Cello Classical Concerts in NorCal

Let’s go to 19th-century England , where Dvořák’s music found eager audiences and his international reputation reached new heights. Echoing Haydn’s own celebrated success in London generations earlier, this program explores the artistic exchange between composers who drew inspiration from folk traditions and transformed them into deeply personal musical voices. Alongside Dvořák, the program features Vaughan Williams and Rebecca Clarke, later composers whose music reflects a similarly distinctive sense of place and expression. • Program HAYDN String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob. III:76, “Fifths” (1797) VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Excerpts from Six Studies in English Folk Song for Cello and Piano (1926) DVOŘÁK Excerpts from Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90, B. 166, “Dumky” (1891) CLARKE Dumka for Violin, Viola, and Piano (ca. 1941) DVOŘÁK Piano Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 23, B. 53 (1875) Artists Amizia Quartet in Residence | Elizabeth Dorman, Eric Zivian, PIANO | Jennifer Frautschi,

Dedicated to family member and VMMF friend and supporter, Susan Shalit Dvořák’s journey to Russia at Tchaikovsky’s invitation opened a window onto the broader Slavic musical world. This program brings together deeply expressive songs and chamber works of lyrical beauty and dramatic intensity. Arensky’s elegiac Cello Quartet and Dvořák’s F minor Piano Trio anchor an afternoon shaped by longing and emotional depth, while songs by Dvořák, Mussorgsky, and Yuliya Weissberg offer compelling perspectives across time. • Program TCHAIKOVSKY “July: Song of the Reaper,” from The Seasons , Op. 37a, for solo piano (1876) MUSSORGSKY, WEISSBERG, and DVOŘÁK Selected Songs for Voice and Piano ARENSKY String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35, for Violin, Viola, and Two Cellos (1894) DVOŘÁK Piano Trio No. 3 in F minor, Op. 65, B. 130 (1883) Artists Simon Barrad, BARITONE | Eric Zivian, PIANO | Jennifer Frautschi, Tsien-Hsin Cindy Wu, VIOLIN | Andrew Gonzalez, VIOLA | Tanya Tomkins, Julia Yang, CELLO Perfo

The 2011 season celebrated the timeless oeuvre of Johann Sebastian Bach, delving into the depths of his art from the perspectives of composers who followed. In this program, a set of fugues for solo piano sets the stage for subsequent works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, all containing fugal writing—a direct link from Bach. John Corigliano’s Fancy on a Bach Air recalls the master’s first suite for solo cello, and the birth of the cello as a solo instrument. Listen to the AudioNote, our preconcert listener guide for this Concert Program. https://musicatmenlo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/26-CP3-FromBach.mp3 Can’t make the concert/concert sold out? Purchase the livestream here .

The 2011 season celebrated the timeless oeuvre of Johann Sebastian Bach, delving into the depths of his art from the perspectives of composers who followed. In this program, a set of fugues for solo piano sets the stage for subsequent works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, all containing fugal writing—a direct link from Bach. John Corigliano’s Fancy on a Bach Air recalls the master’s first suite for solo cello, and the birth of the cello as a solo instrument. Listen to the AudioNote, our preconcert listener guide for this Concert Program. https://musicatmenlo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/26-CP3-FromBach.mp3 Can’t make the concert/concert sold out? Purchase the livestream here .