Everybody cheers the arrival of summer except me. Why? Because the various chamber music ensembles go on summer hiatus. Granted, there are some big, blustery orchestral works that come out for the summer, sometimes outdoors, but that is not my thing. Small is beautiful!
That said, there a FEW summer chamber events, most notably, The Music Guild in Brentwood, Sundays Live at LACMA and, on occasion, Sunday concerts at the Nixon Library.
What follows are the notable FINAL chamber events for the season. All of them are captured in my Culture Calendar.
Trio Céleste Presents: The Evolution of Ludwig van Beethoven (June 4 at UCI). I can’t say enough about Trio Celeste. Besides touring the world, they run Chamber Music | OC. Chamber Music | OC is one of the most dynamic classical music organizations in the country dedicated to advancing the art of chamber music through performance, education, and community outreach. A product of this organization: The Young Artists Program. This is the only full-scholarship program of its kind in Southern California.
Chamber Music | OC Rising Stars Recital (June 11 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Rancho Santa Margarita). The Rising Stars Recital features the best and brightest from the above mentioned Chamber Music | OC Young Artist Program.
Le Salon De Musiques (June 4 at The Dorothy Chandler Pavillion). Le Salon is the ultimate chamber music experience. It includes a pre-show discussion, champagne plus Q & A with the musicians and a catered meal, all in an intimate setting and a great view of downtown.
Music and Conversation (June 10 at Jack Rutberg Fine Arts). I have not attended these events but I know I will love them. Music and wine in an art gallery and at the low price of $20.
Corona Del Mar Baroque Music Festival (June 18 – 25, multiple locations). This series is in its 37th season, and let me tell you, some of those seasons were lean – we’re talking ONE performance for the year. Now it is back and stronger than ever. What sets this series apart is, of course, is their focus on an earlier era. They have at least one event that kids might like: Fencing set to baroque music.