Season 36 begins during America’s 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, so we are celebrating and exploring the diverse sounds of American music. What makes a piece of music sound “American”? I imagine there are probably as many answers to that question as there are people to ask. Is it jazz, bluegrass, gospel, or Indigenous music? Is it Copland, Gershwin, John Williams, or Dvořák? My hope this season is to highlight how America’s uniquely rich cultural history is wholly embodied in its wonderfully varied musical output.
Alongside music by living American composers including Jessie Montgomery, Meredith Monk and some of the performers themselves, audiences will hear masterpieces known and unknown from George Gershwin, Amy Beach, Aaron Copland, William Grant Still, John Cage, and others. Across these programs, traditions blend to create new sound worlds, and the juxtaposition of contemporary works with enduring classics changes the way the music is heard.
This season we welcome beloved performers alongside thrilling debuts. Returning favorites include flutist-vocalist-curator Emi Ferguson (December) and harpist-composer Charles Overton (March), whose artistic freedom and curiosity embody so much of the American spirit. Several remarkable first-time performers will also grace our stage, including one that particularly delights me: my own father, Bob Frederick, who is joining us with some banjo pickin’ in December. And, of course, the season would not feel whole without a visit from Edward Arron and Jeewon Park (October), the previous leaders and forever-family of Musical Masterworks.
Our February program, curated by Old Lyme favorite Caleb Hudson, marks an exciting milestone in our series — the first Musical Masterworks concerts to feature the magnificent organ of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. Caleb joins forces with organist Greg Zelek to fully embrace the unique sonic resources of this incredible space in a performance curated specially for us.
We’re also thrilled to continue our joyous partnership with the Irving M. Klein International Strings Competition in our April season finale, when we feature the 2026 First Prizewinner. This performance will conclude with one of chamber music’s most festive works, which was last heard on this series 11 years ago: Mendelssohn’s String Octet. In fact, the cover of our brochure, created by artist Elizabeth Strazzulla, was inspired by this work. As she describes it, Mendelssohn’s youthful energy, paired with extraordinary talent, creates “an explosion of hot colors and exquisite harmonies.” Strazzulla captures a passage “where the violins soar in elevated conversation before melting into an enchanting closeness of warm counterpoint, like the deep scent of flowers on a summer night.”
As I look forward to this season, I’m thinking about how lucky we artists are to be surrounded by you, our audience, in such a beautiful venue. It’s a rare blessing to have a community that embraces tradition as much as they are open to a musical adventure. And, as I say nearly every concert, your presence impacts the performances as much as the performers themselves.
Thank you for continuing to be part of this remarkable musical community and joining us for Season 36. Your warmth, enthusiasm, and support make these concerts possible, and we are so glad you’re here.
