'Dazzling' Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to Perform in Potsdam

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The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will present a concert through Community Performance Series on May 7 in Potsdam.

POTSDAM, NY (04/22/2011)(readMedia)-- Community Performance Series in Potsdam is pleased to present The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in an upcoming Guest Artist Series concert.

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) performance will take place on Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music. A free pre-concert lecture will be given by Dr. Gary Busch at 6:30 p.m. in the Hosmer Lobby before the show begins.

The Los Angeles Times raves about CMS, calling their performances "radiant," "exciting" and "dazzling," praising the "tight ensemble playing," and "technically solid and expressive account."

The CMS concert in Potsdam will feature Wu Han on piano, Erin Keefe on violin, Kristin Lee on violin, Richard O'Neill on viola and Andrés Díaz on cello. The program will include works by Haydn, Donanyi and Dvorak.

CMS is one of 12 constituents of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the largest performing arts complex in the world. Along with other constituents such as the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Lincoln Center Theater and the Metropolitan Opera, the Chamber Music Society has its home at Lincoln Center, in Alice Tully Hall. Through its performance, education and recording/broadcast activities, it draws more people to chamber music than any other organization of its kind.

"CMS is celebrated for their ability to make chamber music accessible to newcomers and exciting for connoisseurs," said CPS Executive Director Amy Flack. "It is a pleasure to work with Lincoln Center to bring such an accomplished ensemble to the North Country for area residents to enjoy."

Chamber music originally referred to a type of classical music that was performed in a small space, such as a house or a palace room. The number of instruments used were also few, without a conductor to guide the musicians. Today, chamber music is performed very similarly in terms of the size of the venue and the number of instruments used. Typically, a chamber orchestra is composed of 40 or fewer musicians. Chamber music differs from a symphony because it is performed by only one player per part.

Dr. Gary Busch, professor of piano and music history at The Crane School of Music, will present a free pre-concert lecture to help inform and enhance the experience of audience members. The preview will guide listeners through the background and musical highlights of each of the evening's works.

CMS will conduct masterclasses in cello, violin, and viola at Crane during the day on Saturday, May 7. Masterclasses are free and open to the public for viewing. Visit www.cpspotsdam.org for more information.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting the CPS Box Office, located in the lobby of the Sara M. Snell Music Theater on the SUNY Potsdam campus, or at Northern Music & Video in downtown Potsdam.

A special student rate of $10 is available for K-12 and college students with a valid ID. Tickets start at $20 for seniors and $22 for adults. Tickets are available by calling the CPS Box Office at (315) 267-2277 or by purchasing online at www.cpspotsdam.org.

The Community Performance Series Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performance is sponsored in part by SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, the E.J. Noble Foundation, the Maresca Family Endowment for the Arts and the Sweetgrass Foundation. Media sponsors include WWNY TV-7 News and WNYF FOX 28.

Established in 1989, CPS at SUNY Potsdam is a college-community partnership presenting world-class performing artists and arts education opportunities in Northern New York. A rich mixture of programs links community, classroom and audiences of all ages while preserving access to the performing arts for future generations.

For more information, please visit www.cpspotsdam.org.

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Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York's only All-Steinway institution, and is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011.

-www.potsdam.edu/crane-