Williams Chamber Players

Keith Kibler, bass-baritone; Joanna Kurkowicz, violin; Erin Nafziger, soprano; Nathaniel Parke, cello; Doris Stevenson, piano; Scott Woolweaver, viola

The Williams College Department of Music presents the Williams Chamber Players with their second concert of the season on Friday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall on the Williams College campus. This free event is open to the public.

The Williams Chamber Players have carved out a special niche for themselves in the Berkshires and enjoy a popular following. Their concerts are usually filled to capacity. One might think that this would impinge on the chamber aspect of their performances, but, perhaps counter-intuitively, the crush of classical music lovers adds to the atmosphere of intimacy and excitement. Following on the heel of their recent success with a concert titled “Bohemian Adventures, they present a program needing little further explanation: All Schumann.

Robert Schumann, born 1810 in Zwickau, Germany, had a profound effect on western art music. His biography is not only a record of the great works created by his hand, but also contains a who’s who of great 19th-century European musicians, not the least of whom was his wife, Clara Schumann. The energy emanating from their social circle radiates to this day, conveying their genius to us in an immediate and visceral way.

To help us on this journey to the world of Robert Schumann, vocalist Keith Kibler performs selections from the Liederkreis, op. 39, Songs on poems by Joseph Eichendorf. Mr. Kibler, a bass-baritone, is known for his rich voice, flawless execution, and ability to convey the subtext of what he sings without resorting to tricks or frippery. One could hardly find a better guide into the genre of German Lieder, and one so able to convey the atmosphere of the 19th century salon. Joining Mr. Kibler on this concert are Doris Stevenson, piano and Erin Nafziger, soprano.

Nathaniel Parke, an Artist-in-Residence at Williams and congenial cellist, is a musician who is as at home in the baroque as he is with cutting edge contemporary works. Splitting the difference on this concert, he forms a partnership with a pianist with a deep reservoir of experience and musical sensitivity, Doris Stevenson. Fünf Stücke im Volkston, op. 102 was inspired by the popular music of the day and is the vehicle with which Mr. Parke and Ms. Stevenson take us into the heart of the romantic period.

Piano Quartet in E flat Major, opus 47 (1842) features Williams Chamber Players Joanna Kurkowicz, an accomplished and in-demand violin soloist, as well as fellow Artist-in-Residence, Scott Woolweaver, viola whose recent solo recital was received with great acclaim. Cellist Nathaniel Parke and pianist Doris Stevenson complete the quartet.

To insure a spot at this event, be sure to get there a little bit early. The combination of the music of Robert Schumann, the Williams Chamber Players virtuoso roster of vocalists and instrumentalists, as well as free general admission is sure to make this event another high point of the concert season.

The Williams Chamber Players is a resident chamber ensemble, founded at Williams College in 1999. Its purpose is to present concerts for the college and community throughout the academic year. Antecedents of the Williams Chamber Players are The Williams Trio, founded in 1970, and the Group for 20th Century Music, founded in 1989. Repertoire for concerts is drawn from the standard chamber music repertoire with special attention to music of the 20th and 21st centuries, and to music by Williams composers. Musicians are normally drawn from the ranks of Artists-in-Residence, Studio Instructors, and other faculty, as well as occasional visiting artists.

Event Program