The Clark To Present Chamber Music Tuesday Evenings In August
WILLIAMSTOWN - On Tuesday evenings in August, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute will host a series of chamber music concerts featuring the Amelia Piano Trio, Matt Haimovitz and Geoffrey Burleson, Music from Manchester, and the Amernet String Quartet. Concerts will begin at 8 p.m., and a prix-fixe dinner at the Clark Café will be offered prior to each performance. Concert tickets are $18 ($15 for Clark members) and can be purchased online at www.clarkart.edu, at the Clark's museum shop, or by calling 413-458-0524. Cost for dinner is $23 per person (does not include beverage, tax, or gratuity). In addition, the Clark's galleries will remain open until 6 p.m. on concert evenings.The Amelia Piano Trio begins the series on August 5. This remarkable group of musicians is one of the world's most sought-after ensembles, and has toured extensively throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia and has released several critically acclaimed CDs. The program features the Grieg Trio in C minor, "Andante con moto;" the Beethoven Trio in G Major, Opus 1, No.2; and the Dvorák Trio in E Minor, Opus 90, "Dumky."
Israeli cellist Matt Haimovitz and pianist Geoffrey Burleson are featured on August 12. The recipient of many awards, including the Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Grand Prix du disque, and Diapason d'Or, Haimowitz has performed on the world's most esteemed stages and with internationally renowned orchestras. The evening performance will include the Beethoven Sonata in D Major, Opus 102, No. 2; the Barber Sonata in C Minor, Opus 6; and Klezmer Fantasy (arranged for cello and piano) by Williamstown composer Stephen Dankner.
On August 19, Manchester Music Festival artists Joana Genova, violin; Ariel Rudiakov, viola; Maxine Neuman, cello; and Elizabeth Wright, piano; will perform Mozart's Piano Quartet in E-flat Major K.493; The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires by Piazzolla; and the Brahms Piano Trio in C Minor, Opus 101.
The series concludes on August 26 with the Julliard-trained Amernet String Quartet. Described by the press as "fascinating with flawless intonation, extraordinary beauty of sound, and virtuosic brilliance," the award-winning group maintains an impressive performance schedule. The program will include the Schubert String Quartet in E-flat Major, Opus 125, No. 1, D.87; Dvorák's String Quartet in E-flat Major, Opus 51; and the world premier of the String Quartet No. 9 by Stephen Dankner.
Clark chef Steve Wilkinson has designed a series of three-course, prix-fixe dinners served prior to the concerts. Each course will offer three choices, with the menu changing each week. Appetizer selections include: Tuscan tomato soup with fresh basil; mesclun greens with avocado, grapefruit, and crab, with lime-mint dressing; and native tomato salad with feta cheese and olives. Entrée choices may include: sautéed tilapia with lemon, capers, butter, and parsley; roast rosemary chicken with roasted vegetables, and corn spoon bread; or penne with broccoli rabe, cannellini beans, garlic, and asiago cheese. For dessert, choices include: chocolate mousse, strawberry-rhubarb tart, and crème brulee. Wilkinson has been chef/manager of the Clark's Café for two years, and prior to that, he owned and was chef at three restaurants in Connecticut: Fine Bouche, Steve's Centerbrook Cafe, and Esteva, all of which were rated 3 stars by the New York Times and held Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. Reservations are required and can be made at 413-458-0524. Seating begins at 6 pm.
The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, MA. The galleries are open daily in July and August, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Mondays, September through June). Currently on view are Like Breath on Glass: Whistler, Inness, and the Art of Painting Softly and Homer and Sargent from the Clark. Admission June 1 through October 31 is $12.50 for adults, free for children 18 and under, members, and students with valid ID. Admission is free November through May. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu.
