Chamber Music Sedona is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023 – a significant milestone. “It’s no small feat for an organization that is really devoted to the art of chamber music to have not only survived for 40 years, but to have thrived,” says Nicholas Canellakis, Chamber Music Sedona artistic director. “It is really one of the premier concert series in the Southwest, I would argue.” Nicholas is a cellist and has been performing with the group since 2011. Chamber Music Sedona was founded in order to promote chamber music and bring the community together via music.
In over a decade, “I’ve seen our profile really expand to being a presence, not only nationally, but really internationally,” he says. “We really bring the best, most sought-after musicians out there.” That is more than evident. On March 5, the award-winning Dover Quartet will return. Nicholas tells us that musicians want to come to Sedona for the same reason as so many others: to experience its natural beauty. “Musicians love coming to Sedona,” he says. “A musician would love to come to Sedona experience the red rocks, experience the community, the energy, the spirit of the of the town and to make beautiful music in such a beautiful place.” The season will end on a bang. On April 13, guests can see a Spring Salon. On April 16, guests can watch nine string players perform the “40th Anniversary Gala: Epic Octets.” It’s likely the largest performance the group has put on. Listen to Felix Mendelssohn’s “Octet.” Also of some note is that composer Michael Stephen Brown has created a special piece for the anniversary called “Vortex for Cello and Strings” that will make its debut in April. The roughly 10-to-15-minute work is inspired by Sedona’s natural beauty and a quote by Ezra Pound: “The vortex is the point of maximum energy.”
“It’s a crowd-pleasing, intricate piece,” he says. The audience can look forward to a special evening to commemorate a key anniversary. “It’s really going to be sonically unique, and it’s going to be a thrill ride. These works are not only musical masterpieces, but they’re virtuoso showcases for the players. And it’s really going to be a thrilling experience for the audience to witness.” − Teresa K. Traverse
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