Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Outreach at the San Antonio College (SAC) campus on October 11, 2021
On Monday morning, October 11, 2021, seven musicians from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMSLC) presented a fabulous, hour-long educational outreach program at the McAllister Theatre on the San Antonio College (SAC) campus. The audience consisted of approximately 50 eager, inquisitive students, brought to the hall by SACMS board member Daniel Anastasio, who also serves as an Assistant Professor at SAC. The program featured selections from “Beethoven Connections”, the first concert of our 79th season, performed on Sunday, October 10 at Temple Beth-El.
The outreach program exemplified CMS Artistic Director Wu Han’s impeccable talent not only at the keyboard but as a music educator – in her friendly yet astute style, she explained the unique characteristics of chamber music, including the dialogue between instruments, the passing off and development of themes, the art of cueing, and even some detailed yet accessible historical context for the works and composers on display.
And Wu Han did not act alone. Impressively, each of the participating musicians (violinists Richard Lin & Arnaud Sussmann, violist Matthew Lipman, cellist Nick Canellakis, bassist Blake Hinson, and pianist Wu Qian) spoke eloquently and approachably about their own instruments, their life experiences, and their passion for chamber music.
Musical demonstrations included movements from Beethoven’s String Trio in C minor, Hummel’s Piano Quintet, and Mendelssohn’s Sextet in D Major. An engaging Q&A session capped off the event. Afterward, students raved about the level of performance, the players’ ability to communicate effortlessly with each other, and the workshop as a whole. This was a musical experience that the students of SAC have likely never had, and was deeply appreciated by all in attendance.
Submitted by Daniel Anastasio