Senior/Family Series

As an organization with deep roots in the North Shore, MEE has also made community outreach an important part of its mission. During the summer, MEE offers five free concerts as part of the Seniors/Family Series. Held on Tuesday afternoons, these concerts take place at the fully accessible Northshore Unitarian Universalist Church (NUUC) in Danvers. They are designed to bring the joy of chamber music to audiences ranging from young families to seniors, many of whom attend every single performance in the series. 

These programs are made possible through the generous support of the Alice Willard Dorr Foundation, Fuller Foundation, Harpley Foundation and Local Cultural Council of Danvers, Massachusetts.

 

 

All Concerts held at: Northshore Unitarian Universalist Church, Danvers

Program I:  June Classically Discovered, Tuesday, June 17, 2 PM

Enjoy the Beethoven “Eyeglass Duo” you know and love, set next to a string quartet by Gyrowetz, his fascinating contemporary. Add some Mozart and then mix in another quartet by Boccherini. And meet our first Emerging Artist at the Edge, bringing in the next generation of performers. So many discoveries to savor – an altogether charming event not to be missed!

Maria Benotti, Violin
Joshua Peckins (2008 Emerging Artist), Violin
Joan Ellersick, Viola
Sarah Freiberg, Cello

Program II: At the Edge of July’s Garden, Tuesday, July 8, 2 PM

Delight in the exquisite colors and textures of Music at Eden’s Edge musical garden with this enchanting program. Experience the world premiere of “Listening to the Sea Winds,” a new piece by renowned American composer Howard Rovics, commissioned by MEE. Explore music from the 18th century to the present in an unusual bouquet of instruments. Traditional offerings by Spohr, Giorgis, and De Giardini open the garden, only to reveal delightful music of Jolivet: “Pastorales de Noël,” Hovhaness’ “Upon Enchanted Ground” and Stefan Hackenberg’s intriguing “Five Scenes for Vibraphone.” The ravishing colors and rhythms of this musical garden will be in full bloom for this extraordinary event!

Barbara Poeschl-Edrich, Harp
Neil Fairbairn, Bassoon
Robert Schulz, Percussion
Maria Benotti, Violin and Viola

Program III:  High Summer Suggestion: Mostly Viennese, Tuesday, July 29, 2 PM

The elegant musical art of Vienna balances passion, depth and delight in two great Classical Piano Trios, Mozart E Major, K. 542 and Haydn C Minor, juxtaposed with the fiery and bold Strauss Cello Sonata. This program presents a multi-faceted profile of Vienna’s rich musical life, from its own Haydn and Mozart to the influential late German Romantic, Richard Strauss.

Emmanuel Feldman, Cello
Maria Benotti, Violin
Paul Orgel, Piano

Program IV: The French-American Connection, Tuesday, August 19, 2 PM

Join Music at Eden’s Edge on a diverse and entertaining musical journey with Cello e Basso, narrated by French double bassist Pascale Delache-Feldman and American cellist Emmanuel Feldman. With violist Mark Berger along for the ride, the excursion starts in Paris with Jean Barrière’s Sonate à Deux, the stylish Offenbach Suite and Gounod’s Bach-inspired Ave Maria. The program then flies off to New York with the ever popular Gershwin‘s Porgy and Bess. Our trans-Atlantic musical expedition then returns to Boston with performances of John Harbison’s Deep Dances, written for Cello e Basso, and Berklee composer Andrew List’s Love Dances. The world premiere of composer and violist Mark Berger’s, commissioned by MEE for Cello e Basso with viola, will be the highlight of this fascinating musical tour!        

Mark Berger, Composer and Viola
Guest artists Cello e Basso:
Emmanuel Feldman, Cello
Pascale Delache-Feldman, Double Bass

Program V: September Turns Eastward, Tuesday, September 9, 2 PM

The vibrant and haunting Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano by Georgy Sviridov – probably never before heard in this area – is steeped in the tradition of Shostakovich, his famous teacher. It pairs in a fascinating way with the bravura Martinu Duo No. 1 for Violin and Cello. And in conclusion, Schubert sums up everything for us quite brilliantly in the famous E Flat Trio, Op. 100. Join us for an end-of-season tour de force as Music at Eden’s Edge’s longest-performing piano trio turns to Eastern European inspirations in September.

Maria Benotti, Violin
Lynn Nowels, Cello
Eda Mazo-Shlyam, Piano