Music to Everyone’s Ears
cabell hall auditorium, charlottsville, music, tuesday evening concert series, university of virginia,
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has performed with them, as have violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Joan Sutherland. And so have pianist Radu Lupu, violist Yuri Bashmet and the Leipzig String Quartet.
Cabell Hall Auditorium on the University of Virginia campus has hosted a Tuesday Evening Concert Series since 1948, bringing in top classical chamber music artists from all around the world. The 2008-09 season featured accomplished musicians from Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Italy and Russia.
“The concerts take place on seven Tuesday evenings from September through March, and several of the international artists have commented to me that Cabell Hall is the finest auditorium in the United States for chamber music,” says Karen Pellon, executive director of the Tuesday Evening Concert Series. “The hall itself can attract talented musicians who return to Charlottesville time after time.”
Pellon says performances of chamber music can range from an unaccompanied soloist to a group of about 20 musicians.
“A full orchestra is 75 to 90 performers, but many of the great composers also wrote for smaller ensembles that would specifically perform what was called chamber music,” she says. “Many of our regular audience members have told me how much they appreciate this concert series being in Charlottesville, because they don’t have to travel to New York or Washington, D.C., for these types of quality productions.”
Pellon says the feeling inside the hall is always electric on concert nights because it is filled to capacity with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience that loves classical music.
“The excitement on concert night is like catnip for artists – they feel the incredible energy of the audience and feed off it,” she says. “The acoustics are excellent, and the intimate atmosphere is ideal for chamber music. Most of the concerts are beyond belief.”
Pellon adds that the series also offers several children’s concerts free of charge for schools in the region.
“Since 1995, the series has invited thousands of school-age children to Cabell Hall Auditorium to witness daytime performances by the artists who have been booked for the evening concerts,” she says. “This gets children introduced at a young age to the wonders of classical music. By the end of the 2008-2009 season, a total of 40,000 schoolchildren participated in these free events.”
The Tuesday Evening Concert Series is a nonprofit, financially independent entity.
“People are often shocked that we can attract these amazing artists, yet keep ticket prices low enough so that nobody is shut out from attending,” Pellon says. “It’s a fantastic attraction for Charlottesville and the surrounding region. Having classical musicians like the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Soloists and the Vienna Piano Trio travel to our community – it’s quite amazing.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Todd Bennett
