The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) opens its 2025-2026 Ensembles Series with an intimate chamber music program featuring two masterpieces: Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K. 478. The performance will feature MSO Concertmaster Kimberly McCollum, Principal Violist Yuri Tomenko, and Principal Cellist Katie McCarthy, joined by acclaimed Irish pianist Michael McHale.
Brahms’ C minor Quartet, sometimes referred to as the “Werther” Quartet after Goethe’s tragic hero, is a deeply emotional work that reflects the composer’s struggles with unrequited love and personal doubt. In contrast, Mozart’s G minor Quartet, the first major work ever written for piano and string trio, brims with dramatic intensity and elegance, showcasing Mozart at his most inventive and pioneering.
Guest artist Michael McHale has established himself as one of Ireland’s leading pianists, performing internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. He has appeared with ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Orchestras, and the Minnesota Orchestra, and is a founding member of the Wigmore Soloists in London. McHale last appeared with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony in 2022 and returns for this much-anticipated collaboration.
The MSO Ensemble Series offers audiences the opportunity to hear chamber music performed in an intimate setting by members of the MSO highlighting both the artistry of our individual musicians and the interplay that defines this repertoire. The pairing of Mozart and Brahms promises an evening of elegance, drama, and emotional depth.
The concerts will be performed three times across the Delmarva Peninsula. The first concert takes place on Friday, October 10 at 7:00 PM at the Community Church in Ocean Pines, Maryland. The series continues on Saturday, October 11 at 3:00 PM at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and concludes on Sunday, October 12 at 4:00 PM at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland.
Tickets are available now at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.
ABOUT THE MID-ATLANTIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is the only professional symphony orchestra serving southern Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a full season of programs. The MSO is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Talbot County Arts Council, the Worcester County Arts Council, the Sussex County (Delaware) Council, and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.
A complete schedule of the 2025-2026 season’s Masterworks and Ensembles programs, including venues, times, and other details, is available at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.
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