Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players

“This was music-making of a very high order”
“at the Jupiter concerts, there is always so much about which to be enthusiastic.”
“the rarities glittered like jewels”

Fred Kirshnit, The New York Sun
view more reviews

Join Our Mailing List!

Jupiter 2018 - 2019 Season
20 Mondays at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM

View Our NEW Season Calendar

To purchase Tickets ~ $25, $17, $10 
please call (212) 799-1259 or buy at the door
or e-mail admin@jupitersymphony.com
or order tickets with our printable ticket order form (pdf)

Concert Venue:
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway), New York

“one of the most refined and intelligent church spaces in New York” ~ The New York Times Built in 1893 by Josiah Cleveland Cady, architect of the old Metropolitan Opera House and the American Museum of Natural History

Office Address:
JUPITER SYMPHONY
155 West 68th Street, Suite 319
New York, NY 10023
admin@jupitersymphony.com
(212) 799-1259

Like our Facebook page to see photos, videos,
concert information and the latest news

html5 audio player

Listen to a live recording of the Jupiter Symphony
Chamber Players from September 23, 2013
Recorded by Joseph Patrych

Roman Rabinovich piano
Xiao-Dong Wang violin
Mihai Marica cello

Antonín DVORÁK  Piano Trio No. 1 in B^b Major Op. 21
i. Allegro molto
ii. Adagio molto e mesto
iii. Allegretto scherzando
iv. Finale

The next time you shop on Amazon, sign up at Smile.Amazon.com and donate 0.5% of your purchase to Jupiter, without additional cost to you or to Jupiter. Many thanks

Monday, April 29, 2pm & 7:30pm 
The Kreutzer Connection
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)

Avery Gagliano piano
Winner of the Aspen Festival concerto competition ~ won the Grand Prize at the MostArts Festival Grand Prix winner at the Chopin International Piano Competition ~ “...a compelling presence at the piano. She immediately draws you in… She has the technique and the musicianship, which is the ultimate combination of a young artist.” National Public Radio ~ From the Top

Stefan Milenkovich violin
Winner of the Indianapolis, Paganini, Tibor Varga, Queen Elisabeth, Yehudi Menuhin, and Young Concert Artists competitions ~ “a stunning virtuoso.” Strings ~ “Milenkovich’s recital at the Kennedy Center was so disarmingly magical that it is not easy to describe its glories. This is not so much a matter of a dazzling virtuosity (though he has it all) as of searching musicianship.” The Washington Post

Rodolphe Kreutzer was a French composer and one of the outstanding violin virtuosos of his day. He met Beethoven in 1798, while in Vienna in the service of the French ambassador, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (later the King of Sweden and Norway). In 1803 Beethoven composed his 9th violin sonata for the virtuoso George Bridgetower (of Polish-West Indian parentage), but the two quarreled, after which Beethoven dedicated his masterpiece to Kreutzer instead, hence its moniker, the “Kreutzer” Sonata. Kreutzer never played the Sonata, finding it “unintelligible,” whereas Bridgetower performed it to acclaim.

Kreutzer was also a founder of the French school of violin playing, which influenced Mendelssohn, as is evident in his Violin Concerto in D minor and the Concerto for piano, violin, and strings. Giovanni Battista Viotti had established the technical and stylistic foundations of the school, which were continued by Kreutzer, Pierre Baillot, and Pierre Rode at the newly-founded Paris Conservatoire in 1795. Mendelssohn learned these fundamentals through his teacher Eduard Rietz, who had studied with Rode. In addition to his other classes, Mendelssohn had 2 hours of violin lessons during which he studied violin technique from the unsurpassed Kreutzer Etudes, a core work of the French school that is still a requirement for violin students to this day.

Rodolphe KREUTZER  Trio in F Major
   ~ a delightful trio for the unusual instrumentation of clarinet, viola, and bassoon ~ dedicated to François Joseph Garnier (1786-1825), first oboist of the Paris opera house

Born in Versailles, Kreutzer studied music with his father, a violinist in the royal orchestra, and with Anton Stamitz before making his debut at age 12. Marie Antoinette sponsored his early career and he later enjoyed the patronage of Napoleon and the restored Bourbon monarchy. During the late 1790s he concertized extensively in Europe, playing his Stradivari with a full sound, instinctive sense of phrase, and improvisational skill that won him many admirers. Kreutzer was professor of violin at the Paris Conservatoire from its founding in 1795 until 1826; and along with Baillot and Rode, he created the violin method that is still taught there. He outlived all the political changes in France unmolested, retaining his excellent positions, and in 1824 he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor. His many compositions include 19 violin concertos and some 40 operas, but his influence rests on his pedagogical works, in particular the 42 études ou caprices for unaccompanied violin (1796). The New Grove Dictionary maintains that they “occupy an almost unique position in the literature of violin studies.”

BEETHOVEN  Piano Trio No. 2 in G Major Op. 1 No. 2
   ~ in high Classical style, with a deeply personal slow movement, dance-like scherzo, and galloping finale

MENDELSSOHN  String Quintet No. 1 in A Major Op. 18 
   ~ a remarkable work written at age 17, the Quintet is elegantly classical and one of his most personal expressions ~ in 1832 Mendelssohn replaced the original Minuet with an Intermezzo as a memorial to Eduard Rietz, his violin teacher and boyhood friend

Jupiter Players on this program:

Claire Bourg violin
A laureate of many competitions, Claire has appeared on NPR’s From the Top and Chicago’s WFMT Introductions programs

Maurycy Banaszek viola
Winner of many violin, viola and chamber music awards

Jordan Bak viola
Winner of the 2017 Juilliard Concerto Competition and recipient of the Presser Foundation Scholar Award

Timotheos Petrin cello
Winner of the 2015 Astral Artists Auditionm, top prize winner at the Paulo Cello Competition in Finland ~ “a great and passionate soloist style: expressive, vibrant singing lines, sparkling rhythm... an interesting, original personality” Helsingin Sanomat

Vadim Lando clarinet
Winner of the CMC Canada, Yale and Stonybrook competitions ~ “consistently distinguished...vibrant, precise, virtuosic playing” The New York Times

Jupiter in the News

“the performers were top notch”
“The homey church where these concerts take place, nestled on West 66th Street in the shadow of Lincoln Center, is an intimate and acoustically vibrant place for chamber music.”
Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times   more...

Strad Magazine
“A finely forthright, fluent and expressive account of Haydn's Divertimento in E-flat major opened this programme of miscellaneous chamber music in a series known for adventurous programming.”
Dennis Rooney, Strad Magazine   more...

ConcertoNet
“Mr. Nygaard’s cadenza flowed down Mozart lanes and paths, each with beautiful backgrounds. And at the very end, Mr. Nygaard brought forth that martial major theme, like an unexpected gift.” 
Harry Rolnick, ConcertoNet   more...

“...the group’s efforts proved illuminating ...Brown played a lovely, subtly virtuosic cadenza for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 by Jens Nygaard, the ensemble’s founder, who died in 2001, but whose fascination with rarities continues to drive its programming”
Allan Kozinn, The New York Times   more...

Monday, May 13, 2pm & 7:30pm 
German Giants
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)

Maxim Lando piano
Gold Medal : 2017 Berliner International Competition; Gold Medal : 2015 International Television Contest for Young Musicians in Moscow; 2nd prize : Kissinger Klavier Olymp in Germany; Winner : 2014 Juilliard Pre-College Concerto Competition ~ “He has an ever so clear approach to the keyboard, and the molding and shaping of phrases straight from the musical angels.” Berkshire Fine Arts ~ “Lando boasts technical skill” Anthony Tommasini ~ The New York Times ~ “He was simply brilliant” Cleveland Classical

Danbi Um violin
Silver Medalist in the Menuhin competition; winner of the 2015 Astral Artists Auditions and recipient of the 2018 Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant ~ “...utterly dazzling” The Strad ~ “a marvelous show of superb technique” and “mesmerizing grace” New York Classical Review

Abigel Kralik violin
Won the first and grand prize at the 2010 Koncz János competition and first prize at the 2012 Talents for Europe competition in Dolny Kubin, Slovakia

BEETHOVEN  Mödlinger Tänze WoO 17
   ~ the great, brusque composer at his most gracious in these little dances—waltzes, minuets, and ländler—his finest set of dances for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins, and double bass

The authorship of the 11 Mödlinger Dances is uncertain. Anton Schindler, Beethoven’s early biographer (but not an always reliable one), claimed that the composer wrote a set of waltzes in 1819 while staying at an inn near Mödling. A band of musicians playing at the inn had apparently asked him for some waltzes (at the time he was working on the Missa solemnis). That score, however, never turned up in his lifetime. The music theorist Hugo Riemann came across the set of dances in Leipzig in 1905 and determined it to be the one referred to by Schindler. They were first published in Leipzig two years later. Although Beethoven may have indeed written the dances, as he did write a fair number of short and light works around this time, certain stylistic traits seem to cast doubt on his authorship.

Richard STRAUSS  Metamorphosen Op. 142
   ~ powerful, poignant, and stunning utterance from a grief-stricken Strauss at age 80, under the weight of Germany in ruins—it’s his heart-rending reactions against the destruction of centuries-old German culture and heritage that included the bombing of his beloved opera house, the Hoftheater in Munich, and the destruction of several other venues in Dresden, Weimar, Berlin, and Vienna ~ reconstructed by Rudolf Leopold for 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, and double bass when an initial sketch for string septet was found in 1990

BRAHMS  Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor Op. 25
   ~ exhilarating, with a wild gypsy Rondo alla Zingarese for its dazzling finale ~ premiered in Hamburg with Clara Schumann at the piano

Jupiter Players on this program:

Lisa Shihoten violin
Honored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, and winner of the Menuhin and Paganini violin competitions

Cong Wu viola
Assistant Principal Violist of the New York Philharmonc, won 3rd Prize in the 14th Primrose Viola Competition and a Special Prize in the 12th Lionel Tertis Competition

Lisa Sung viola
Winner of a special prize at the 2016 Lionel Tertis Viola Competition, a top prize at the 2017 Manhattan and 2017 Vivo competitions, and a two-time winner of the Australian States Concerto Competition

Ani Aznavoorian cello
Winner of the Julius Stulberg and Paolo competitions ~ “shows great sensitivity and great virtuosity at all moments” Los Angeles Times ~ “stunning in her assured technical mastery” Kansas City Star

Thomas Mesa cello
Winner of the 2017 Astral Artists Auditions, the 2016 Sphinx Competition, 2013 Thaviu Competition, and the 2006 Alhambra Orchestra Concerto Competition

Xavier Foley double bass
Recipient of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, First Prize winner at the 2016 Young Concert Artists Auditions, 2014 Sphinx Competition, 2014 Astral National Auditions, 2009 (Junior Division) and 2011 (Senior Division) Bassists Society competitions ~ “The double bass world could use Xavier Foley... a standout player.” The Philadelphia Inquirer

Vadim Lando clarinet
Winner of the CMC Canada, Yale and Stonybrook competitions ~ “consistently distinguished...vibrant, precise, virtuosic playing” The New York Times

Karl Kramer horn
Winner of the 1997 and 1999 American Horn competitions ~ “a prominent, perilously chromatic horn line, which Karl Kramer played beautifully.” The New York Times

Audrey Flores horn
Was principal Horn of Symphony in C, and the Allentown Symphony, Audrey has played in such orchestras as the New World Symphony and Albany Symphony. She also performs as a chamber musician with the 85th Street Wind Quintet, the Hora Decima Brass Ensemble, and Big Apple Brass Trio

Dear Friends and Music Lovers,    These days there’s much ado about mining bitcoins. Well, let’s consider mining Jupiter instead.    Why? Jupiter is a valuable asset that offers growth in enjoyment, with interesting and varied programs, and it’s the best in class. It also offers many performance opportunities to numerous remarkable musicians, while continuing to keep ticket prices low. No speculation needed, no volatility expected. The yield includes rock solid support of super talents and guaranteed high returns in bliss from top quality music making. There’s nothing to lose in mining Jupiter. No risk.    So sign up now for a full series of 20 concerts, or miss out on half the fun and sign up for 10 concerts. We’ll even more than welcome you on a per concert basis!    How is this investment possible at such bargain rates? Here’s where you come in—your gift is the seed capital for a thriving Jupiter! Please give as much as you can. You’ll have our gratitude in spades. All gifts are tax deductible. Thank you so much,

Why the name Jupiter: When Jens Nygaard named his orchestra Jupiter, he had the beautiful, gaseous planet in mind—unattainable but worth the effort, like reaching musical perfection. Many, indeed, were privileged and fortunate to hear his music making that was truly Out of This World. Our Players today seek to attain that stellar quality.

View Our NEW Season Calendar

more details here...

Order Tickets with Our Printable Ticket Order Form (pdf)

Take a look at our guest artists for this season.
Find out more about the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players.