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OfcersJennifer Cable, PresidentMary Boodell, Vice PresidentJames Wilson, TreasurerPhyllis McCafferty, SecretaryFlexible in personnel and repertoire, the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia strives to empower our audience, musicians, and organization to face the world with new perspectives through music, building a broad and active audience, and a more enlightened industry.We are dedicated to inspiring, entertaining, and moving our communities through a combination of unique venues, world-class musicians, thought-provoking content, and eclectic classical music. Engaging with contemporary culture and honoring the classical tradition, we strive to promote interest and diversity in the musical life of Richmond and beyond.We invite you to attend one or all our events, become a member of CMSCVA, or volunteer your time and talents. We are certain that you will enjoy the experience.About the Chamber Music Society of Central VirginiaArtistic Director The Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia Board of Directors:Mary BoodellJennifer CableDiana DamschroderPeter GilbertPhyllis McCaffertyRobin JonesEllen SaylesJames WilsonJames WilsonP.O. Box 8526 Richmond, VA 23226-0526 (804) 304-6312 | cmscva@yahoo.com | www.cmscva.orgThe Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia is a nonstock, nonprofit 5019(c)(3) organization. Our 2021-22 season is made possible through donations from our patrons, and through a generous grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

James WilsonArtistic DirectorGreetings,Even as the arts world continues to face many questions and unknowns, it’s wonderful to settle back and focus on a fresh concert season! At CMSCVA, we’ve doubled down on artistic content, centered our community as our source of inspiration, and are ready to present one of our most ambitious seasons yet. Here are some exciting highlights for 2021-22:TALENT: We will be bringing more than 30 gifted artists from around the country to entertain and move you with their musical storytelling.NEW ART: In an exceptional display of commitment to classical music, we have commissioned 6 new works of chamber music from an exciting roster of composers, all to be premiered over the season.VIRGINIA: We are focusing on our Richmond region as a source of inspiration and pride, from concert programming, to artists, to new commissions.OUR PICTURES: In a project inspired by the timeless suite “Pictures at an Exhibition,” we will kick off an ambitious multi-year project based on the abundance of art found in the Richmond region.With all of the excitement in the season, we hope you will find a place in CMSCVA for exciting and unique classical music in Richmond.Sincerely,

The Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia presentsThis is AmericaOctober 18, 2021 | 7pm Historic Mankin Mansion4300 Oakleys Ln, Richmond VA with Johnny Gandelsman, violin Featuring the music of Angélica NegrónChristina CourtinRhiannon GiddensTyshawn SoreyConrad Taoand Akshaya Avril Tucker

ProgramPallavi - a Meditation on Care Akshaya Avril Tucker (b. 1992)Stones Conrad Tao (b. 1994)Stroon Christina Courtin (b. 1984)For Courtney Bryan Tyshawn Sorey (b. 1980)A través del manto luminoso Angélica Negrón (b. 1981)New to the Session Rhiannon Giddens (b. 1977)

Johnny GandelsmanGrammy award winning violinist and producer Johnny Gandelsman's musical voice reflects the artistic collaborations he has been a part of since moving to the United States in 1995. Richard Brody of The New Yorker has called Johnny Gandelsman “revelatory” in concert, placing him in the company of “radically transformative” performers like Maurizio Pollini, Peter Serkin and Christian Zacharias. As a founding member of Brooklyn Rider and a member of the Silkroad Ensemble, Johnny has closely worked with such luminaries as Bela Fleck, Yo-Yo Ma, Mark Morris, Anne Sofie Van Otter, and Suzanne Vega. He has appeared with Bono, David Byrne, Renee Fleming, Rhiannon Giddens, I'm With Her, Christian McBride, and many others.Johnny has been producing records since starting his label, In a Circle Records in 2008. Recent credits include Brooklyn Rider's “Spontaneous Symbols”; Johnny's own recording of the complete Sonatas and Partitas for violin by JS Bach; and 2 albums with Silkroad Ensemble and Yo-Yo Ma - Music for “The Vietnam War”, a film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick; and “Sing Me Home”, a Grammy-award winner for Best World Music album.He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Amber Star Merkens, and their two kids, Julius Ivry and Raiya Leone.Our Artistic CollaboratorsFor the full roster of season artists, please visit cmscva.org.

Notes on the ProgramAkshaya Tucker on Pallavi - A Meditation on Care“Pallavi (Puh-la-vee), Meditation on Care” is about recovery. It takes inspiration from two sources: one is a bhajan (devotional song) about the biggest moment of transformation in our lives. The first line of this song roughly translates from the Hindi to, "One day, Mother [Goddess] Kali,we will go together in light." "Ek din Kali Maa" has been present, always, for my family as we've grieved our own dear ones; and present again in 2018. It is more than a comfort; it is a presence that restores and embraces. If the music in Pallavi feels like a dear friend giving you a hug as you listen, then I will be very happy! I created a fantasy on this melody, treating it like the theme in Odissi 'Pallavi' form. The Pallavi genre within Odissi dance repertoire is the second inspiration behind the piece. I studied the Odissi style of Classical Indian dance for 20 years under Guru Ranjanaa Devi, and learned andperformed about eight compositions of this type. Pallavi's are named for their Raag, and are abstract pieces that contain no particular narrative. They involve the repetition of one melody over evolving musical and gestural elements. They move from slow and sensuous, to fast and trance-like, even virtuosic. For me, dancing a Pallavi provides a sense of care and well-being.They are pure sweetness; a means of becoming absorbed by the raag; and feeling proud and comfortable in my own skin as a woman. This is what I've tried to represent musically. This Pallavi extolls the strength of women, especially my mom. The performer is welcome to direct this musical spirit of restoration to whoever needs it in their own life.I learning Odissi dance that came into the music as well. I've used some rhythmic manipulations that dress up the melody in a new suit of clothes each time it appears, as you find frequently in Odissi music. The violin also occasionally imitates the timbre of the buzzing cassette tapes we practice dance to. These are some not particularly high-tech recordings made in India during the 1980s, by friends of my dance Guru -- the instruments included a voice, pakhawaj (two-headed drum), drone, and flute or sitar. The static was always noticeable during the opening alap (slow

improvisation on the raag), and, true to form, it appears at the opening of this piece too. I would like to thank Gabriela Lena Frank and Johnny Gandelsman for their mentorship, excellent advice and musical presence. This music is made more full by their generosity.In 2020, on most days, I took a walk north along the Hudson River. About two-thirds of the way up is a bank of mysterious stones. Stones stacked on top of each other, forming elegant, gravity-defying piles. I'll never forget the first time I encountered these stones, on my first walk up the river. The feeling of another person, the feeling of another, was very evident. When I first came across these stones, I wasn't sure if this was the "Pallavi - A Meditation on Care" was commissioned by the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music.Conrad Tao on Stoneseffort of many people, or just one, but regardless — the feeling of somebody's hands, someone desiring to express, someone desiring to leave a trace of themselves — that was so palpable. So palpable, and so moving, especially at that time, when it was difficult to connect with people. And as I kept taking these walks, throughout the summer and fall, I observed change within the stones. Sometimes, they would nearly disappear, only a few shallow piles left that you could see if you looked hard enough. Sometimes they would evolve and change.I later learned that these stones were the work of a local self-taught artist named Uliks Gryka. I was excited to learn this information, but there was a part of me that didn't necessarily care that much about who it was on the other side of these sculptures, because, at least, at the time I discovered the stones, they were unmistakable but fairly anonymous. Gryka wasn't leaving a signature — I believe he has in the past, but when I encountered the work, he wasn't. There was something in that too. There was

something about the simplicity and the confident humility of leaving the work there, to be seen, to be discovered, to be experienced; perhaps the trace was enough, and credit was secondary.This piece was written for Johnny Gandelsman, in December of 2020, and Johnny specifically asked for a piece that was reflecting on the, uh, [cue frantic hand-waving] recent time period, and this piece is a tribute to those Sisyphus Stones, to Uliks Gryka's Sisyphus Stones. It is a love letter to them, a note of appreciation for what they provided for me during this most tumultuous time.“Stones” was commissioned by Bay Chamber Concert and Music School in Rockport, Maine.Christina Courtin on StroonWhen I was given the task to write “Stroon,” the reflection period was a heavy one. I was on a journey to find a path that would somehow lead me to another. Needless to say, I hit many dead ends. For me the piece has landed in two worlds of mine, the lyrical and the searching. The singing aspect is throughout, but especially at the beginning and, of course, with the help of the dancers. The flowing sixteenth notes are just a vehicle for the endless searching and questioning of what anything/everything means, not unlike so many other pieces of music out there today. The last year and a half have been absolutely devastating for so many reasons, and for me personally it made me very quiet. I did not write, I did not sing, I just read the news with an anxious mind. I was so grateful for the opportunity from The Vail Dance Festival because it forced me to get into music again, to try and reconnect with myself, and to try and put music to the madness that is still our reality. "Stroon" was commissioned by the 2021 Vail Dance Festival, Damian Woetzel - Artistic Director

Tyshawn Sorey - For Courtney Bryan (No notes provided)"For Courtney Bryan" was commissioned by the 2021 Vail Dance Festival, Damian Woetzel - Artistic DirectorAngélica Negrón on A través del manto luminoso“A través del manto luminoso” (Through the luminous mantle) is a piece written for Johnny Gandelsman inspired by “A Book of Stars,” a collection of dark sky photographs taken in Puerto Rico and its islands by Javier Román-Nieves. “A Book of Stars” includes astrophotography showcasing night skies, sunrises and sunsets between 2011–2020. The resplendent, stunning and almost surreal image titled “Blanket of seawater on saturated sand in Luquillo” which depicts a vast field of stars reflected on the ocean during sunrise in the northeast coast of the island moved me deeply and sparked the idea behind this piece. This specific image and the book brought back childhood memories of the tradition of stargazing with my family on the evening before Three Kings day looking to find the three bright stars that represented the Three Kings (also known as Orion’s Belt) in the night sky. It also made

me reflect on the night sky as an open field of possible connections to places that are distant from us while simultaneously revealing the immense distance that separates us. The synth sounds in this piece are inspired by audio recordings of a group of ancient stars that were put together by a team of researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK. These recordings were made using data from NASA’s Kepler/K2 missions of old stars in the Milky Way’s Messier 4 (M4) cluster — one of the oldest and closest globular clusters to the sun and Earth. By measuring the vibrations of these distant stars, scientists captured a low-pitched sound which then they sped up 1-million times to being the oscillations within the range of human hearing. “A través del manto luminoso” is a piece about longing for connection and above all, holding on to the possibility of seeing light in darkness. “A través del manto luminoso” was commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia, through the generous contribution of an anonymous donor.Rhiannon Giddens on New To The SessionI began my fiddling journey as an apprentice to a dance musician, and pretty late in life, as violinists go - so my repertoire and style is rhythmic and melodically simple, and always with a dancer in mind. They say write what you know - so when this opportunity came to create a piece for Johnny Gandelsman and Michelle Dorance and her company, I was thrilled to see what came out of my strings and off my bow - and I cannot wait to see and hear what they do with it! It’s called New to the Session because as a beginner fiddler I would sit in on Irish sessions sometimes and feel like I was in a whirlwind - no more than twice through each tune and it seemed like everybody knew everything but me; I wanted to capture a bit of that feel with the journey through the melodies."New To The Session" was commissioned by the 2021 Vail Dance Festival, Damian Woetzel - Artistic Director

About Tonight's Venue

The Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia would like to thank the following individuals and foundations who have made our programs possible.Starred names reflect gifts given to support our 2021-22 concert season, received after the start of the current fiscal year, July 1, 2021, until June 9th, 2022Donors (up to $99)Robert and Barbara Alexander Booktopics Phyllis EntinDavid DeppChristine ErtellMegan FriesMiriam GoldbergHortense LibertiJoan RuppJoan LosenRichard and Ruth Szucs James Wilson* Barbara Charlotte Anderson John B. H. CaldwellDiana DamschroderAlan W. Dow ll Richard FoxSharon FullerRalph and Jocelyne Graner Eric and Christina Jacobson Michael KellyJoann KingMarion NelsenMathis Kirby Powelson Grace Suttle*George WatkinsElisabeth WollanEli ZallerAnonymous Gift(2) David and Shin-Min Block Eugenia H. Borum Edward Cowardin Jr.* Laura Deluca Richard Fine and Sara Ferguson Martin and Kathleen Gary Cynthia Greene Mary Heen Carlyle Robin Jones Denis and Carol Klisz Patricia Parks Sheryl Smith Members {$100 - $249) Anonymous Gift (4) Rev. Dennis A. Andersen Robert and Susan Clewell* Martha B. Dorill Marilyn Erickson Ann Franke Beverly Geissler Kathleen Hoppe Harry Kaplowitz Sandy and Heyn Kjerulf A.W. Lewis lll MD Jack and Tricia Pearsall* Ellen Sayles Robert and Mary Ellen Wadsworth* Marsden Williams Sally R. Young Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond

Harry KaplowitzBrooks and Lauren Nelsen Richard Fox and Owen SharmanRosa BosherElizabeth KingPeter Gilbert and Anne Reavey* Michael and Molly Wray* Lois M. CrabtreeGisela John (in honor of Hans Ullrich Scharnberg)* George B. WilsonPatrons ($250 - $499)John and Fran Freimarck Gita and Davis Massey Craig Ponte Ernest and Perry WilsonArtist Sponsors ($500 - $999)Phoebe F. Antrim* Mary Boodell and Evan Davis Phyllis McCafferty Eileen Schulman Yellow Cello Charitable Music Fund CapitalOne Matching Funds Ridgeway Foundation c/o Elizabeth Lowsley-WilliamsOutreach Sponsors ($1000 - $2499)Coille Limited PartnershiRobert P. Kyle* Friends of the Public Library Concert Sponsors ($2500 and up) Anonymous Gift (3) Jennifer A. CableSpecial Thanks to:• Gillian Zehr and everyone at Historic Mankin Mansion.• All of our donors, patrons, volunteers, and friends for their unendingsupport.• The gracious hosts for our artists: Suzanne Hall and Joe Willis, Mollyand Mike Wray, and Mary Boodell and Evan Davis.• and special thanks to Nina Conway for coordinating our housing.

Our 2021-22 SeasonThe Richmond region is full of places cherished for their historical signicance and beloved for their natural beauty. Join CMSCVA and the Thalea String Quartet to celebrate our community’s sense of place through chamber music. Locally Sourced: Our PlacesSeptember 18 | SaturdayRichmond Main Public Library2:00pm – FREEIn 1828, Franz Schubert gave the only public concert of his own works and wrote some of his most famous pieces. In 1955, the esteemed activist Rosa Parks sparked the Civil Rights Movement. In 2021, the Thalea String Quartet joins cellist Britton Riley to perform two visionary works inspired by these years - Schubert’s majestic Cello Quintet in C; and String Quartet no. 5 (“Parks”) by Daniel Bernard Roumain (aka DBR).1828 & 1955: Schubert and DBRSeptember 19 | SundaySeventh Street Christian Church4:00 pm - Tickets RequiredLet yourself be carried away by a program of music that captures the American artistic experience from the late 19th century to the 1930’s - Theme and Variations for flute and string quartet by Amy Beach, Florence Price’s String Quartet in A minor, and the “American” String Quartet by Antonín Dvořák. It’s a story that spans the continent and crosses an ocean.American Romantics: Price, Dvořák, And BeachOctober 17 | SundayTrinity Lutheran Church2315 N Parham Rd, Henrico, VA 23229

Grammy Award winning violinist Johnny Gandelsman returns to CMSCVA to perform a program of newly written music for solo violin focusing on the diverse and talented voices of American composers. The program features the world premiere of A través del manto luminoso, a work commissioned by CMSCVA from Puerto Rican-born composer Angélica Negrón. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear him perform this uniquely American program.This Is America: Gandelsman And NegrónOctober 18 | MondayHistoric Mankin Mansion7:00 pm - Tickets RequiredRichmond has been a leading source of avor for hundreds of years, so save some room for us. Explore taste-making history with this program of music and words that conjure the rich products of our region. Angela Lehman, our curator of written word, and the unforgettable voice of Chioke I’Anson join CMSCVA artists in this delicious program of history and music. Locally Sourced: Our Flavors March 5 | SaturdayRichmond Main Public Library 2:00 pm - FREE The magical sounds of the harp inspired this dreamy collection of music evoking evenings in the salons of Paris, the night sky in India, and the feverish dreams of Franz Schubert. French masterpieces by Debussy and Saint-Saëns are paired with the mysterious Eye of Night by David Bruce, and Onutė Narbutaitė’s Winterserenade.Night Music: Debussy and BruceMarch 6 | SundaySeventh Street Christian Church4:00 pm - Tickets Required

Coffeehouses in 18th century Germany were much like today – places to enjoy stimulating conversation and musical entertainment. Travel back in time with us to enjoy a program you might have heard at Leipzig’s most famous and elegant coffeehouse, Café Zimmermann. Our Baroque musical evening includes sonatas and concertos performed by a complete 15-piece orchestra of period instruments.Baroque Spring: Pachelbel and Vivaldi April 11 | MondayThe Church of the Holy Comforter 7:00 pm - Tickets RequiredThe rst installment of a multi-year CMSCVA commissioning project, this concert presents four world premieres based on works of art and historical objects found in some of Richmond’s many museums and galleries. The talented line-up of Richmond-born and Richmond-based composers creating this rst round of musical pictures are Antonio García, Anthony Smith, Zachary Wadsworth, and Donovan Williams. Locally Sourced: Our Pictures May 14 | SaturdayRichmond Main Public Library 2:00 pm - FREE We end our season by combining the celebratory Octet in F major by Franz Schubert with the world premiere of “The Eight Immortals and the Sea” by Georgia-based composer and conductor Shuying Li. CMSCVA commissioned this work for eight players who each musically represent one of the legendary Immortals, famed mythological gures from the composer’s native China.Eight Immortals: Schubert and LiMay 15 | SundayFirst Unitarian Universalist Church4:00 pm - Tickets Required

CMSCVA.ORGP.O. Box 8526 Richmond, VA 23226-0526 (804) 304-6312 | cmscva@yahoo.com