The popular, free Music Mondays concert series is expanding – to Tuesdays! Music Mondays (musicmondays.org), a program of Advent Lutheran Church at 93rd and Broadway, offers nine free concerts every season on Mondays at 7:30 PM. And this season the series is adding MUSIC MIDDAYS – four free classical concerts at 12 noon on Tuesdays. Music Middays concerts will feature young, up-and-coming star performers.
“Now that our evening concerts have standing room only, this is a chance to reach more listeners and to support the newest generation of great performers,” says Music Mondays Artistic Director, Aaron Wunsch. “And you can experience their artistry up close.”
The next Music Middays concert is Tuesday, March 5, at 12 noon, featuring the Terra String Quartet. They will perform music by Haydn and Debussy. On April 16, the Merz Trio will appear, performing music by Chris Rogerson and Antonin Dvořák.
The Terra String Quartet is a vibrant young international ensemble based in New York City. Prizewinners at both the 2023 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and 2023 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition, they are composed of graduates of The Juilliard School, The New England Conservatory, Harvard University, and the Curtis Institute of Music. Praised for their “remarkable maturity and musicality” and “superb ensemble playing” (Hyde Park Herald, Chicago), these four musicians hail from across the globe and, through their unique individuality as artists, are committed to infusing the string quartet with equal parts passion, spontaneity, and humor.
Hailed as “entrancing” (BBC Music Magazine) and “artists in the deepest sense of the word” (CutCommon), Merz Trio, winners of the Naumburg, Concert Artists Guild, Fischoff and Chesapeake Competitions, and recipients of a Salon di Virtuosi Career Grant, have been lauded for their “stunning virtuosity… fresh and surprising interpretations” (Reading Eagle), and “perfection of intonation and ensemble” (Hudson Review). Merz Trio are passionately committed to reshaping the narrative of classical music through vibrantly dynamic programming and wide-ranging interdisciplinary collaboration. Their narrative programming style juxtaposes classical standards, new music, and their own arrangements of familiar and forgotten works, fluidly interwoven and guided with speaking from the Trio’s members.
Music Middays concerts are presented by Serena Canin, violinist in the Brentano String Quartet, and noted teacher and presenter. Canin said, “In creating Music Middays, I hope to celebrate NYC’s enormous wealth of musical talent by bringing the finest young professionals to our local UWS community. Our fully accessible, free, daytime concerts offer everyone the opportunity to be entranced and uplifted by the power of great music. Over time, music has a soft power besides; it brings people together. My hope is that Music Middays will be a bright spot on the calendar, a time to enjoy music in good company.”
Music Mondays presents free, innovative monthly performances by today’s most exciting small ensembles. Programs include both classic chamber music and quality contemporary classical music. Now in its 21st season, Music Mondays regularly attracts full houses of delighted Upper West Siders. “We believe this music is for absolutely anyone and everyone – it uplifts us and brings us together, as a community,” says Artistic Director, Aaron Wunsch.
Music Middays concerts will last about an hour. Like Music Mondays concerts, performances are free. Donations are gratefully accepted. Concerts take place in the sanctuary of Advent Lutheran at 2504 Broadway on the corner of 93rd Street. See musicmondays.org for more details.
Music Mondays is such a great series – a real neighborhood treasure! Looking forward to Music Middays!