Piano Classical Concerts in NorCal

A beloved tradition at Music@Menlo since the first season, Encounters are full-length lectures presented throughout the festival . Led by a rotating selection of eminent musicologists, educators, and musicians, they delve deeply into aspects of each summer’s theme. Audiences come away with enhanced historical and musical knowledge, leading to a richer understanding of and engagement with the festival’s composers and their works. This summer’s four composer-focused programs provide the perfect opportunity for the eloquent Michael Parloff to reveal the composers’ lives and explore their music. Bridging the Baroque and Romantic periods, their works played essential roles in the evolution of chamber music, from Bach’s intimate preludes and fugues to Schubert’s monumental Opus 100 Piano Trio. Parloff’s Encounters, always a highlight of the festival, are not to be missed, and this one celebrates the true source of our immortal repertoire: the composer.

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

This summer, pianist Gilles Vonsattel begins his epic musical undertaking of performing all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas at Music@Menlo. Spanning two festivals, this exceptional project explores the evolution of Beethoven’s legendary creativity, from youthful brilliance to bold artistic daring. Each performance is preceded by a full-evening lecture exploring the works performed, offering Gilles’ personal insights into the music and an artist’s perspective from the piano. Purchase both the lecture and performance for the discounted price of $90, and join us as we journey through one of the crowning achievements in classical music. Works discussed include : Piano Sonata no. 1 in F minor, op. 2, no. 1 (1795) Piano Sonata no. 4 in E-flat major, op. 7, Grand Sonata (1796) Piano Sonata no. 25 in G major, op. 79, Cuckoo (1809) Piano Sonata no. 21 in C major, op. 53, Waldstein (1804)

Piano Repertory Class and Music of Frédéric Chopin Workshop Students of Jacqueline Chew

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 .

Students Participating in the week-long intensive Vocal Academy present solo selections for voice and piano. Program details will be added closer to the concert date. Richard Cox, Artistic DirectorMargaret Halbig, pianoChristopher Koelzer, pianoHao Wu, piano

America opened a new musical world to Dvořák, one that would profoundly shape his creative life. After arriving in New York in 1892 to lead the National Conservatory, he formed an important friendship with the young baritone and composer Harry T. Burleigh , whose singing introduced him to the beauty and expressive power of African American spirituals. This concert explores that artistic exchange and the enduring influence of vernacular traditions on American music, pairing Dvořák with Burleigh, Florence Price , and Charles Ives , composers who, in different ways, drew deeply from folk song, spirituals, and the sounds of everyday life. • Program PRICE Five Folksongs in Counterpoint for String Quartet (1951) BURLEIGH Southland Sketches for Violin and Piano (1916) IVES Violin Sonata No. 4, “Children’s Day at the Camp Meeting” (1906) DVOŘÁK String Quintet No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97, B. 180, “American” (1893) Artists Eric Zivian, PIANO | Jennifer Frautschi, Liana Bérubé, Josh Liu, VIOLIN