Steeple Concerts proudly announces 2023-24 season
Steeple Concerts is proud to announce our next season of world-class music coming to downtown Westfield. This year's lineup features a violin/accordion duo specializing in Roma ("gypsy") music, a virtuoso pianist, a world-renown early music vocal quartet, an 'astounding' string quartet, and the annual Masterworks finale with choir and orchestra. All concerts are scheduled at 5:00 on Sunday afternoons at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ.
The season kicks off on Sunday, September 24 with the Vagabond Duo. This innovative ensemble pairs England’s ‘Paganini of the violin’ playing the most brilliant and seductive of gypsy melodies with a master accordionist in an award-winning duo, whose music has been described as ‘gorgeous stuff.‘ (BBC)
The season continues on Sunday, November 12 when Steeple Concerts presents the virtuoso pianist Ilya Yakushev. With many awards and honors to his credit, he continues to astound and mesmerize audiences at major venues on three continents, while his playing has been described as “one of the very best young pianists before the public today, and it doesn’t seem to matter what repertoire he plays – it is all of the highest caliber” (American Record Guide.)
On Sunday January 21, 2024 Steeple Concerts will host one of the most pre-eminent vocal ensembles in the world. Praised for a “rich, natural sound that’s larger and more complex than the sum of its parts,” (NPR) New York Polyphony is one of the foremost vocal chamber ensembles active today. The four men, “singers of superb musicianship and vocal allure,” (The New Yorker) give vibrant, modern voice to repertoire ranging from Gregorian chant to cutting-edge compositions. Their dedication to innovative programming, as well as a focus on rare and rediscovered Renaissance and medieval works, has not only earned New York Polyphony two GRAMMY nominations and wide acclaim, but also helped to move early music into the classical mainstream.
Praised by The Washington Post for “astounding” and “captivating” performances that draw from its notable “meld of intellect, technique and emotions,” the Aizuri Quartet will perform at Steeple Concerts on Sunday March 10, 2024. Come hear the ensemble that was described by The New York Times as “genuinely exciting,” “imaginative” and “a [string] quartet of expert collaborators.”
The season concludes on Sunday, May 19, 2024 with the annual Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church and community with a professional orchestra. The concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting. In celebration of its 200th anniversary, this year we will present Ludwig van Beethoven’s late masterwork - the epic “Missa Solemnis.”