Tim Smith of The Baltimore Sun published his 2016 highlights of classical music performance in Baltimore and selected three Shriver Hall Concert Series performances. Smith praised our February concert with Gil Shaham & The Knights that featured the world premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff's Chamber Concerto for Violin and Orchestra as well as the March recital with soprano Nicole Cabell. Smith also noted last month's performance with pianist Helene Grimaud, saying, "Grimaud…offered remarkably refined technique and insightful phrasing." 

Charles Downey of The Washington Classical Review shares his thoughts on pianist Hélène Grimaud's December 4 recital at Shriver Hall. In this haunting program, Grimaud explored works inspired by the sound and movement of water, followed by Brahms' Second Sonata. Downey writes, "Ravel’s Jeux d’Eau and its model, 'Les Jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este' from the third year of Liszt’s Années de pèlerinage, purled off Grimaud’s fingers with delicacy."

The St. Lawrence String Quartet's performance on Nov 20 here at Shriver Hall is just around the corner! For a preview of one of the pieces you'll be hearing at the concert, check out the group's TED talk at TEDxStanford last year! SPOILER ALERT — we don't mean to ruin the "joke" ;)

Tim Smith of The Baltimore Sun reviews our 2016-17 season opener with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble.  Of their performance of Schubert's Octet, Smith says, "The Academy musicians seemed to revel in the notes and they shaped an absorbing, virtuosic performance."  We couldn't agree more!

From Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition to Goyescas by Enrique Granados, visual art has long served as an inspiration for musical compositions. This Saturday, pianist and visual artist Roman Rabinovich gives the Baltimore premiere of composer Michael Brown's new work Surfaces, co-commissioned by Shriver Hall Concert Series. Surfaces is based on a series of paintings by the same name that Rabinovich himself created. Says Brown of his composition: "Two or more voices often play the same material in imitation, resulting in canons that resurface throughout. This idea comes directly from Roman's paintings where I see different yet related brush strokes, layered on top of each other and presented simultaneously." Click the above image to enlarge the paintings and click here to read Brown's complete notes on Surfaces.

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The Baltimore Sun reviews soprano Nicole Cabell's recent Shriver Hall Concert Series debut, noting her "admirably fresh program" and "vibrant personality." 

"I've seen Shriver Hall Concert Series put together some fine seasons. The 2016-17 lineup may be the best yet," says The Baltimore Sun's Tim Smith of the 2016-17 season.

Tim Smith of The Baltimore Sun reviews Sunday night's concert with Gil Shaham & The Knights, featuring the World Premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff's Chamber Concerto for Violin and Orchestra: "Shaham played with exquisite tenderness throughout the opening movement and demonstrated equally impressive confidence and control in the finale. The Knights gave him sure, sensitivity backing, conducted by Eric Jacobsen, the ensemble's founding co-artistic director."