November 5, 2024 – Series A

This quartet from Barcelona has an exciting edge to their sound, which they will bring to masterpieces from three centuries. The two violinists alternate in the top job, with Abel leading the quartet in the early Classical Op. 20 masterpiece, and Vera taking over for Beethoven's gigantic, revolutionary Razumovsky Quartet No. 3, and Shostakovich's Quartet No. 9, an innovative opus composed during the "Kruschchev thaw" when the Soviet composer was somewhat liberated from government censorship - a real Cold War piece.

November 14, 2024 – Series B

Dvorak's Cypresses for String Quartet and mezzo-soprano anchor this program. The piece began as a song cycle for soprano and piano. Dvorak then transcribed the music for string quartet alone. Now we hear a metamorphosis of the previous iterations which the Prazak Quartet commissioned - the songs accompanied by string quartet. If only Dvorak could hear them! It's Smetana's 200th birthday, so his second quartet. And we can't have Prazak without Janacek.

Janacek Quartet No. 2; Smetana Quartet No. 2; Dvorak Cypresses

November 22, 2024 – Series A

This is the last recital of Paul Lewis' Schubert survey. Lewis has devoted the past four years almost exclusively to Schubert. It's fair to say the composer has no greater living ambassador. The final trilogy of piano sonatas, written at the very end of Schubert's short life, is the pinnacle of this keyboard poet's achievement. Only the last three Beethoven sonatas rival this program. Lewis played those Beethoven sonatas for us over a decade ago. Now comes Schubert's hour.

Schubert: Piano Sonatas D 958, 959, and 960.

December 2, 2024 – Series B

Gerstein is now a dominating force on the piano stage in Europe and the US. Now past the phase of his smashing debuts, he has become a visionary mainstay, even conducting the Vienna Philharmonic from the keyboard. The program includes a work by the young Spanish composer, Francisco Coll that we commissioned for Gerstein, which he will take around the world after its world premiere in Napa. And Gerstein will bring his authority to the formidable Liszt Sonata.

Francisco Coll "Waltzes Toward Civilization;" Liszt Sonata, and more tbd.

January 14, 2025 – Series A

One can only understand that this is the 40th anniversary of the Vertavo by knowing that these Norwegian women began winning contests when they were barley teenagers. They bring their energy, precision and charisma to the fore in a concert along with Garrick Ohlsson. They will play one of the Mozart piano concertos that work with just a string quartet, along with the brilliant Dvorak piano quintet. The Vertavos alone will perform Britten's Second Quartet.

Mozart Piano Concerto K 414; Britten Quartet No. 2; Dvorak Piano Quintet

January 27, 2025 – Series B

The Takacs have been coming to Napa for almost 40 years. While the cellist is the only original member, the quartet has evolved to remain at the unquestioned top of the heap. Pianist Jeremy Denk makes his overdue CMNV debut in the heroic Brahms Quintet - more like a concerto than a chamber piece. Beethoven's very serious, early quartet Op. 18, No. 2 opens the concert, and the Takacs will bring their blazing energy to the wild and weird Janacek Quartet No. 1.

Beethoven Quartet No. 1, Op. 18, No. 1; Janacek Quartet No. 1; Brahms Piano Quintet

February 20, 2025 – Series A

The Juilliard Quartet has been going even longer than Takacs, now with no possibility of an original member. It is a remarkable phenomenon of music performance history, that this legendary ensemble has the same sharp, exciting edge that defined them when they began in 1946. The centerpiece of this concert is the world premiere of Michelle Ross's "Together Apart," which we commissioned as a tribute to CMNV's friend, the late violist Roger Tapping, who played often in Napa as the violist of the Takacs and then Juilliard Quartets, and as a collaborator with the Jupiter and Prazak Quartets and the Peabody Trio. Michelle Ross was a student and colleague of Roger's who recently served as the substitute first violin of the Juilliard Quartet for six months.

Shostakovich Quartet No. 7; Ross "Together Apart;" Beethoven Quartet No. 15, Op. 132

March 13, 2025 – Series B

The former Czechoslovakia has always been a breeding ground for string players and string quartets, in particular. Great quartets pop up there like mushrooms, and they don't all stick together. The Pavel Haas is the one of their generation that exceeds all. Founded by first violin Veronika Jaruskova, she leads them with grace and ferocity. They will play their countryman Schulhoff's ironic, jazzy, early Five Pieces for String Quartet, written 20 years before his death in a Nazi prison in 1941. They will also play Martiniu, who isn't played enough outside his homeland - these are the right ambassadors. Of course, the Tchaikovsky is irresistible.

Schulhoff Five Pieces for String Quartet; Martiniu Quartet No. 2; Tchaikovsky Quartet No. 3

March 20, 2025 – Series A

The baroque chamber orchestra from France, Les Arts Florissants, led from the violin by Theotime Langlois de Swarte, are touring the world celebrating the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. De Swarte joined the ensemble while still a teenager in 2014 before his rise to fame as a baroque and modern violinist and conductor. Somehow, we will get 17 musicians and a harpsichord on our stage for a serious baroque celebration.

Vivaldi Four Seasons, and works by Monteverdi, Uccellini, and Geminiani

April 8, 2025 – Series B

Sir Stephen is always described as a polymath. Indeed, the Englishman is a painter; author of novels, essays, and an autobiography of his musical youth; composer - we have heard his string quartet twice in CMNV concerts; and of course, a pianist. This will be his third appearance in Napa; his first for a solo recital. He plays almost everything, as his 60+ recordings attest. This program reflects his interest in both the pinnacles of the piano literature - Liszt and Chopin, and the nearly-lost wonders of the French late romantic composer Cecile Chaminade, a childhood fascination of Hough's.

Chaminade Automme, Scarf Dance, Tocatta; Liszt Sonata; Chiminade Varie, Auture Fois, Le Sylvains; Chopin Sonata No. 3