Florida Chamber Music Project Presents: Franz Schubert

Artistic Director Susan Pardue believes the upcoming season will be especially unique because of the pairings of known composers with music that may be new to the audience. “I’m excited about the pairings,” she said. “When I hear music I find intriguing I always check to see if the composer has written a quartet.”

The November 3rd concert is a reunion of sorts for Artistic Director Pardue. Her classmate from North Carolina School of the Arts, Pegsoon Whang, will be the second cello for Schubert’s String Quartet in C major, Opus 163, D. 956. Whang, a former member of the Jacksonville Symphony has been with the Utah Symphony for the last 15 years.

The February 23rd concert will pair Mozart’s String Quartet in d minor, k 421 with Mendelssohn’s String Quartet Opus 44, No. 3. The two pieces have some commonalities. Interestingly the two composers could not have more different upbringings. Mozart’s family had financial issues and Mendelssohn had a privileged childhood where his parent retained an orchestra so he could practice with them.

The March 15th concert will be a celebration. It’s the 250th birthday of Beethoven and 100 years since women in the U.S. got the vote. FCMP will be playing Caroline Shaw’s Blueprint. It will be the first piece from a female composer played by the group. Shaw is a New York-based violinist and vocalist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013. Also part of this concert I Haydn’s String Quartet in G Major, Opus 76, No. 1 and Beethoven’s String Quartet Opus 18, No. 6.

The end of the season is May 17 featuring Michal Torke’s Corner in Manhattan which highlights the sounds of different corners in Manhattan at different times of the day. The concert closes with Robert Schumann’s String Quartet in A Major, Opus 41, a favorite of FCMP.

“I want our audience to feel the music’s magnetism like the musicians do,” said Pardue. “For us, we can’t live without the music.”

Florida Chamber Music Project was founded seven years ago. Violist Susan Pardue serves as the Artistic Director. Joining her are violinists Patrice Evans, Anna Genest and Annie Hertler and cellist Laurie Casseday. All are members of the Jacksonville Symphony.