The Telegraph Quartet was established in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013 with an equal passion for the standard chamber music repertoire and contemporary, non-standard works alike. Lauded by the San Francisco Chronicle as “powerfully adept . . . with a combination of brilliance and subtlety,” the ensemble has performed in concert halls, music festivals, and academic institutions across the United States and abroad. 

Program subject to change:

• Fanny Mendelssohn
  • String Quartet in E-flat major
• George Walker
  • String Quartet no. 1
• Antonín Dvořák
  • String Quartet no. 14 in A-flat major
    

Telegraph Quartet website

The Merz Trio formed in New York City in December 2016. In addition to “traditional” recitals, the group seeks to create original interdisciplinary projects, bringing their music into conversation with collaborators including dancers, directors, chefs, sommeliers, puppeteers, and graphic designers. The trio has performed on stages around the world and won recognition as winner of the Naumberg, Concert Artists Guild, Fischoff, and Chesapeake Competitions.

Program subject to change:

“The Complete Brahms Piano Trios”

• Trio no. 2 in C major
• Trio no. 3 in C minor
• Trio no. 1 in B major

Merz Trio website

 Now enjoying their twentieth year together, the Jupiter String Quartet has been described by the New Yorker as “an ensemble of eloquent intensity” which has “matured into one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene.” In addition to their performing careers, the quartet members have been artists-in-residence since 2012 at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Korean-American pianist Soyeon Kate Lee has been lauded by the New York Times as a pianist with “a huge, richly varied sound, a lively imagination and a firm sense of style,” and by the Washington Post for her “stunning command of the keyboard.” 

Program subject to change:

• Ludwig van Beethoven
  • String Quartet no. 8 in E minor
• Elizabeth Maconchy
  • String Quartet no. 3
• Johannes Brahms
  • Piano Quintet in F minor

Jupiter String Quartet website

 The Ulysses Quartet, based in New York City, was founded in the summer of 2015. The group is committed to sharing the power of music by offering interactive programs and workshops for all ages that serve to demystify the traditional repertoire while introducing audiences to existing new works. The Ulysses Quartet has been praised by The Strad for its “textured versatility” and by the Buffalo News for its “blend of exuberance and polished artistry.” 

Program subject to change:

• Joseph Haydn
  • Quartet no. 5 in D major
• Benjamin Britten
  • Quartet no. 2 in C major
• Rhiannon Giddens
  • At the Purchaser’s Option
• Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Quartet no. 9 in C major

Ulysses Quartet website

The Lysander Piano Trio has been praised by The Strad for its “incredible ensemble, passionate playing, articulated and imaginative ideas and wide palette of colors.” The group has developed a reputation for exciting programming, connecting well-known masterworks with pieces by lesser-known and underrepresented composers. Formed at the Juilliard School, the ensemble first launched at the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York City in the 2010—2011 season. 

Program subject to change:

“Sounds from the North”

• Edvard Grieg
  • Andante con moto in C minor
    
• Amanda Röntgen-Maier
  • Trio in E-flat major
    
• Franz Schubert
  • Trio in E-flat major

Lysander Piano Trio website

 With paired oboes and recorders, and a supportive group of bassoon, cello, viola da gamba, and keyboard, Kleine Kammermusik comprises a versatile blend of instruments suited to music ranging from vivid outdoor celebrations and military fanfares to intimate chamber gatherings. Kleine Kammermusik’s members all hold prominent posts in early music groups across the country. 

Program subject to change:

•             Telemann    Suite no. 2 in G major
•             Michel Corrette    Sonata no. 2, op. 20
•             Telemann    Fantasia in G minor
•             Handel    Trio Sonata in C minor
•             Thomas Augustine Arne    Sonata no. 3 in G major
•             Couperin     Sonata “La Steinquerque”
•             Michel Lambert     Vos mépris chaque jour
•             Purcell     Ground in Gamut
•             Lully     Chaconne des Scaramouches

Kleine Kammermusik website