Beethoven, Mozart, and Brahms. Oh my!

All of these well-known composers will be represented at this summer’s sixth season of free chamber music in Quilcene for the Concerts in the Barn series, but this year will also include compositions by a few people you might not have heard of: Emily Meyer and Florence Price. That’s right, those are not the names of dead white men.

Meyer was the most prolific German female composer of the Romantic period, whose works are an essential part of the quartet genre. She was even called the “second Beethoven” of her time. Returning favorite Carpe Diem String Quartet will be performing Meyer’s “String Quartet in E minor” July 16 and 17.

Price was an African American woman who, while alive, was highly recognized. Price is noted as the first African-American woman to be a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra.

Price’s “String Quartet No. 1 in G major” will be performed by the Jasper String Quartet on July 23 and 24.

If distinctive musical selections aren’t enough to draw you in, the lush country gardens stretching around the mid-century barn make for a perfect picnic. The venue encourages families to bring the kids, who are free to roam around the fields of flowers. Add in some wine selected by The Wine Seller or a cider from Finnriver, and you have a recipe for the ultimate afternoon.

Of all the events taking place over the nine-week span, Leigh Hearon, executive director of Concerts in the Barn, said she’s “really looking forward to our gala.”

Last year was their first time hosting a fundraising gala, the only event in the series that is not free, to make sure musicians are paid competitively.

They’d hoped to have soprano singer Laura Bohn perform for that event last summer, but the thought of a powerful voice bursting over the crowd was too much for that particular moment in the pandemic.

Not anymore.

“This year we’re going to do it. She is going to sing,” Hearon said.

To finish off the season, four of the world’s finest musicians will be performing in what Hearon descibes as a “concert of the most beautiful people in the world.”

Pianists Aglika Angilova and Christo Kasmetski — both internationally renowned solo performers in their own right — will be joined by pianist Catherine Ordronneau, described by critics as “a pianist like no other,” and violinist Kai Gleusteen, who has the great fortune to play on a violin made in 1781 by “El Tigre.” Members of the ensemble will be playing piano four hands, a type of piano duet involving two players on the same piano simultaneously.

“We’re so happy to be able to open our grounds to the public again and want to make sure the farm is accessible to as many people as possible,” Hearon said.

“The musical lineup this year is absolutely outstanding, and we hope everyone in our community has a chance to hear a concert or two.”

Performer highlights for this season at Concerts in the Barn

Aletheia Piano Trio

Francesca dePasquale, violin; Juliette Herlin, cello; Fei-Fei, piano
The Aletheia Piano Trio is quickly rising to acclaim for its “dazzling energy and expressivity” (Reading Eagle) and musical integrity. Praised as an “outstanding ensemble” with “confidence and understanding of musicians beyond their years” (Palm Beach Daily News), the trio was formed in 2013 at the Juilliard School and quickly gave debut performances at the Rose Studio and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York and the Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The ensemble is named for Aletheia, the Greek concept of sincerity, which celebrates their approach to realizing musical works, as well as their connection to each other and their audiences.

Trio Hava

Elisa Barston, violin; Jessica Choe, piano; Amy Barston, cello
Praised as “passionate and elegant” by The New York Times, cellist Amy Sue Barston has performed as a soloist and chamber musician on stages all over the world.
At age 17, she appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on live television, was the Grand Prize winner in the Society of American Musicians’ Competition, and won first place and the Audience Prize in the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition.
Violinist Elisa Barston has served as the Associate Concertmaster of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for nine seasons and was a First Violin Section member of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Barston is currently the Principal Second Violinist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
Korean American pianist Jessica Choe began her musical studies at the age of three in Seoul, Korea, where she was a winner of several national youth piano competitions, including Samick Piano Competition and Korea Daily Times Music Competition.
Since immigrating to the U.S. in 1988, she has performed in many American concert halls including The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and The Wolf Trap.

Fulton Street Chamber Players

Cordula Merks, violin; Walter Gray, cello; Rachel Swerdlow, viola
The Fulton Street Chamber Players are an ensemble drawn from the best and most dedicated chamber musicians in the Seattle area, supplemented with fantastic colleagues from across the country.
Founded in 2015 by Rachel Swerdlow and Walter Gray, Fulton Street performances have been enjoyed throughout the Northwest, in both eclectic venues and house concerts.
The ensemble’s love of chamber music and their enjoyment of performing in intimate settings brings audiences to the historic roots of chamber music. The Fulton Street Chamber Players are excited to be playing for the second time at Concerts in the Barn in summer 2022.