The February return of the Palladium’s Encore Chamber Series, now in its 11th season, always reminds me that the year is passing fast. Our season, which started last September, is now more than halfway through.
We’ve been too busy to celebrate but this season has been the Palladium’s biggest and best in our history. So Tuesday’s night’s Encore was a bit of a celebration for me. And Encore Artistic Director Mark Sforzini’s original composition, Frizzante, was a musical champagne toast in itself. Mark actually pictured a toast with the clinking of glasses as he wrote the piece especially for our two visiting pianists.
Pascal Roge, who has a long association with Encore, returned with his wife, Ami, who is also a reknown concert artist. Their four-hands performances of pieces by Ravel, Debussy and Brahams’ Liebesleider Walzer, were mesmerizing. And a beautiful vocal quartet rounded out the evening.
Encore continues in March with three more concerts which feature musicians from our own Florida Orchestra. TFO’s Wind Quintet, featuring five first-chair players, will be here March 1. That’s followed on March 15 by an evening with the Florida Orchestra Brass Quintet, which is always an audience favorite. Finally, concertmaster Jeffrey Multer appears on Tuesday, March 29, which a pianist and a special appearance by Mark Sforzini. All those shows are Tuesday nights.
As an added bonus this season, Encore concludes with a 25th anniversary concert from the La Musica Chamber Festival in Sarasota. The matinee program, on Sunday, April 3, celebrates the anniversary by recreating the opening concert from 25 years ago. Ten players will take part and will perform some of chamber music’s greatest hits including: Mozarts Eine Kleine Nachtmusik., Schubert’s Trout Quintet, and Beethoven’s String Quartet in F Minor Opus 95.
Come celebrate Encore and La Musica at one or all of these great shows.
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