th century: Milhaud’s Suite, Op. 157b; Stravinsky’s L’histoire du soldat; Khachaturian’s Trio; and Bartok’s Contrasts. It was a powerful program, superbly delivered.

Martin Shamoonpour & Kenny Vymyslicky – August 23, 2025. Two super creative multi-instrumentalists (daf, flutes, recorders, jaw-harp, percussion, mandolin, banjo, bass) performed their signature fusion of traditional Persian and electronic music at the outdoor Lake City Arts Fest in downtown Plattsburgh. The day was gorgeous, audience turnout was excellent, the vibe was mellow, and the duo’s music was great!

Summer Jazz House Party – July 6, 2025. The Larry Ham-Paul Meyers Quartet entertained over 100 guests at a fundraising event at Weatherwatch Farm. That’s Larry Ham, piano; Paul Meyers, guitar, Matt Dunne, bass; and Tom Melito, drums. They delivered the goods! These artists’ friendship began 50 years ago, when they were students at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. In the intervening years their separate careers in jazz have led them in many directions, but they love reuniting every summer for an Adirondack tour.

Alexander Quartet – June 8, 2025. Farewell concert by one of the great string quartets of our time, who are concluding their 44-year career at the end of this season. The Alexanders performed a memorable program of beloved works: Haydn’s String Quartet in G major, Op. 77, No. 1 and Schubert’s String Quartet in D minor, D. 810 “Death and the Maiden.” Kian Ravaei’s The Little Things, composed in 2023, was a revelation to our audience – they loved it! Apparently the Alexander Quartet plans to record it in the fall before disbanding.

Constantinople – May 4, 2025. Ancient Persian and traditional Senegalise music wedded together in a contemporary fusion had our audience transfixed during an amazing 75-minute performance by Mandinka griot Ablaye Cissoko on kora and setar virtuoso (and Constantinople artistic director) Kiya Tabassian with percussion magic by Patrick Graham. The sound of the plucked strings together was heavenly! Ablaye and Kiya also sang several numbers with beautiful mellifluous voices. The program was “Traversées” – in English, “Crossings: A Musical Journey from the Orient to the New World Through Africa.” Both sonically as well as visually, a veritable feast for the senses!

Lúnasa – March 9, 2025. The renowned Irish band performed at Plattsburgh’s Strand Theater for some 500 lively listeners. The flutist and story teller Kevin Crawford really got the crowd going – great audience participation! Some of our friends expressed that this was the best-ever show they’ve seen at the Strand; and the band expressed how much they appreciated the theater’s beauty and acoustics, as well as the audience’s warm response and engagement. The musicians were Kevin Crawford, Sean Smyth, Cillian Vallely, Ed Boyd, and Trevor Hutchinson on flute, whistles, fiddle, Uilleann pipes, guitar, and stand-up bass – each a phenomen in his own right. Truly an Irish music “dream team”!

Le Vent du Nord – February 9, 2025. The hottest, liveliest, most beloved Québécois traditional music band delighted more than 400 in the Strand Theater in Plattsburgh. The instruments of five virtuoso and charismatic artists included a pair of fiddles, two pairs of tapping feet, five voices with hurdy-gurdy, keyboard, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, accordion, bass, and jaw harp. The rousing show brought dancers into the aisles and the audience to its feet. We were especially pleased that the French language teachers from several area schools organized busses and brought their students to the show. What a tremendous experience for those kids! Everybody had a great time!!

Clayton Stephenson, piano – December 1, 2024 at the Saranac Methodist Church. The exceptionally gifted young pianist gave a virtuoso performance (entirely from memory) of a challenging program of very big, significant works: Beethoven Sonata No. 30 in E Major, op. 109; Bach-Busoni Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1004; Stravinsky Trois mouvements de Petrouchka; Gershwin-Say “Summertime Variations,” and Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue. It was a brilliant idea to begin the concert with Scarlatti Sonata in E Major, K. 380, a brief little gem to capture and focus the audience’s attention before launching into late Beethoven. As an encore he offered Art Tatum’s version of “Tea for Two” – perfectly charming! Clayton Stephenson performed a similar program, slightly pared down, for the residents of Lake Forest Senior Living Community.

ARKAI – November 3, 2024. The classically trained electroacoustic duo that is taking the world by storm made another conquest at the Strand Theater, Plattsburgh on their debut album release tour. Their recording “Crossroads” speaks to the point of departure from a strict classical music background into unknown new sonic territory. Whether a cover or an original composition ARKAI’s performances are unique and spellbinding. Multi-instrumentalists Martin Shamoonpour and Kenny Vymislicky opened with a mesmerizing set blending Middle Eastern folk with electronic and ambient sounds.

Tim Collins & Quadro Nuevo – October 13, 2024 at the Strand Theater, Plattsburgh. Such excitement for the homecoming concert by Tim Collins! Tim now resides in Munich and has a thriving career performing Jazz throughout Europe. He brought his favorite ensemble Quadro Nuevo from Germany with whom he frequently performs and tours, who are renowned in their own right – delightful, scintillating personalities and outstanding artists. They all gave a sensational performance at the historic Strand in downtown Plattsburgh!

Chien-Kim-Watkins Trio – September 22, 2024 at the Saranac Methodist Church. An “off-the-charts” stellar program featured three significant works for piano, violin, and cello: Pierre Jalbert’s Piano Trio No. 2 (2014); Robert Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 63 (1847); and Maurice Ravel’s Piano Trio in A Minorn(1914). Pianist Gloria Chien, violinist Soovin Kim, and cellist Paul Watkins gave a magnificent performance for a full house just shy of 200. These renowned artists are at the height of their powers and the fact that they are good friends only adds to their dynamic energy and magnetism.

Off-Campus Meadowmount Concert – August 3, 2024 at the Saranac Methodist Church. A classical chamber music concert performed by 13 students and faculty from the iconic summer training program. The talent and dedication of the young artists are truly extraordinary; this annual concert never ceases to amaze and delight. Free concert but donations are gratefully collected and then rounded up to $1000 by Hill and Hollow Music for Meadowmount’s scholarship fund.

For more info about the program or menu please call Hill and Hollow Music at 518-293-7613 or email ambrown.hillholl@gmail.com

Rob Schwimmer – March 10, 2024 – Theremin, Haken Continuum, and jazz piano extraordinaire, all at the Saranac Methodist Church. This event was more of a lecture-demonstration than a formal concert, because there were so many questions from the audience. There was genuine curiosity and fascination and Rob enjoyed the interaction. Rob is a very funny guy – he could almost be the Victor Borge of the theremin!

ARKAI – January 28, 2024 – Award-winning electroacoustic violin-cello duo of stunned our audience with a tour-de-force performance at the Saranac Fire Hall, fusing progressive classical, pop, rock, jazz, folk, and global music with contemporary technology. They played their own signature arrangements of songs by Michael Jackson, Leonard Cohen, Charlie Chaplin, the Beatles, A-Ha, and Joji, plus several originals; all combining the beauty of classical virtuosity with the electricity of a rock band and the spontaneity of a jazz combo. An additional concert was presented in collaboration with Lake Flower Landing in Saranac Lake. Both shows completely sold out! ARKAI also spent a day with string students at Peru Central School giving workshops and a performance.

INTERWOVEN – November 12, 2023 – Six virtuoso artists from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan performed captivatingly beautiful contemporary soundscapes of Asia and Europe on traditional Asian instruments koto, erhu, piri, and saenghwang alongside violin, viola, and cello in compositions by Daron Hagen, Thomas Osborne, Theodor Wiprud, gamin, Yang Yong, Liu TianHua and Chen YaoXing. The amazing ensemble is the vision of Grammy Award-winning violinst Keiko Tokunaga. Interwoven performed concerts at Lake Forest Senior Living and Peru Central School and held discussion and workshops with string students at PCS.

Dogtober with Cattitude! – October 29, 2023 was the brain- and heart-child of violist Patricia McCarty, who rallied friends to create a touching program inspired by the love of animals. Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, performed spectacularly by Rose Chancler and Jennifer Moore, with Ogden Nash verses narrated by Benjamin Pomerance, was a highlight. Other excellent regional performers include Janice Kyle, oboe; Janine Scherline, clarinet; Michael Emery, violin; Bill Zito, guitar; and Patti McCarty. The concert raised $1,495 for the Elmore SPCA – such a worthy cause!

Alexander String Quartet – October 15, 2023: The eminent string quartet from San Francisco was brought back by popular demand for a second year in a row – and a very good turnout of 130+ heard them perform an unusual program: Gradual of Tarik O’Regan, String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56 “Voces Intimae” of Sibelius, and Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 68 (1944) of Shostakovich. As a “palate cleanser” for an encore, they offered a brisk scherzo movement from one of Haydn’s opus 33 quartets – magnificent!

Paul Winter Consort – September 4, 2023: From points far and wide throughout the Adirondacks, 450 gathered under a large tent at Weatherwatch Farm on a sultry Labor Day afternoon to see and hear the much-beloved Paul Winter Consort perform their latest signature program “This Glorious Earth.” Iconic favorite pieces included “Sun Singer,” “The Well-Tempered Wood Thrush,” “The Voyage Home,” “Wolf Eyes,” and of course, “Icarus.” The seven-time Grammy Award winning ensemble did not stint. The concert lasted almost three hours!

Meadowmount School of Music Off-Campus Concert – August 5, 2022: What a special joy and privilege to hear the Young Artists and Artist Faculty of the revered, intensive summer music “camp” perform two very substantial works: Dohnany’s Serenade in C Major for String Trio, Op.10 and Tchaikovsky’s String Sextet in D minor, Op.70 “Souvenir de Florence.” About 70 attended the concert. Generous free-will donations totaling $1000 were made to the Meadowmount scholarship fund.

Dara Anissi Ensemble – November 19 and 20, 2022: Dara Anissi on the oud joined with Nikolai Ruskin and Martin Shamoonpour on frame drums (daf and riq) and dumbek, as well as violin, ney, recorder, and pipes. The trio from Ithaca gave two fabulous fascinating shows at the Saranac Fire Hall, playing mostly original music written by Anissi, whose influences are drawn from Persian, Arab, and Turkic music, as well as some iconic traditional tunes. 

Alexander String Quartet – October 2, 2022: The super-duper San Francisco-based ensemble performed a memorable program at the Methodist Church featuring Mozart’s String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, K589 (1790); Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13 (1889); and Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 (1893). They drew a good crowd of 100 who were hungry for and deeply appreciative of their highest level of artistry. They play on a matched set of instruments made by Francis Kuttner, known as the Ellen M. Egger Quartet.

Paul Meyers’ World on a String – September 5, 2022:  Brazilian-inspired jazz trio warmed up a chilly day at Weatherwatch Farm. Three friends who form the core of World on a String – Paul Meyers on nylon string guitar, Leo Traversa on electric bass, and Vanderlei Pereira on drums and percussion – created a cozy atmosphere inside the tent with expressive music grounded in intricate Brazilian rhythms. About 100 turned out for a totally mellow and satisfying show.

The Will Patton Ensemble – August 21, 2022: Over 100 gathered for an afternoon of lively and poignant music by the Will Patton Ensemble, a seasoned band of six amigos, crème de la crème of Vermont virtuosos playing classic Gypsy jazz hits  Café Manouche, Le Marais, and Chez Tchavolo; Brazilian choro favorites Parana, Nao Me Toques, Caro Raul, and Choro for Rachel; Jazz standards like Sweet Lorraine; Québécois trad tunes Ste. Béatrice and Ste. Anne; and the nostalgic bittersweet Upper Valley Waltz. And much more!

Meadowmount School of Music Concert – August 9, 2022: Eight wonderfully talented and accomplished students performed a beautiful and challenging program that included Beethoven’s String Trio No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 9; Ysaÿe’s Sonata for Solo Violin, No. 5 in G Major, Op. 27 Pastorale; and Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 6 in F Minor, Op. 80. These young virtuosos are so dedicated and full of promise – we wish them well!

Alon Goldstein, piano with the Fine Arts Quartet – July 24, 2022: The celebrated Israeli-American pianist Alon Goldstein joined with the venerable Fine Arts Quartet and the rising double-bass phenom Lizzie Burns in an exciting concert collaboration featuring two piano concerti of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (arr. Ignaz Lachner): Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, K459 and Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K503. And to shake things up midway through – a palette cleanser – the Fine Arts Quartet performed String Quartet No. 2 “Company” of Philip Glass. Definitely a WOW event!

Calmus – April 24, 2022: The award-winning, world-traveling vocal quintet from Leipzig, Germany performed “Faith and Madness” at the Church of the Assumption in Redford. There were many glowing moments in the program that included sacred works by Palestrina, Schütz, C.P. Bach, J.S. Bach and Altnikol (J.S. Bach’s son-in-law) and secular madrigals by Monteverdi, Gesualdo, Janéquin, and Flecha. There was not a dry eye in the house when Calmus offered Lysenko’s “Prayer for Ukraine” as an encore.

Infusion Baroque – March 13, 2022: The prize-winning Montreal all-gal early music ensemble gave a pre-concert talk and performed their signature program “Virtuosa” featuring the music of women musicians of the 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th centuries, including Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677), Anna Bon (1738-1769), Wilhelmine von Bayreuth (1709-1758), Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen (1745-1818), Élizabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre (1665-1729).

Le Vent du Nord – February 6, 2022: The crème de la crème of Québécois bands gave a smoking performance to a full house of 185 enthusiasts at the Assumption of Mary School in Redford. It was one of the premiere performances launching Le Vent du Nord’s 20th anniversary tour – entitled “20 Printemps” or “20 Springs” – of all new material (traditional and originals). The band rocked the house!

November 21, 2021: Patricia McCarty, viola and Bill Zito, guitar and lute – The duo’s rich program featured music from the Renaissance to the 21^st century, including works by Dowland, Telemann, Giuliani, Nin, Villa-Lobos, Granados, de Falla, Gunter Braun, and Roberto Sierra. The concert was held in the historic Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel on the former military base, and was produced by Hill and Hollow Music for the benefit of the chapel.

November 14, 2021: Horszowski Trio – Jesse Mills, violin; Ole Akahoshi, cello; and Rieko Aizawa, piano performed Dvorak’s “Dumky” Trio, No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 90; Rebecca Clarke’s Piano Trio; and Schumann’s Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 63 for a full house of 140. This concert had to be cancelled and rescheduled twice because of the covid pandemic. It was well worth waiting for – they are an extraordinary ensemble. 

October 3, 2021: Dana Muller and Gary Steigerwalt, four-hands piano – The duo were with us for a week’s residency that included community outreach events and preparation for the premiere of a new work written for them by Pulitzer composer Lewis Spratlan. Spratlan gave a pre-concert talk about both of his works being performed by the duo that day – Fantasia and Dreamworlds – for which Muller and Steigerwalt demo’d key passages. Other works performed were Debussy’s Prélude de l’après-midi d’un faune; Mendelssohn’s La Valse. 

September 6, 2021: Cantrip – Scottish Traditional Music – Dan Houghton on border pipes, flutes, whistles, and vocals; Alasdair White on fiddle; and Eric McDonald on guitar and vocals. Their music cast a spell over a large crowd and time stood still while the trio wove together stories and tunes on a rainy afternoon under the canopy. When the sun finally broke through, folks burst into spontaneous combustible dancing!

August 7-8, 2021: Tim Collins Jazz Quintet – An ad hoc ensemble of old friends from grad school and early professional days in New York City who nowadays all have high-octane international careers: Ingrid Jensen, trumpet; John Ellis, tenor sax; Tim Collins, vibes; Marcos Varela, bass; Jon Wikan, drums. They played two outdoor shows – Curbside at Harborside in Plattsburgh and Weatherwatch Farm in Saranac – of mostly original compositions of Christine Jensen and Tim Collins. Some unusual colors and sonorities there – over-the-top beautiful!

July 17-18, 2021: Mazel Tov Cocktail Party, clarinet-wizard David Krakauer’s newest band, gave premiere performances at Curbside at Harborside in Plattsburgh and Weatherwatch Farm in Saranac. Members of the international all-star ensemble include Kathleen Tagg, keys and cello; Sarah MK, vocals and rap; Yoshie Fruchter, guitar and oud; Jerome Harris, bass and vocals; and Martin Shamoonpour, daf and jaw harp. Klezmer-infused traditional square dance, polka, hornpipe, calypso, and hora got everyone up dancing in the parking lot and on the lawn!

June 19, 2021: Kathryn Sloat, harp, performed her signature “Moon and Stars” program of 20th- and 21st- century works under a tent on the lawn of Weatherwatch Farm. It was a glorious evening paired with glorious music! Works performed included those of Tournier, Salzedo, Debussy, Britten, Aspinall, Lizotte, Salazar, Schmidt, and Mancini.

November 28-29, 2020: Gretchen Koehler and Daniel Kelly performed a virtual house concert celebrating the release of their new album “LIVE from Hill and Hollow.” There were three streams during Thanksgiving weekend. The house concert and CD feature traditional fiddle tunes as well as originals by both Gretchen and Daniel.

October 16, 17, and 18, 2020: Alon Goldstein performed three solo piano recitals at Weatherwatch Farm. Attendance was limited to only 12 masked guests at each performance, owing to safety concerns during the pandemic. It was truly amazing to have such an intimate musical encounter with this powerful artist who has performed in major concert halls around the globe. Programs included J. S. Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Florence Price, Bernstein, Chopin, and Scarlatti .

September 6, 2020: Patricia (Patti) McCarty, viola and William (Bill) Zito, guitar performed a beautiful outdoor concert at Weatherwatch Farm on a warm sunny Sunday afternoon. We pitched a canopy on the east lawn and audience (masked) mostly brought their own chairs and were scattered around to maintain safe distancing. Sonatas of Locatelli and Paganini were offered, with short works by Beethoven, Ravel, Ibert, Albeniz, and a premiere of a work composed for the duo by John Hawkins.

August 28 and August 30, 2020: Television Broadcast of Breath & Hammer on Mountain Lake PBS. The extraordinary program of David Krakauer and Kathleen Tagg was beautifully filmed and edited by Mountain Lake PBS in the Saranac Methodist Church. The 70-minute program is a passionate, eclectic musical journey pushing beyond the boundaries of the traditional clarinet and piano duo, with Debussy’s “Première Rhapsodie,” John Zorn’s “Parzial,” Kinan Azmeh’s “November 22,” Johnny Green’s American Songbook classic “Body and Soul,” as well as traditional klezmer tunes and original compositions by Krakauer and Tagg. See close-up their unorthodox playing unplugged and totally acoustic: CLICK HERE

July 18, 2020 – Koehler & Kelly: Hall of Fame champion fiddler Gretchen Koehler with jazz pianist Daniel Kelly performed a drive-in concert in downtown Plattsburgh, part of the “Curbside at Harborside” series.  The duo blends the raw energy of traditional fiddle and dance music with the nuanced lyricism and irresistible rhythms of jazz piano to create their unique soundscape. Audience liberally honked their appreciation after each number.

June 7, 2020 – David Krakauer, clarinet and Kathleen Tagg, piano performed their extraordinary signature program “Breath & Hammer” to a live audience of 13 at the Saranac Methodist Church. This performance was filmed by Mountain Lake PBS and subsequently streamed online.  It is still available for viewing here: Breath & Hammer

January 10, 2020 – Alexis Chartrand and Nicolas Babineau with dancer Mélissandre Tremblay-Bourassa gave an exciting performance on fiddles, guitar, and foot-percussion of  French-Canadian traditional music to a sell-out audience at the Saranac Fire Hall.  This was a celebration to launch their new CD “un beau p’tit son” (“a beautiful little sound”) which had been developed and recorded during two residencies at Hill and Hollow Music during 2019. A great big fun event!

November 3, 2019 – Chamber Music for Strings with Arturo Delmoni, violin; Patricia McCarty, viola; Julia Lichten and David Geber, cellos.  Four superb artists at the peak of their powers came together to play Arensky’s monumental 1894 String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 3 for single violin, viola, and two cellos. Also on the program was the North American premiere of Seven into Eight (2008) by British composer John Hawkins, Beethoven’s String Trio in G major, Op. 9, No. 1 (1797), and Jean Francaix’s String Trio in C major (1933).

September 29, 2019 – Vera Quartet – Currently Quartet-in-Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, the rising young ensemble has won numerous chamber music competitions, including Astral Artists.  They performed Haydn’s String Quartet op.76 no.1 in G major, Ravel’s String Quartet in F major, plus individual movements from string quartets by Schubert, Schnittke, Beethoven, and Auerbach (which hung together amazingly well as a cohesive quartet!)

August 10, 2019 – 25th Anniversary Gala Celebration featuring Inora Brass and Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble – Great music, great food, great people all came together at Weatherwatch Farm to launch our 25th season.  Over 200 attended the FUNdraiser.  Party of the Summer!

July 25, 2018 – Meadowmount School of Music Off-Campus Concert – We were privileged once again to be host for an off-campus concert by advanced students of the renowned Meadowmount School of Music.  Eleven musicians performed Trio No.1 in g minor, Élégiaque of Rachmaninov, Caprice, Op. 52, no.6 of Ysaye, Pezzo capriccioso, Op. 62 and Scherzo in d minor, Op.6 of Tchaikovsy, and String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 of Schubert. So inspiring to see and hear these talented, dedicated young people.

April 28, 2019 – Ensemble Caprice – This amazing ensemble lived up to its reputation as one of the pre-eminent baroque music ensembles performing today. The Montreal-based Ensemble Caprice is Matthias Maute and Sophie Larivière on recorders, Susie Napper on cello; and Ziya Tabassian on percussion. They performed a fascinating and beautiful program “i Love baroque!” that was brim-full of drama, pathos, and virtuosity.  Featured music of the 17th and 18th centuries included works by Purcell, Handel, Bach, Schmelzer, Falconieri, and Vivaldi.

March 9-10, 2019 – Ray Vega Latin Jazz Sextet – The atmosphere sizzled with two spicy shows on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon by Ray Vega’s first-rate ensemble featuring some of Vermont’s finest jazz musicians: Brian McCarthy on alto saxophone, Mike Hartigan on piano, Giovanni Rovetto on bass, Caleb Bronz on drums, Scott Dean on congas and percussion, and Vega himself on trumpet, flugelhorn, and percussion. The program was combination of standards and originals by Vega and members of the band.  One standout moment, particularly poignant, was their remembrance of Rick Davies, a beloved friend, colleague, and member of the greater jazz community who passed two years ago, followed by a performance of one of Rick’s tunes.  And yes, indeed, there was dancing in the aisles!

February 2-3, 2019 – Nicolas Babineau and Alexis Chartrand – Two marvelous shows by French-Canadian traditional music duo, comprising two fiddles, guitar, and foot-percussion, performing an extravagant array of reels and traditional fiddle music they collected from Francophone communities in the far reaches of eastern Québec and Canada’s Maritime provinces, including Chicoutimi, Gaspésie, Cape-Breton, and Newfoundland, as well as some of their own original music. The duo was joined by the remarkable Québecois step-dancer Mélissandre Tremblay-Bourassa.  All three artists put a distinctive contemporary spin on their traditional roots music and dance – really exciting stuff!

November 18, 2018 – Arturo Delmoni, violin with Li-Pi Hsieh, piano – The program included Pugnani’s Sonata in E Major, Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, “Spring,” Grieg’s less frequently played Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Robert Russell Bennett’s Hexapoda: Five Studies in Jitteroptera, and a set of favorite short works: Hungarian Dance in f minor (Brahms-Kreisler), Song Without Words, “Sweet Remembrance” (Mendelssohn-Heifetz), Legend of the Canyon (Cadman), Claire de Lune (Debussy), Mazurka, “Dudiarz” (Wieniawski), and Valse-Scherzo, Op. 34 (Tchaikovsky). Prighiera of Heifetz was offered as an encore.  We can only agree with Glenn Dicterow, long-time concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, who said, “Delmoni’s playing always goes right to the heart, and his charisma is irresistible.”

October 28, 2018 – New York Polyphony – The program “Faith and Reason” featured two very different and significant works: the 16th-century Mass for Four Voices by Thomas Tallis (1505-1585), sung in Latin; and the contemporary secular mass, Missa Charles Darwin, composed by Gregory Brown (b. 1974) on texts from Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man, and sung in English; plus a few other contemporary works that were composed especially for the ensemble.

New York Polyphony’s concert was all that we hoped for, and more!  Presenting them in Redford’s Church of the Assumption was spot-on.  The darling old stone church with its cathedral-like resonance allowed the voices to ring out and float in the air.  The vocal blend was miraculous, while each of the singularly beautiful four voices remained distinctive and strong. It is clear why New York Polyphony enjoys a reputation as one of the finest vocal chamber ensembles in the world.

August 19, 2018 – Emerald Trio – The New York City-based musicians were with us for an intense week of work and fun.  They broke in a new pianist, James Sheppard, who was also commissioned to compose a new work for the trio.  The work was written on-site and rehearsed in close collaboration with the players (an ideal situation), and subsequently given its premiere at the concert August 19, where the audience greeted it warmly.  Indeed, the entire program was fascinating and engaging, with a beautiful suite by Mel (née Mélanie) Bonis (1858-1937), a little known contemporary of Ravel, and works by T.O. Sterrett (b. 1953), Howard Cass (b. 1989), and Alessandro Annunziata (b. 1968), demonstrating their commitment to uncovering lost gems from the past, as well as contemporary chamber music and building the repertoire for their ensemble’s instrumentation of flute, violin/viola, and piano.

July 26, 2018 – Meadowmount School of Music Off-Campus Concert – We were privileged to be host for an off-campus concert by advanced students of the renowned Meadowmount School of Music. The program began with Weilu Zhang playing two movements of the Sonata for Solo Violin in A minor, BWV 1003 by J.S. Bach.  Then followed the exquisite Ravel Trio in A Minor with Liam Kaplan, piano; Nanao Yamada, violin; and Jeremy Tai, cello.  After intermission Jeremy Tai performed a movement Kodaly’s wild and virtuosic Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8.  The glorious culmination was Schumann’s Quartet for Piano and Strings, Op. 47, with Matthew Harikian, piano; Weilu Zhang; violin; Aaron Rosengaus, viola; and Luiz Venturelli, cello.  Founded in 1944 by the legendary Russian violinist and pedagogue Ivan Galamian, the school soon became – and continues to be today – a pre-eminent summer program for young musicians training for a professional career in music.  Alumni of Meadowmount have won every major competition worldwide, and are among the very best of international soloists and chamber musicians, concertmasters and principal players of the world’s leading orchestras, and the distinguished artist-teachers in every major university and conservatory.

June 23, 2018 – Jonathan Aceto, MIDI violin, with the McLean Mix – His solo electric violin program offered SAMPLER: Everything Goes When the Whistle Blows, a riveting work by Salvatore Martirano about the 1985 terrorist hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro and Desert Voices by Priscilla McLean with a slideshow of photos of the Sonoran Desert, where many of the sounds on the background tape were recorded.  Following the performance was a screening of Rainforest Images II, an evocative music-video by Barton and Priscilla McLean based on their adventures in Malaysia and Borneo. Additionally, in a side room, the McLeans created an audience-interactive installation that drew from world music, sounds of nature, and intriguing experimental techniques, and invited folks to experience and participate in the creation of music and sound.  Great fun!

May 6, 2018 – Lise de la Salle, piano - The extraordinary French pianist Lise de la Salle offered “Bach Unlimited,” her current signature solo recital program, conceived as a profound and shining tribute to the timeless genius of J.S. Bach. The concert began with Bach’s Italian Concerto and moved through three centuries of composers  inspired by Bach: Liszt (Fantasy & Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H), Bach/Busoni (Chaconne), and pithy shorter works of Roussel, Poulenc, Kempf and Enhco.  Lise’s outstanding performance demonstrated not only her powerful virtuosity, but also her extreme delicacy and touching devotion to this music.   It is clear why Lise is one of the most celebrated artists of her generation – she recently turned 30!

April 6-8, 2018 -  Tim Collins USA Jazz Group - Vibes virtuoso Tim Collins teamed up again with Robinson Morse on double bass and Gabe Jarrett on drums, inviting guitarist/vocalist Davy Mooney as featured guest artist.  The quartet converged in Saranac for a run of three shows at the Fire Hall, which was transformed into a funky little jazz club such as might be found in Alphabet City in the East Village.   The guys did a mellow mix of standards and originals by Tim Collins and Davy Mooney, with periodic bursts of energy and fireworks – overall a perfect balance of cool and hot.  Goldilocks would say “just right.”  All shows were well attended; standing room only at both Saturday and Sunday shows.

Sunday, March 4, 2018 – Rhythm Future Quartet – Keeping the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today’s musical universe, the virtuoso acoustic jazz foursome, named for a Django Reinhardt tune, offers up a newly minted sound, influenced by the classic Hot Club of France, yet wholly contemporary. Led by violinist Jason Anick and guitarist Olli Soikkeli, the quartet performs dynamic and lyrical arrangements of both Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions that draw upon diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. With Max O’Rourke on second guitar and Greg Loughman on bass, Rhythm Future is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of a vital musical genre.

Saturday, February 24, 2018 – Lavrova-Primakov Piano Duo – Two extraordinary Russian pianists Natalia Lavrova and Vassily Primakov formed as a duo in 2010 after graduating from Juilliard.  They come to Saranac with some regularity to work and perform, and we always look forward to their lively visits. The Duo tried out an exciting new program to a full house at Weatherwatch Farm: Danse macabre, Op. 40 of Saint-Saëns, Night on Bald Mountain of Modest Musorgsky, Andante and Allegro Brillant, Op. 92 of Felix Mendelsson, and Blue Danube Fantasy of Greg Anderson.  It was a dazzling performance and the audience roared with delight!

Saturday and Sunday, November 18-19, 2017 – Journey West – Seven virtuoso multi-instrumental artists of diverse nationalities and ethnic backgrounds performed world music on violins, saxophone, clarinet, flute, mandolin, guitar, oud, bass, accordion, and all manner of percussion. The fascinating musical travelogue chronicles the migration of melody and changing instrumentation from the Middle East, through Eastern and Western Europe, and finally arriving in the United States.  Two excellent concerts were for the benefit of Plattsburgh Cares, an organization that provides humanitarian aid for asylum seekers and refugees traveling through our community on their way to Canada. 

Sunday, October 8, 2017 – Soovin Kim and Gloria Chien, violin-piano duo – One of the most dynamic couples on the classical scene today did not fail to thrill and astound.  Featured works were Robert Schumann’s Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano in A minor, op. 105 ; Charles Ives’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, No. 2 ; and Richard Strauss’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in E-flat Major, op. 18.  The audience could not go home without hearing some favorites by one of the greatest all-time masters of the violin, Fritz Kreisler.  No surprise, best attendance ever!

Friday, September 15, 2017 – Olympus Piano Trio – violinist Regi Papa, cellist Ben Capps, and pianist Konstantine Valianatos had a retreat to prepare a rather hefty program for upcoming concerts and competitions – trios of Brahms (No. 1 in  B Major, op. 8), Ravel (A Minor), and Greek-Canadian contemporary composer Christos Hatzis (Odd World) – which they tried out in the living room at Weatherwatch Farm.   We had a great turnout because folks remembered how superb the trio was last year – and again several audience members pronounced it the best concert they have ever heard!  There is indeed something extra-special about experiencing live music in such close proximity to the artists.

Sunday, July 9, 2017 – Passepartout Duo – Nicoletta Favari, piano, and Christopher Salvito, vibraphone, were in residence to rehearse a new commission by Molly Joyce and to record videos of it and other works in their contemporary repertoire, which were subsequently posted on YouTube.  At the conclusion of their residency they gave a live audio-visual performance with additional percussion, some electronics, and lights, besides piano and vibraphone.  Works included the premiere of Molly Joyce’s Less is More, works by George Aperghis and Andy Akiho, and an animated film short by Mayke Nas with music composed by Salvito.   Our audience found the challenging program quite a stretch, but Favari and Salvito won them over with their competence, precision, passion, enthusiasm, humor, and charisma.

Sunday, April 9, 2017 – the Davydov-Fanning Duo – Cellist Dieuwke Davydov and pianist Diana Fanning, both Affiliate Artists at Middlebury College, performed their 40th Anniversary Concert before taking it on tour in Europe.  The meaty and moving program featured Beethoven Cello Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, op. 5, Hindemith Fantasiestück,  Brahms Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, op. 38 and Camille Saint-Saëns Allegro Appassionato, op. 43; plus Chopin “Berceuse” and two Debussy études for solo piano. 

Sunday, January 22, 2017 – Lilac 94 -  The contemporary harp duo performed a program devoted entirely to the music of Carlos Salzedo, very likely the greatest harpist of the 20th century and possibly the greatest-ever composer for the harp.  Before performing Salzedo’s ground-breaking (and challenging) work Pentacle, they gave an illuminating lecture-demonstration of the extended techniques he developed  and applied copiously therein.  Other lighter works Lilac 94 performed were “Chanson dans la nuit” and “Tango” and “Rumba” from Salzedo’s Suite of Eight Dances.   An audience of 90+ responded enthusiastically to the Q & A and, of course, the music!

Sunday, November 20, 2016 – The Delmoni-McCarty-Thomas String Trio performed mature Mozart (Divertimento in E-flat Major, K563), early Beethoven (Trio in C minor, Op. 9, No. 3), and youthful Ernst von Dohnanyi (Serenade in C Major, Op. 10). The players’ warm friendship plus their deep respect and love for the music animated and illuminated the exquisite program of monumental masterpieces.

Sunday, October 16, 2016 – Gloria Chien, piano –  A superb solo recital featured Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque, several of Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, a Chopin Nocturne and Barcarolle, Liszt’s Venezia e Napoli, and a Scriabin Nocturne for left hand.  About 120 attended the feast of favorites from Romantic and Impressionist periods.

Sunday, September 11, 2016 – Diderot String Quartet – Performing on period instruments, Johanna Novom and Adriane Post, violins; Kyle Miller, viola; and Paul Dwyer, cello offered Mozart’s String Quartet in G Major, K387, “Spring” and Burgmüller’s String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, op. 4.  Elegance, passion, sensitivity, exuberance, daring and precision all came together.  Annual free concert was attended by 100+

Sunday, August 21, 2016 – Olympus Piano Trio – violinist Regi Papa, cellist Ben Capps, and pianist Konstantine Valianatos  performed trios of Rachmaninoff (No. 1 in G Minor “Élégiaque), Brahms (No. 2 in C major, op. 87), and Tchaikovsky (A Minor, op. 50). A rich, substantial program richly delivered.  The Tchaikovsky moved one to tears,  Several audience members pronounced it the best concert they have ever heard!

Saturday, June 25, 2016 – Balkanville  – Balkan music by Montreal ensemble featuring Richard Simas, clarinet; Sean McCutcheon, accordion and winds; Cathy Inouye, tuba; Becky Lazarovic, tapan, and special guest Max Fass, accordion. House concert at Weatherwatch Farm with an informal concert on the deck followed by dancing on the lawn. Al fresco drinks and dinner, too, on a perfect summer evening overlooking the Adirondacks.

April 3, 2016 РRebel Ensemble for Baroque Music РJ̦rg-Michael Schwarz and Karen Marie Marmer, violins; John Moran, cello; Donsok Shin, harpsichord performed Barocco: Musical Treasures of the 17th and 18th Centuries. Our audience flipped over the energy and style these artists brought to the music, not to mention sheer virtuosity. We won the lottery on this one!

February 12-14, 2016 – Tim Collins USA Jazz Quartet – The North Country’s home-grown luminary Tim Collins on vibes traveled from his now-home in Germany for three exciting shows at the Saranac Fire Hall “Jazz Club.”  Special guest star was New York City jazz piano phenom Ayako Shirasaki and rhythm by Vermont jazz notables John Rivers on bass and Gabe Jarrett on drums.  This was the real deal. Wish we could hear great jazz like this around here more often!

November 22, 2015 – Concert of Piano Quartets – Superb violist and Adirondack resident Patricia McCarty was joined by three renowned colleagues: Jung Lin, piano; Arturo Delmoni, violin; and Ronald Thomas, cello. Their thrilling and deeply satisfying program included Mozart’s Piano Quartet in E flat, K. 493; Faure’s Piano Quartet No. 2 in G minor, Op. 45; and Brahms’s Piano Quartet in A major, Op. 26. The audience responded to a unique musical happening with multiple standing ovations!

October 25, 2015 – Johannes String Quartet – The acclaimed ensemble opened with Homunculus, an exciting 15-minute work written expressly for them by the world-renowned Finnish composer-conductor Esa Pekka Salonen.  Also featured was Mozart’s String Quartet No. 15 in D Minor, K. 421 and Brahms’s String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat Major, op. 67.  Playing at the highest level and the house was packed – a love-fest, for sure!

August 23, 2015 – Emerald Trio – New York City-based Karen Bogardus, flutes; Orlando Wells, violin and viola; and Matt Castle, piano and composer performed a concert of  new works written especially for them by hot-on-the-scene NYC composers Carolyn Steinberg, Matt Castle, Joseph Pehrson, Gene Pritsker, Dan Cooper, Milica Paranosic, and Davide Zannoni.  Our annual free concert. Fascinating, challenging, and well received – kudos to intrepid artists and audience alike!

July 19, 2015 – Gretchen Koehler and Daniel Kelly Duo -  by New York State Hall of Fame fiddler Gretchen Kelly partnered by NYC-based jazz pianist Daniel Kelly offered a beautiful and diverse selection of tunes, both traditional and original, in a unique and fascinating performance of many styles of fiddling and improvisation.  13-year-old Syl step-danced into the hearts of all!

June 28, 2015 – Red Hedgehog Trio – Boston musicians Marina Krickler, horn; Marjorie Gere, violin; and Daniel Sedgwick, piano performed works for solo keyboard (Bach) and violin-piano duo (Brahms), as well as for horn-violin-piano trio (Harbison).  They premiered their new commission “10 x 10” - a huge hit!

May 3, 2015 – Ricochet Duo – Jane Boxall on marimba and Rose Chancler on piano performed “DANCES,” a delightful array of short dance-inspired works, including ragtime, tango, and more.

March 22, 2015 – Duo FAE – Violinist Charlene Kluegel and pianist Katherine Petersen performed a traditional recital featuring three  sonatas by Beethoven, Faure, and Ives. Nourishment for the soul.

February 8, 2015 – The Guidonian Hand – Four virtuoso trombones juxtaposed art music of the past (Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Debussy) with contemporary works of living composers (Galen Brown, Jeremy Howard Beck, Conrad Winslow). Totally wonderful!

November 16, 2014 – Patricia McCarty and Cary Lewis – Two superb artists at the top of their game offered a deeply satisfying and memorable viola-piano duo recital featuring works Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and the contemporary American composer David Avshalomov.

October 12, 2014 – Russian Duo – Balalaika artist Oleg Kruglyakov and pianist Terry Boyarsky guided a rapt audience on a fascinating journey across the span of Russian culture with folk music, lyrical romances, rhythmic dances, classical music favorites, gypsy melodies, and popular songs.

August 24, 2014 - The Allant Trio astounded a full house at the Methodist Church with elegant, energetic virtuosity. This was our now-annual free concert and about 140 attended.  They gave a perfectly paced performance of Hadyn’s Trio No. 39 in G Major (Gypsy), Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy’s Give Me Phoenix Wings to Fly, and Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49.

July 11 and 13, 2014 – The Rocky Hill Ramblers gave two delightful shows at the Saranac Fire Hall. The three-member band of fiddle, guitar, bass, with sophisticated vocal harmonies performed 60s and 70s folk, rock, jazz, and blues, along with some ancient traditional tunes plus originals. Sweet memories and smiles!

June 22, 2014 – The Lavrova-Primakov Piano Duo performed music for one piano, two-, four-, and six-hands on our nine-foot Steinway at the Methodist Church. Approximately half of the program featured works by South African composer Braam van Eeden, including two solo sonatas and the premiere of Allegory, dedicated to Hill and Hollow Music. Van Eeden was present to receive a standing ovation after each (three SOs!). Also performed were Twelve Pieces, op.66, of Anton Arensky and Six Morceaux, op. 11, of Sergei Rachmaninoff. As an encore, van Eeden joined Lavrova and Primakov at the keyboard to play Rachmaninoff’s charming Valse for six hands!

May 24-25, 2014 - The Bonfiglio Trio gave two performances of Harmonica America – Classical to Blues featuring the towering harmonica virtuoso Robe

Patti McCarty and Friends – Sunday, November 3 at 3:00 pm at the Saranac Methodist Church on Route 3 – Arturo Delmoni, violin; Patricia McCarty, viola; and Julia Lichten and David Geber, cellos –  Instead of two violins, this is a string quartet with two cellos!

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