Tour Programs

Available November 8–16, 2025

The unique timbre of the viola—rich, dark, and soulful—has made it the instrument of choice for composers seeking to add even more luscious beauty to chamber ensembles. CMS proudly offers a one-of-a-kind program that includes a pair of violas in every work, from Vaughan Williams’s haunting Phantasy Quintet, to violist-composer Brett Dean’s gripping lament, to Mozart’s joyful and uplifting C-major Quintet, one of six he composed that truly put the viola quintet on the chamber music map.

Program

Beethoven Fugue in D major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, Op. 137 (1817)
Vaughan Williams Phantasy Quintet for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello (1912)
Bowen 2 Duets for 2 Violas in G Major
Dean Epitaphs for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello (2010)
Mozart Quintet in C major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, K. 515 (1787)

Artists

STELLA CHEN, violin
ALEXANDER SITKOVETSKY, violin
PAUL NEUBAUER, viola
MATTHEW LIPMAN, viola
KEITH ROBINSON, cello

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring November 8–16, 2025

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available December 1–10, 2025

Arguably the greatest of all Baroque concertos, Bach's six masterpieces unfailingly provide spiritual fulfillment for music lovers of all faiths and beliefs, inspiring strength at year's end and a vision of the brightest future.

Program

J.S. Bach The Complete Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046–1051 (1720)

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Artists

BELLA HRISTOVA, violin
DANIEL PHILLIPS, violin/piccolo violin
CINDY WU, violin/viola
FRANCISCO FULLANA, violin
MATTHEW LIPMAN, viola
PAUL NEUBAUER, viola
STERLING ELLIOTT, cello
NICHOLAS CANELLAKIS, cello
DMITRI ATAPINE, cello
NINA BERNAT, bass
MIKA SASAKI, harpsichord
SOOYUN KIM, flute
TARA HELEN O’CONNOR, flute
STEPHEN TAYLOR, oboe
JAMES AUSTIN SMITH, oboe
RANDALL ELLIS, oboe
MARC GOLDBERG, bassoon
DAVID WASHBURN, trumpet
STEWART ROSE, horn
TANNER WEST, horn 

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring November 8–16, 2025

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available January 16–24, 2026

The artistic evolution of Ludwig van Beethoven changed the course of music, and nowhere is that stunning transformation experienced better than in this all-Beethoven program. From this program, one can sense the tremendous vitality that would propel him to stardom within a decade. Beethoven’s hand also broadened the possibilities of both the sonata for violin and piano, and the piano trio, here illustrated by his last and greatest example, the “Archduke.”

Program

Beethoven Trio in D major for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 9, No. 2 (1797–98)
Beethoven Sonata in E-flat major for Violin and Piano, Op. 12, No. 3 (1797–98)
Beethoven Trio in B-flat major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 97, “Archduke” (1810–11)

Artists

JUHO POHJONEN, piano
KRISTIN LEE, violin
ARNAUD SUSSMANN, violin/viola
DAVID FINCKEL, cello

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring January 16–24, 2026

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available February 27–March 12, 2026

Wind quintets, a standard combination in the chamber music genre, have the challenge, as well as the benefits, of bringing together five distinct instruments to explore multiple blends of timbres; Klughardt’s work is a beautiful example of great writing for each of the five. The addition of piano in Louise Farrenc’s Sextet provides expanded sonic dimensions and is a true tour de force for the pianist. The program is balanced with smaller combinations featuring double reeds, the regal sound of the horn, and upper winds.

Program

Emmanuel Sonata for Flute, Clarinet, and Piano, Op. 11 (1907)
Strauss Andante for Horn and Piano (1888) 
Czerny Andante e polacca in E major for Horn and Piano (1848)
Klughardt Quintet in C major for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon, Op. 79 (c. 1898)
Jolivet Sonatine for Oboe and Bassoon (1963)
Farrenc Sextet in C minor for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano, Op. 40 (1861)

Artists

MICHAEL STEPHEN BROWN, piano
TARA HELEN O’CONNOR, flute
JURI VALLENTIN, oboe
DAVID SHIFRIN, clarinet
PETER KOLKAY, bassoon
DAVID BYRD-MARROW, horn

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring February 27–March 12, 2026.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available April 17–27, 2026

The piano quintet is a powerhouse chamber ensemble, combining the sonic richness of a string quartet with the symphonic aura of grand piano. Inspired by Robert Schumann’s early example, composers from the early Romantic age all the way through the 21st century have contributed significantly to the genre. Russian master Anton Arensky, a teacher of Rachmaninoff, penned his sole quintet in his mature years, and the ever-popular champion of French music Camille Saint-Saëns began his prolific chamber music career with this quintet of surprising skill and maturity. Bracing violin duos by virtuosos of the Baroque and Classical eras serve as effervescent quintet preludes.

Program

Leclair Sonata in E major for Two Violins, Op. 12, No. 2 (c. 1747–49) 
Arensky Quintet in D major for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, Op. 51 (1900) 
Viotti Duo in G major for Two Violins, W 4.9 (c. 1789–90)
Saint-Saëns Quintet in A minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, Op. 14 (1855)

Artists

WU HAN, piano
CHAD HOOPES, violin
RICHARD LIN, violin
MILENA PÁJARO-VAN DE STADT, viola
DMITRI ATAPINE, cello

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring April 17–27, 2026.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available October 2–11, 2026

Celebrating the rich voices of American composers, this program explores a range of musical expressions that define the nation's cultural landscape. William Bolcom’s lively Rag infuses playful energy into the quartet, while Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet, a cornerstone of American chamber music, blends lyrical vibrancy with innovative harmonies. Bernard Herrmann’s Psycho Suite, performed in its original instrumentation for strings, brings the suspense of his iconic film score into the concert hall with gripping intensity and dark beauty. The program concludes with Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite, a quintessentially American work that captures the hope and optimism of life on the frontier. The late critic Terry Teachout described Appalachian Spring as "probably the greatest piece of classical music by an American."

Program

Bolcom Three Rags for String Quartet (1989)
Beach Quintet in F-sharp minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, Op. 67 (1907)
Herrmann Psycho: A Narrative for String Ensemble (1960)
Copland Appalachian Spring Suite for Ensemble (1944)

Artists

ANNE-MARIE MCDERMOTT, piano
RICHARD LIN, violin
KRISTIN LEE, violin
FRANCISCO FULLANA, violin
LUN LI, violin
DANIEL PHILLIPS, viola
PAUL NEUBAUER, viola
DMITRI ATAPINE, cello
NICK CANELLAKIS, cello
NINA BERNAT, bass
TARA HELEN O'CONNOR, flute
DAVID SHIFRIN, clarinet
MARC GOLDBERG, bassoon

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring October 2–11, 2026.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available January 18–30, 2027

One of the most popular chamber music ensembles among performers, listeners and composers alike, is the piano quartet. The piano quartet configuration bears rich fruit, as it contains the players for string trio (violin, viola and cello) and as well as piano trio (piano, violin and cello). This program of landmark piano quartets hails from the Romantic era, Schumann contributing the first great piano quartet of the 19th century, Brahms stoking the fire to create new heights of passion, and the young Gustav Mahler dipping his toe into the chamber music genre only once with this surprisingly powerful single-movement work. The concert is anchored by CMS’s longest-serving artistic directors, cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, who make a rare appearance on the same tour.

Program

Mahler Quartet in A minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1876)
Brahms Quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60 (1855-56)
Schumann Quartet in E-flat major for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 47 (1842)

Artists

WU HAN, piano
ARNAUD SUSSMANN, violin
MATTHEW LIPMAN, viola
DAVID FINCKEL, cello

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring January 18–30, 2027

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available March 5–18, 2027

Enthusiasts for string chamber music are among the most passionate listeners, undoubtedly seduced by the rich vocal timbres of the violin, viola and cello. This program was designed for their delight, with perspectives on the all-string cast from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Boccherini, the greatest virtuoso cellist of his day, could not resist showing off his spectacular technique, composing cello parts for himself that venture daringly into the pitch range of the violin. Alfred D’Ambrosio, not yet well known, has become beloved by a steadily growing circle of musicians who simply love to play his ultra-romantic works, among them, the incomparable violist Paul Neubauer, and violinist Danbi Um, a leading exponent of the great Romantic violin tradition. Rounding off an evening bathed in sonic richness is Dvorak’s folk-infused Sextet, one of the most exciting, touching, and brilliantly entertaining works in the entire chamber music repertoire.

Program

Boccherini Quintet in G minor for Two Violins, Viola, and Two Cellos, G. 318, Op. 29, No. 6 (1779)
D'Ambrosio Suite for Strings, Op. 8 (1900)
Dvořák Sextet in A major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Two Cellos, Op. 48 (1878)

Artists

DANBI UM, violin
JULIAN RHEE, violin
PAUL NEUBAUER, viola
MILENA PAJARO-VAN DE STADT, viola
NICHOLAS CANELLAKIS, cello
JONATHAN SWENSEN, cello

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring Available March 5–18, 2027.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available April 22–May 1, 2027

It is not often that two of music’s greatest masterworks can be heard side by side, but it is indisputable that this program offers clarinet chamber music at its absolute pinnacle. Composed a century apart and similarly inspired by virtuoso clarinetists, the Clarinet Quintets of Mozart and Brahms are among the most popular works on the chamber music stage, yet, rarely do they appear on the same program. Among clarinetists qualified for the challenge, David Shifrin holds a firm lead, his legendary performances of the pieces (and his recording of them with the Emerson String Quartet) setting the standard for all to follow. It will be obvious to listeners that both Mozart and Brahms were seduced by the clarinet’s pristine purity, and both created works that breathe the same tranquil, autumnal air.

Program

Brahms Quintet in B minor for Clarinet, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, Op. 115 (1891)
Mozart Quintet for Clarinet, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello in A major, K. 581 (1789)

Artists

STELLA CHEN, violin
CHAD HOOPES, violin
TIMOTHY RIDOUT, viola
CLIVE GREENSMITH, cello
SEBASTIAN MANZ, clarinet

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring April 22-May 1, 2027.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available November 3-14, 2027

This vibrant program showcases the full expressive range and color of wind chamber repertoire, opening with Brazilian composer Heitor Villa Lobos’s Chôros No. 2 for Flute and Clarinet, a brief but striking work that captures the rhythmic energy and melodic freshness of Brazilian popular music through a modern lens. It is followed by French composer Francis Poulenc’s Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano, by turns witty, lyrical, and reflective. Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s Wind Quintet brings the first half to a close and stands as one of the most beloved works ever written for wind quintet. Celebrated for its characterful writing and clear individuality of each instrument, it moves effortlessly between humor, lyricism, and grandeur, culminating in a noble theme and variations drawn from a Danish hymn melody. After intermission, French composer Paul Taffanel’s Grande fantaisie sur Mignon offers a dazzling display for flute, drawing on melodies from Ambroise Thomas’s opera and showcasing the brilliance of the French wind tradition. The program concludes with Beethoven’s Quintet for Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn, Op. 16, a cornerstone of the wind and piano repertoire and one of the composer’s most engaging early chamber works, radiant in character and masterfully balanced.

Program

Villa Lobos Choros No. 2 for Flute and Clarinet (1924)
Poulenc Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano (1926)
Nielsen Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn, Op. 43 (1922)
Taffanel Grande Fantasie sur Mignon
Beethoven Quintet in E-flat major for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano, Op. 16 (1796)

Artists

EVREN OZEL, piano
ADAM WALKER, flute
JAMES AUSTIN SMITH, oboe
JOSE FRANCH-BALLESTER, clarinet
MARC GOLDBERG, bassoon
RADEK BABORAK, horn

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring November 3-14, 2027.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available December 2-13, 2027

Arguably the greatest of all Baroque concertos, Bach's six masterpieces unfailingly provide spiritual fulfillment for music lovers of all faiths and beliefs, inspiring strength at year's end and a vision of the brightest future.

Program

J.S. Bach The Complete Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046–1051 (1720)

Artists

Cast of Artists TBA.

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring December 2-13, 2027.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available January 17-28, 2028

The evening begins with a selection of movements from German composer Max Bruch’s Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Op. 83, a collection of expressive miniatures that blend lyricism with rich harmonic color. The chosen movements highlight Bruch’s gift for warmth and contrast, from the tender Andante con moto to the spirited Allegro vivace, ma non troppo. Brahms’s Horn Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40, follows, a work of striking emotional depth and textural richness. Written in memory of his mother, it moves seamlessly between melancholy, playfulness, and triumph, with noble horn calls, soaring violin lines, and intricate piano writing. After intermission, Hungarian composer Ernő Dohnányi’s Sextet in C major, Op. 37 brings the program to a thrilling close. Composed in 1935, this vibrant and rarely heard work blends late Romantic lyricism with jazz-influenced harmonies and bold rhythmic drive. From the fiery Allegro appassionato to the exuberant Finale, it showcases chamber music at its most dynamic and virtuosic. Together, these works explore a vast spectrum of expression, from intimate introspection to exuberant brilliance.

Program

Bruch Selections from Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Op. 83 (1909)
Brahms Trio in E-flat major for Horn, Violin, and Piano, Op. 40 (1865)
Dohnányi Sextet in C major for Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano, Op. 37 (1935)

Artists

WU HAN, piano
RICHARD LIN, violin
PAUL NEUBAUER, viola
JONATHAN SWENSEN, cello
SEBASTIAN MANZ, clarinet
RADOVAN VLATKOVIC, horn

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring Available January 17-28, 2028.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available March 4-17, 2028

This program traces the breadth of the string trio through three distinct musical voices, spanning Classical elegance, dramatic intensity, and early 20th-century color. The evening opens with Beethoven’s Trio in C minor for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 9, No. 3, a powerful and tightly constructed work that pushes the expressive limits of Classical string chamber music. Stormy and driven in its opening, the work incorporates contrasts of intensity with moments of lyric repose and reveals Beethoven’s early move toward a more dramatic and individual musical language. It is followed by Hungarian composer Ernő Dohnányi’s Serenade in C major for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 10, a charming and richly crafted work that blends late Romantic warmth with Classical clarity. After intermission, the program concludes with Mozart’s Divertimento in E-flat major for Violin, Viola, and Cello, K. 563, the crown jewel of the string trio repertoire. Expansive in scale and refined in detail, the Divertimento combines graceful melody, contrapuntal mastery, and radiant balance across its six movements. Together, these three works offer a complete and compelling portrait of the string trio as a medium of depth, virtuosity, and expressive range.

Program

Beethoven Trio in C minor for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 9, No. 3 (1797-98) 
Dohnányi Serenade in C major for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 10 (1902)
Mozart Divertimento in E-flat major for Violin, Viola, and Cello, K. 563 (1788)

Artists

PAUL HUANG, violin
MILENA PAJARO-VAN DE STADT, viola
DAVID FINCKEL, cello

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring Available March 4-17, 2028.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.

Available April 22 - May 5, 2028

In recognition of the 200th anniversary of Franz Schubert’s death in 1828, at the age of 31, this program presents two of his most profound contributions to the chamber music repertoire. It opens with the Trio No. 1 in B-flat major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, D. 898, composed in 1827. Expansive in scale yet intimate in expression, the trio balances lyrical warmth with moments of quiet reflection. From the gracious opening movement to the songful Andante and the energetic finale, the work reflects Schubert’s extraordinary gift for shaping long melodic lines with natural expressive flow. Although the trio received limited attention during the composer’s lifetime, it has since come to be recognized as one of the finest piano trios in the repertoire. After intermission, the program culminates with the Quintet in C major for Two Violins, Viola, and Two Cellos, D. 956, composed just months before the composer’s death. Revered as one of the greatest works of music ever written, the quintet is renowned for its richness of sound, emotional depth, and structural mastery.. The mesmerizing Adagio is deeply expressive, while the opening and closing movements are majestic and symphonic in scale. Together, these two late masterpieces offer a complete portrait of Schubert at the height of his creative powers.

Program

Schubert Trio No. 1 in B-flat major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, D. 898, Op. 99 (1827)
Schubert Quintet in C major for Two Violins, Viola, and Two Cellos, D. 956, Op. 163 (1828)

Artists

SAHUN SAM HONG, piano
STELLA CHEN, violin
JAMES THOMPSON, violin
MATTHEW LIPMAN, viola
CLIVE GREENSMITH, cello
EDWARD ARRON, cello

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AVAILABILITY

This program is available for touring Available April 22 - May 5, 2028.

For more information about booking CMS in North America, contact David Rowe Artists Management.