About

“…the TLC that went into the realization of this masterwork was apparent in every bar. All of the players…had a large repertory of sounds at their fingertips to create such startling contrasts. … the overall feeling I took from this performance was one of being swept up in a powerful current of magnificent music. The middle section of the third movement was as heart-meltingly beautiful as anything I could hope to hear, and the fugal coda of the finale generated so much heat, it could singe your hair if you sat too close." —the Ithaca Times in a review of Brahms’s Piano Quintet

Franklin Crawford

This Fall, the Finger Lakes Chamber Ensemble achieves a milestone—our 20th Anniversary Season! We plan a yearlong celebration and will be giving you—our loyal audience—and ourselves three birthday presents.

Nurturing a love and appreciation for classical music in our younger generation is a special concern for all music performers, teachers and presenters. We all hope this beautiful and essential art form will continue to thrive. Yet access and exposure to classical chamber music has dwindled recently for a host of reasons. With the hope of encouraging young people to develop a life-long appreciation of chamber music, we’ll be opening our doors to public school students free of charge. Beginning with this season, free access to these students will be our policy for public concerts. This is just the first in a series of steps we plan to foster awareness and appreciation of classical chamber music in young people.

Our second gift is a brand-new chamber work, a piano quartet by Colombian composer, Diego Vega, which will premiere on our March 27 program. Mr. Vega will be present at the premiere to introduce his piece. We’re very grateful to our friend and colleague, Pulitzer prize-winning composer Steven Stucky, who generously gave time as consultant to our ensemble in developing this project.

Our third present is a gift that we’re giving back to this community which has supported our ensemble and made it possible for us to continue and grow. I have always believed that music is inherently as great a gift and a blessing to those who produce it as it is to those who partake of it. Yet it is also a blessing to reach beyond the concert hall and offer tangible support to a cause we strongly believe in. To this end, my February 27 piano recital will be a benefit concert for Amnesty International (group 73, Ithaca, NY) co-sponsored by the FLCE and the First Unitarian Society Justice Counsel of Ithaca.

We are once again very fortunate to have wonderful guest artists this season. Returning are Shannon Nance and Janet Sung, violins, Richard MacDowell and Timothy Perry, clarinets, and Stephen Stalker, cello. We're also thrilled to have new guest artists, Nicholas DiEugeneo, violin, Sarah Collins, cello, Brad Hougham, baritone, Diane Birr, piano, and composer, Diego Vega.

Of course no ensemble can reach 20 years without an audience and we've been very fortunate to have a loyal following for all these years. Quite a few of you, in fact, have been coming to hear us since our opening season and even attended our first performance!

We'd also like to thank the Lodi Historical Society for their continuing support. We've been performing in the beautiful Society Building for almost as long as we’ve existed. Over the years they’ve worked hard to provide a piano, concert production support, and many wonderful post-concert receptions. The LHS is more than just a building —it’s a group of hard working volunteers who share an intense commitment to the history and culture of the area. We'd personally like to thank Carolyn Zogg, Nöel Clawson, Linda Lucas, Jim and Rosemary Covert, Alta Boyer, Doris White, Lois and Bob Nordling and the many Society members for the dedication which made—and continues to make — each Lodi concert possible.

Here's to You and to Us!