Program: Beethoven, Variations, op.44; Chausson Trio in g, op. 3; Dvorak, op. 90 "Dumky" Trio

Celebrating their 10th Anniversary in the 2011-2012 season, Trio Solisti has been hailed "The most exciting piano trio in America" by The New Yorker Magazine. Comprised of three brilliant instrumentalists - violinist Maria Bachmann, cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach and pianist Jon Klibonoff . Trio Solisti has earned a reputation for soulful and passionate performances marked by soloistic virtuosity, electric energy, seamless ensemble playing, and thrilling abandon. Performing a broad spectrum of styles, their versatility extends to new music, most notably to the work of Paul Moravec who composed his 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning work, Tempest Fantasy, for Trio Solisti. One of America's most notable critics, Terry Teachout of The Wall St. Journal proclaimed, "To my mind, Trio Solisti has now succeeded the Beaux Arts Trio as the outstanding chamber-music ensemble of its kind."

Chamber Music Monterrey Bay in California has commissioned a work for the Trio by one of America's most gifted young composers, Kevin Puts, and the trio premieres the new piece in fall 2012 with clarinetist Jon Manasse. The Arizona Friends of Chamber Music in Tucson have commissioned Lowell Lieberman to write a piano trio for Trio Solisti which they will premiere in 2013.

Website: www.triosolisti.com

Program: Haydn: Qt. op. 71, #1; Smetana: Qt. #1, e minor "From my Life", Dvorak: Qt. op. 106 in G major

The Prazak Quartet--one of today's leading international chamber music ensembles--was established in 1972 while its members were students at the Prague Conservatory. For over 30 years, the Prazak Quartet has been at home on music stages worldwide. They are regular guests in the major European musical capitals--Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Milan, Madrid, London, Berlin, Munich, etc.--and have been invited to participate at numerous international festivals, where they have collaborated with such artists as Menahem Pressler, Jon Nakamatsu, Cynthia Phelps, Roberto Diaz, Josef Suk, and Sharon Kam.

In North America, the Prazak Quartet has performed in New York (Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, 92nd St. Y), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Washington, Philadelphia, Miami, St. Louis, New Orleans, Berkeley, Cleveland, Tucson, Denver, Buffalo, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. The Prazak Quartet records exclusively for Praga/Harmonia Mundi which, to date, has released over 30 award-winning CDs. The members of the quartet are: Pavel Hula, Vlastomil Holek, violins; Josef Kluson, viola; and Michal Kanka, cello.

Website: www.prazakquartet.com

Program: Schubert: Impromptus, op.90; Schumann: Papillons, op. 2; Beethoven "Moonlight" Sonata, op. 27 #2; Schumann Carnival, op. 9.

Since his dramatic 1997 Van Cliburn Gold Medal triumph, Jon Nakamatsu's brilliant but unassuming musicianship and eclectic repertoire have made him a clear favorite throughout the world both on the concert circuit and in the recording studio. He has performed widely in North America, Europe, and the Far East and has collaborated with such conductors as James Conlon, Philippe Entremont, Marek Janowski, Raymond Leppard, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Michael Tilson Thomas and Osmo Vaenskae. His extensive recital tours throughout the United States and Europe have featured appearances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Paris, London, and Milan. In 1999, Mr. Nakamatsu was invited to the White House to perform for President and Mrs. Clinton. In August of 2010, he was heard in recital for the Chopin Institute in Warsaw at Warsaw's Philharmonic Hall; in October he returned to China for a debut at the Beijing International Piano Festival; and earlier this season he also performed with jazz pianist David Benoit in a special program mixing Gershwin with jazz and classical repertoire at the prestigious Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga.

Among the numerous chamber ensembles with which Mr. Nakamatsu has collaborated are the Brentano, Tokyo, Prazak, St. Lawrence, and Ying String Quartets. He also tours frequently with the Berlin Philharmonic Winds. Together with the acclaimed clarinetist Jon Manasse, Mr. Nakamatsu tours regularly as part of the Manasse/Nakamatsu Duo, whom we enjoyed in our 2010-11 season.

Website: www.jonnakamatsu.com

Program: Haydn Quartet op. 76 #2 "Quinten"; Lutoslawski Quartet; Britten Quartet #2

An outstanding career spanning three decades has made the Auryn Quartet of Germany one of the most sought-after and respected ensembles performing around the globe. The Quartet has not changed its personnel over this long period, and continues with its fresh and pioneering approach to all genres of music. The Auryn's main mentors were the Amadeus Quartet and the Guarneri Quartet. Recent tours have taken the Quartet from the Lincoln Center in New York, to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and also to Wigmore Hall in London.

The Auryn's most recent and ambitious recording project is an edition of all 68 Haydn quartets, released in September 2010. Matthias Lingenfelder, Jens Oppermann, violins; Stewart Eaton, viola; Andreas Arndt, cello; are the four musicians of the Auryn, who play on wonderful Italian instruments: a Stradivari violin (1722, ex-Joachim), a Petrus Guarneri violin, a Brothers Amati viola (1616) and a Niccolo Amati cello.

Website: www.aurynquartet.com

Program: Henry Cowell, Qt. #4 "United"; Tchaikovsky: Qt. #1 in D major, op. 11; Schubert: String Quintet in C major (D. 956, op. posth. 163)

The Ives Quartet has established a reputation for passion, precision, and provocative programming, winning accolades for playing that shows both super-refinement and intensity. The quartet combines players with American and European experience and sensibilities, drawing on the talent and experience of the international, solo, orchestral, chamber, and recording careers of its artist members — Bettina Mussumeli, violin; Susan Freier, violin; Jodi Levitz, viola; and Stephen Harrison, cello. They present an annual home concert series in Silicon Valley and the Greater San Francisco Bay Area in addition to performing nationally and internationally at noted chamber music series and festivals. The Ives Quartet devotes a significant portion of its year-round work to string-ensemble coaching and music education, and members are on the faculty at Stanford University and San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Joining them in this special concert will be the famous cellist, Bonnie Hampton. Ms. Hampton was born in Berkeley, and studied cello with Pablo Casals, Margaret Rowell, Zara Nelsova; chamber music with the Griller Quartet and the Alma Trio. A founding member of the Naumburg Award-winning Francesco Trio, she has also performed as part of the Hampton-Schwartz Duo with her late husband, pianist Nathan Schwartz. Her solo debut with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra was followed by appearances with orchestras nationally performing the entire standard repertoire and many of the 20th century cello concertos. Her Francesco Trio Residencies have included Grinnell College, Stanford University, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she taught for thirty years. Ms. Hampton was awarded an "Excellence in Teaching Award" from SFCM as well as the "Eva Janzer Award" from Indiana University. Ms. Hampton has also taught at Mills College, and the University of California, Berkeley. She is a past president of Chamber Music America. In September 2003 she joined the faculty at the Juilliard School. For our concert the quintet will be performing the beloved Franz Schubert Quintet in C.

Website: www.ivesquartet.org