Two favorite duos originating at The Juilliard School join forces for Heartstrings, a program that takes the audience on a vibrant, multi-cultural, and cross-era musical adventure. This whirlwind of an evening traces each musician’s cultural and musical journey, fusing their Juilliard classical training with globe-spanning roots and influences. From fresh arrangements of Bach, Scarlatti, and Debussy to traditional Chinese tunes, Japanese melodies, and Scottish fiddling, you’ve never heard a quartet like this before.
Austin Chamber Music Center’s Friday Night Season Concerts are an up-close-and-personal setting for chamber music at the beautiful Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA. Friday night tickets include complimentary drinks and light bites served at a post-concert reception with the artists.
Saturday Night Season Concerts run in tandem with Fridays and take place at the First Unitarian Church; tickets include a post-concert reception that includes appetizers and drinks, as well as a Q&A session with the artists. Subject to availability, $12 Student Rush (with student ID), $33 General Admission, and $48 Premium tickets may be purchased at the box office starting at 6:30 PM on the evening of the Saturday night concert.
Program
Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 1, No. 1 | Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
- Allegro
- Adagio cantabile
- Scherzo. Allegro assai
- Finale. Presto
Piano Trio | Charles Ives (1874–1954)
- Moderato
- TSIAJ (“This scherzo is a joke”). Presto
- Moderato con moto
INTERMISSION
Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 63 | Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
- Mit Energie und Leidenschaft
- Lebhaft, doch nicht zu rasch
- Langsam, mit inniger Empfindung
- Mit Feuer
ARCOSTRUM
Strauss Shi, violin, erhu, dizi | TY Zhang, classical guitar, electric guitar
EMPIRE WILD
Mitchell Lyon & Ken Kubota, cellos
Run time: This concert is approximately 70 minutes, plus one short intermission.
ArcoStrum
Praised as “a first-rate ensemble among the new generation of performing artists,” ArcoStrum is a trailblazing violin-guitar duo hailed for their creative concert design, on-stage charisma, and innovative programming. A Winner and Audience Prize recipient at the 2023 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition—the first violin-guitar duo in CAG’s 70+ year history to achieve this—ArcoStrum is comprised of violinist Strauss Shi, a three-time international competition winner, and guitarist TY Zhang, the first and only Chinese classical guitarist to win the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition (GFA-ICAC).
Empire Wild
Empire Wild is a genre-bending crossover ensemble founded by Mitchell Lyon and Ken Kubota, two Juilliard-trained cellists dedicated to exploring musical frontiers and pushing their instruments to the limit. The ensemble fuses pop, folk, jazz, and more into their innovative songwriting and compositions, while their program features a mix of original music, inventive covers, and fresh takes on classical pieces. Honored with the Ambassador Prize in the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, Empire Wild has captivated audiences nationwide with its unique artistry. Their debut EP, Paper Seasons, showcases original songs that highlight their distinctive sound and instrumentation. Recent performances include stops at prestigious venues like the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, the Harriman-Jewell concert series in Kansas City, and Lincoln Center’s Kaufman Music Center.