Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic joins forces with gifted pianist Gloria Chien. They perform shimmering selections of Brahms and Weber — with a contemporary spin — and a brand new piece by Jessie Montgomery.

Presented in partnership with

dacamera-tag-1.png

Program

Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2
Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 120, No. 1
Jessie Montgomery: Peace (2020)
Weber: Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48

Recorded at Mechanics Hall
Worcester, MA

About Anthony McGill

Anthony McGill, one of classical music's most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures, maintains a dynamic international solo and chamber music career. He is the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic and their first African-American principal player. Hailed for his "trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character" (The New York Times) and for his "exquisite combination of technical refinement and expressive radiance" (The Baltimore Sun), McGill is an ardent advocate for helping music education reach under-resourced communities and for addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in classical music. He recently started #TakeTwoKnees to address racism in the classical music industry. McGill participated in the inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams and performing alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero.

About Gloria Chien

gloria-chien-headshot.jpg

Taiwanese-born pianist Gloria Chien is a seasoned performer, concert presenter and educator.  She made her orchestral debut at the age of 16 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Thomas Dausgaard and she was selected by the Boston Globe as one of its Superior Pianists of the year. In recent seasons, she has performed as a recitalist and chamber musician at Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Phillips Collection, the Kissinger Sommer festival, the Dresden Chamber Music Festival, and the National Concert Hall in Taiwan. Chien performs frequently with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and is an alum of CMS's Bowers Program. In 2009 she launched String Theory, a chamber music series at the Hunter Museum of American Art in downtown Chattanooga. The following year, she was appointed Director of the Chamber Music Institute at the Music@Menlo festival by Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han. In 2017, she joined her husband, violinist Soovin Kim, as Co-Artistic Director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont.

Funded in part by Frank L. Harrington 1924 Fund No. 3, the David H. Hilton 1951 Fund No. 2 and a gift from Linda and Rick Roesch '60 Tu'61

For assistance accessing the event, please contact the Box Office with the chat window in the lower corner of your browser or by calling 603.646.2422—available on the night of the event.

Photos: courtesy of the artist