Candlelight concerts are hot tickets these days. But before they became widely popular, the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia presented this concept seventeen years ago with “Bach by Candlelight,” one of most memorable events from its 20 years of presenting concerts. This year, CMSCVA presents a revival of “Bach by Candlelight” with elegant and emotional music from Johann Sebastian Bach’s solo cello suites and violin partitas – bathed in candlelight. Intimate music perfect for a winter’s night performed by violinist and 2024 MacArthur “Genius Award” recipient Johnny Gandelsman, along with cellist and CMSCVA Artistic Director James Wilson.   Program: Suite for Solo Cello in G major Partita for Solo Violin in D minor Suite for Solo Cello in C minor Suite for Solo Cello in D major (violin transcription)

Through the month of January, CMSCVA celebrates our contribution to the chamber music repertoire with a digital festival of pieces we have commissioned and premiered. Enjoy works written for CMSCVA in the past four years that have transformed the chamber music repertoire and delighted audiences throughout Richmond.  Shuying Li, Eight Immortals and the Sea Kevin Day,  Surgent Zachary Wadsworth Palaces of Memory, and C/1995 O1 Kenyon Duncan, we go where we need to go Angélica Negrón, A través del manto luminoso Brian Raphael Nabors, Soul Bop And the Our Pictures project with works by Chloe Biggs, Benjamin Broening, Krystal Folkestad, Antonio Garcia, and Donovan Williams.  

CMSCVA continues its theme of “20” in celebration of our 20th anniversary with Romantic music from the late 19th century. Edward Elgar’s Serenade opus 20 makes its CMSCVA debut in a special arrangement for strings and flute, and is joined by Borodin’s famous String Quartet in D major, written as a 20th anniversary wedding gift for his wife. This concert is presented in partnership with the Richmond Public Library’s Gellman Room Concerts. Register for this free event here.

What could celebrate our 20th anniversary more perfectly than a performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s exhilarating Octet, opus 20? We pair this famous piece of chamber music with a joyful fanfare commissioned for this year from Richmond’s own Donovan Williams, and celebrate the 100th anniversary years of composers Maurice Ravel and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

Built in 1753, members of the Randolph family called Wilton home for over 100 years and entertained some of the most notable political figures including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Having survived the Revolutionary and Civil War, the Wilton House has a rich and complex history. CMSCVA returns to this historic setting for a program of Baroque music performed on period instruments. Because of the intimate size of the Wilton House venue, this concert is offered on two dates.

Built in 1753, members of the Randolph family called Wilton home for over 100 years and entertained some of the most notable political figures including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Having survived the Revolutionary and Civil War, the Wilton House has a rich and complex history. CMSCVA returns to this historic setting for a program of Baroque music performed on period instruments. Because of the intimate size of the Wilton House venue, this concert is offered on two dates. Please note that this event is sold out. Tickets may become available at a later date. Please contact us at 804-304-6312 or at cmscva@yahoo.com for more information.

Beethoven’s famous Septet, opus 20, is one of the true party pieces in history. Its tunes have been whistled in the streets of Europe and America for over 200 years. Join CMSCVA for an hour of sparkling music by Beethoven, and the premiere of a piece by Antonio García that brings this 19th century masterpiece to its place in 21st century Richmond. Register for this free event here.  

One of the highlights of our past 20 years was a back-to-back performance of two of the best loved pieces in the chamber music repertoire, both by Franz Schubert: his spectacular “Trout” Quintet and the epic Cello Quintet in C major. CMSCVA revives this concert for our anniversary year, but with a historical touch. Played on gut strings and a reproduction 1830’s Graf fortepiano, this performance of two stunning works is a not-to-be-missed event in Richmond’s concert season. With: Caleb Georges, viola Min-Yun Kim, violin Anthony Manzo, bass Kako Miura, violin Carsten Schmidt, piano Anna Steinhoff, cello James Wilson, cello