The Shanghai Quartet is renowned for its passionate musicality, impressive technique, and multicultural innovations. Its elegant style melds the delicacy of Eastern music with the emotional breadth of Western repertoire allowing it to traverse musical genres, from traditional Chinese folk music and masterpieces of Western music, to cutting-edge contemporary works. The Penderecki String Quartet #3 is their most recent commission, and our performance will be the west coast premiere.

Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, the Shanghai Quartet has worked with the world's most distinguished artists and regularly tours the major music centers of Europe, North America and Asia. Recent seasons have included concert tours of Europe, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand. www.shanghaiquartet.com

Paul Hersh studied viola with William Primrose and piano with Leonard Shure and Edward Steuermann. From 1961-1971, he was violist and pianist of the Lenox Quartet and made his piano debut at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1964. Mr. Hersh, who attended Yale University, teaches poetry and literature in addition to piano and chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is very well known to Bay area residents. He will join the group for Brahms Viola Quintet, opus 111.

Program: Schubert: Quartettsatz; Beethoven: op. 95 "Serioso"; Penderecki: Quartet #3; Brahms: Quintet #2, opus 111

Eric Himy's playing was described by the New York Times as "flawlessly poised, elegant and brilliant". In another review it wrote "Eric Himy's name is hardly a household word, but if he plays other composers as well as he plays Ravel, it deserves to be". In 2008 he was invited by the Bernstein family to celebrate the 90th anniversary tribute concert to Leonard Bernstein at the Lukas Foss Music Festival in the Hamptons. He has played since age 6, and was performing concerti by age 15. He received a Master of Music degree from Juilliard School. He has won the Gold Medal at the 1988 World Piano Competition, the Kosciuszko Chopin Prize in New York, and the Milosz Magin International Competition in Paris. A champion of contemporary composers, Mr. Himy commissioned Gargoyles by the American composer Lowell Liebermann, and played its world premiere at his debut recital in Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. www.erichimy.com

Program: "Gershwin in Paris" - Debussy; Gershwin; Liszt

The ATOS Trio of Germany is a relatively newly formed trio of three young musicians: violinist Annette von Helm, cellist Stefan Heinemeyer and pianist Thomas Hoppe. The trio has won high acclaim from both critics and audiences, and in 2007, ATOS Trio won the Kalichstein- Laredo-Robinson International Trio Award, for piano trios a major distinction in the United States. ATOS has garnered numerous other awards. After winning the Grand Prize at the Deutsche Wettbewerb competition, they were engaged to give more than fifty performances throughout Germany and Europe. They have also performed in Australia, Europe, as well as North and South America. One of their CD's is devoted to the complete trios of H. von Herzogenberg, a composer who knew Brahms, but languished in his shadow. www.atos-trio.de

Program: Beethoven: Trio op. 1, #2; Cassado: Trio; Brahms: Trio in B major, op.

In addition to audience appreciation and critical acclaim, the Ensô String Quartet has earned its place in the ensemble world, claiming multiple honors at the 2004 Banff International String Competition. Since 2006 the ensemble has served as faculty and Quaret-in-Residence at Tangle-wood Institute and Interlochen Adult Chamber Music Camp. The quartet members hold music degrees from the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, New England Conservatory of Music , Guildhall School of Music (UK) and University of Canterbury (NZ). All the musicians—Maureen Nelson, violin, John Marcus, violin, Melissa Reardon, viola, and Richard Belcher, cello are equally at home as soloists. www.ensoquartet.com

Program: Beethoven: op. 18, #1; Ginestera Quartet #1; Sibelius: op. 56 "Intimate Voices"

The Cypress Quartet has brought audiences to their feet for over a decade with virtuoso performances at major concert venues around the world. Quartet members Cecily Ward and Tom Stone, violins, Ethan Filner, viola, and Jennifer Kloetzel, cello, combine technical precision with imaginative programming to create their unforgettable perform-ances. Singled out by Chamber Music America as "a Generation X ensemble to watch", the Cypress is reaching out in new ways to ignite interest in chamber music. Since its inception in 1996, the quartet has commissioned and premiered over 25 works from many of America's leading composers, in their "Call and Response" Series. www.cypressquartet.com

Program: Mendelssohn: op. 13; Kevin Puts: Lento Assai; Beethoven: op. 135

Subscribers receive a free ticket to the Young Performers Concert of the Marin Music Chest with their subscription. The Mill Valley Chamber Music Society supports the goals of the Marin Music Chest and hopes that subscribers will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to hear talented young musicians.