Side Street Studio Arts to hold chamber music series
Submitted by Side Street Studio Arts
Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, in Elgin, announced the continuation of its newest musical endeavor “In the Studio,” curated by Elgin Symphony Orchestra cellist Sara Sitzer.
The program will be a chamber music series that will feature local musicians, as well as those from around the area working in a variety of classical musical modes. “In the Studio” will bring this genre into a less traditional setting, allowing audience members close-up proximity to the musicians and their instruments.
Additionally, the casual atmosphere will allow performers to offer insight about the music and composers throughout the evening. Post-performance, audience members are invited to stay and mingle with the musicians.
The shows start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Side Street Studio Arts, online at www.sidestreetstudioarts.org or at the door the night of the event.
The summer programming will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday, June 28, with Trio Trifecta, a new ensemble in Chicago’s burgeoning chamber music scene. Made up of oboists Xiomara Mass and Anna Velzo and cellist Dessislava Nenova, the group has recently performed in venues such as St. Hillary Parish and Curtiss Hall in Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building. Their Elgin debut will include works by Bach, Hummel, Haydn and Telemann.
On Monday, July 22, the Elgin Chamber Players, led by Elgin Symphony trombonist Mark Fry, will feature an eclectic program including works by Bernstein, Glass, Mozart, Muczyinski, Poulenc and Proulx, performed by Ross Beacraft on trumpet, Daniel O’Connell on horn, Fry on trombone and euphonium, and Sean Whitaker on tuba.
On Wednesday, Aug. 21, the Moeller Duo will perform works by Albéniz, Byrd, DeFalla, Piazzolla and Scarlatti. The Moeller Cello and Guitar Duo is made up of the husband-wife team of Paul and Kerena Moeller. Together, they won the Baltimore Chamber Music Awards Competition and have performed throughout the U.S., England and Italy. Their most recent CD, “My Better Half,” features music from baroque to blues, a range that will be reflected in their upcoming “In the Studio” performance.
Sitzer, the curator of the new series, is an active and versatile freelance cellist in Chicago. A member of string quartet Chicago Q Ensemble and the Elgin Symphony, she also performs regularly with the Milwaukee Symphony and the Firebird Chamber Orchestra in Miami. Sitzer is founding artistic director of the Gesher Music Festival of Emerging Artists in St. Louis. She holds performance degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Boston University, and completed a three-year fellowship with the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.
Side Street Studio Arts was founded in 2013 by Tanner Melvin and Erin Rehberg as an outlet for the artists of Elgin. Its mission is to provide an accessible space encouraging all aspects of the artistic process from creation to curation. For details, call (847) 429-2276 or visit www.sidestreetstudioarts.org.