Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music was founded in 1988 after the very popular series of chamber music concerts at the Brooklyn Academy of Music ended. The Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Fort Greene offers us its hospitality, and our audience has listened to more than 150 concerts in the sanctuary of the landmark church with its Tiffany windows.
Our programs offer a reasonable and pleasing balance of classical and contemporary music--the latter frequently performed with the attendance of the composer. We program a wide variety of music, ranging from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier to his Saint Matthew Passion; from Early Music to contemporary music; from a composition by a nine-year-old boy to a commissioned work by the winner of the Philadelphia Orchestra's Centenary Composition Competition. Some concerts are devoted entirely to a particular instrument, others to the music of specific composers, including living ones.
We are excited to present some very young, very promising musicians. We are honored when prominent musicians accept our invitation to perform in our series. We are delighted when some of our musicians go on to win prizes in major competitions, and when composers we commission receive awards.
Over the years, we have commissioned ten works and are delighted by their appreciative reception. Some works received prizes, some were published. The commissions were made possible by grants from the Scaler Foundation in Houston, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA): support that we acknowledge with gratitude.
We are ever grateful to our audience for its loyal support. Both the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Brooklyn Arts Council fund our series and we thank them for their encouraging generosity.
Last but not least: In our early years we were helped on our way by Olga Bloom of Bargemusic. She cheered us on with word and deed, and invited us to have fundraising concerts on her barge. It is indicative of civility in Brooklyn that a fellow presenter of chamber music has been one of our most important supporters.
Some of the musicians and ensembles who performed in our series:
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Singers
Narrators
Double
bass Flute
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Ensembles
Harpsichord |
Piano
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Violin
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Viola Cello
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Oboe
Bassoon
French
Horn Clarinet Saxophone
Trumpet
Bayan
Percussion
Organ J. David Williams |
| Commissions 1) Kevin Beavers: "Wandlebury Ring" for mezzo-soprano and string quartet. 2) Derek Bermel: "Shadowing" for percussion and chamber ensemble. 3) David Little: Piano trio for our 100th concert. 4) Pierre Jalbert: "Icefield Sonnets" for soprano, baritone, clarinet, violin, cello, piano & percussion. 5) Pierre Jalbert: "Four Porter Songs" on poetry of Christina Porter, for soprano, baritone & piano. 6) Harold Meltzer: Concerto for two bassoons and string orchestra. 7) Jefferson Friedman: String quartet No. 3 8) James Matheson: Sonata for violin and piano 9) Kenji Bunch: Concerto for string orchestra. 10) Conrad Tao: String quartet for the Jasper Quartet 11) Kevin Beavers: "Wanderings" for soprano, baritone and piano, on poems by Diane Gregory |
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If you would like
to participate as a performer, please send a recording to:
Wanda Fleck, Manager
Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music
140 Bond Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217-2242
Also, please let us know when we can hear you in recital or concert.