Experience Musical Excellence at the Bender JCC
2023-2024 POLINGER ARTISTS OF EXCELLENCE CONCERT SERIES | Sundays at 7:00 PM
Six outstanding concerts you don’t want to miss!
Join us for magnificent well-loved chamber works by Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Dvořák plus lesser-known works by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, George Walker, and Kati Agócs. Musicians perform in the Gildenhorn/Speisman Center for the Arts’ intimate Kreeger Auditorium.
Purchase your season tickets today and attend all six concerts for just $250! Season ticket packages are only available during our pre-sale (July 22 – September 27) and give you an exclusive chance to purchase your favorite seats before the general public has access.
Single concert tickets are $50, and go on sale Tuesday, October 3!
Marcie Blackman: (301) 348-3808 or mblackman@benderjccgw.org
Purchase Polinger Artists of Excellence Concert Tickets
CHEE-YUN AND AUDREY ANDRIST
Violin + Piano | October 22, 2023
BRAHMS Sonatensatz
FAURE Sonata No. 1 in A major, op.13
RAVEL Tzigane
GERSHWIN Three Preludes arranged by Jascha Heifetz
BEACH Romance
BERNSTEIN West Side Story Suite arranged by Jaimundo Penafort
JANICE CARISSA
Piano | November 12, 2023
BACH-BUSONI Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
RZEWSKI Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
BRAHMS Op. 119
GRANADOS Allegro de Concierto
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 3
GABRIEL MARTINS AND VICTOR SANTIAGO ASUNCIÓN
Cello + Piano | December 3, 2023
DEBUSSY Cello Sonata in D Minor, L. 135
BEETHOVEN Cello Sonata No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69
WEBERN Drei Kleine Stücke, Op. 11
BRAHMS Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99
BRIAN GANZ
Piano | January 7, 2024 | 2:00 PM | Free
CHOPIN Rondo, Op. 16, 3rd Impromptu, Op. 51,
2 Nocturnes, Op. 27, 12 Etudes, Op. 25, and more
BRENTANO
String Quartet | March 10, 2024
MOZART Quartet IN D MAJOR. K. 499
SHOSTAKOVICH Quartet NO. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110
BEETHOVEN Quartet in B flat Major, Op. 130
ISRAELI CHAMBER PROJECT
April 14, 2024
SCHUMANN Three Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73
BARBER Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (arranged by Yuval Shapiro. ICP commission)
HAKIM The Dove
RAZAZ Flowing Down The Widening Rings of Being
DEBUSSY Sacred and Profane Dances for Harp and String Quartet
SHARON The Ice Palace*
*Commissioned for the Israeli Chamber Project by the Adele and John Gray Endowment Fund.
HORSZOWSKI TRIO
Piano Trio | May 5, 2024
HAYDN Trio in E Minor, Hob. XV:12
RAVEL Trio in A Minor
SMETANA Trio in G Minor, Op. 15
The Polinger Artists of Excellence Concert Series is made possible by the Geraldine and Howard Polinger Concert Endowment Fund.
The Mount Vernon Virtuosi
The Bender JCC is pleased to resume our partnership with the Mount Vernon Virtuosi to present exciting FREE chamber orchestra programs at the Bender JCC for their 2023-2024 season. Peabody Conservatory cello faculty artist Amit Peled established this chamber orchestra in 2018 to nurture, train and support local graduate music students during their auditions period, and offering concerts all across Maryland.
Questions about concerts at the Bender JCC? Contact us!
PARKING – Free parking is available in the Bender JCC parking lot
Borromeo String Quartet and Henry Kramer Piano | Sunday, September 22nd |
Brannon Cho, Cello and Janice Carissa, Piano | Sunday, November 17th |
William Hagen, Violin and Albert Cano Smit, Piano | Sunday, December 8th |
Ying Quartet | Sunday, March 16th |
Lysander Piano Trio | Sunday, April 6th |
Alon Goldstein | Sunday, June 8th |
Borromeo String Quartet and Henry Kramer Piano
Sunday, September 22nd
7:00 PM
Sunday
Tickets available soon!
September 22 | 7:00 PM | $55/Individual concert (starting September 2) | $250/All 6 Polinger Artists of Excellence concerts (by September 1)
Borromeo String Quartet
Each visionary performance of the award-winning Borromeo String Quartet strengthens and deepens its reputation as one of the most important ensembles of our time. Admired and sought after for both its fresh interpretations of the classical music canon and its championing of works by 20th and 21st century composers, the ensemble has been hailed for its “edge-of-the- seat performances,” by the Boston Globe, which called it “simply the best.” Inspiring audiences for more than 25 years, the Borromeo continues to be a pioneer in its use of technology, and has the trailblazing distinction of being the first string quartet to utilize laptop computers on the concert stage.
“A remarkably accomplished string quartet, not simply for its high technical polish and refined tone, but more importantly for the searching musical insights it brings.”
-The Chicago Tribune
Henry Kramer
Praised by The Cleveland Classical Review for his “astonishingly confident technique” and The New York Times for “thrilling [and] triumphant” performances, pianist Henry Kramer is developing a reputation as a musician of rare sensitivity who combines stylish programming with insightful and exuberant interpretations.
Questions? Please contact Marcie Blackman at mblackman@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3808.
All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.
Brannon Cho, Cello and Janice Carissa, Piano
Sunday, November 17th
7:00 PM
Sunday
Tickets available soon!
November 17 | 7:00 PM | $55/Individual concert (starting September 2) | $250/All 6 Polinger Artists of Excellence concerts (by September 1)
Brannon Cho
Praised for his “burnished tone, spellbinding technique, and probing musical mind” (Boston Classical Review), cellist Brannon Cho has emerged as an outstanding artist of his generation. He is the First Prize winner of the prestigious 6th International Paulo Cello Competition, and is also a top prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth, Naumburg, and Cassadó International Cello Competitions.
Janice Carissa
A Gilmore Young Artist and winner of Salon de Virtuosi, Janice Carissa has “the multicolored highlights of a mature pianist“ (Philly Inquirer) and “strong, sure hands” (Voice of America) that “conveys a vivid story rather than a mere showpiece.” (Chicago Classical Review) She has garnered great acclaims at renowned concert halls, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, United Nations, Kennedy Center, Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Louis Vuitton Foundation, Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Questions? Please contact Marcie Blackman at mblackman@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3808.
All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.
William Hagen, Violin and Albert Cano Smit, Piano
Sunday, December 8th
3:00 PM
Sunday
Tickets available soon!
December 8 | 3:00 PM | $55/Individual concert (starting September 2) | $250/All 6 Polinger Artists of Excellence concerts (by September 1)
William Hagen
William Hagen has performed as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Highlights of the 2023/24 season include a return to the Detroit Symphony and a tour of the Netherlands with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta.
As soloist, William has appeared with the Chicago Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Detroit Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony (HR Sinfonieorchester), San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Utah Symphony, and many others around the globe.
As recitalist and chamber musician, William has performed at venues such as Wigmore Hall and the Louvre, and collaborated with artists such as Steven Isserlis, Gidon Kremer, Edgar Meyer, and Tabea Zimmerman, among others. He maintains an active schedule on both sides of the Atlantic, making frequent trips to Europe and cities around the US to play a wide range of repertoire.
“Even in an age when brilliant young violinists seem to grow on trees, Hagen…is a standout. He tossed off the most virtuosic passages of the Saint-Saëns with amazing precision, but he also made music…he always knew where the music was going and why.”
-Dallas Morning News
Albert Cano Smit
Praised as “a moving young poet” and “a great romantic” (by Christophe Huss – Le Devoir), Spanish/Dutch pianist Albert Cano Smit enjoys a growing international career on the orchestral, recital, and chamber music stages.
Noted for his captivating performances, storytelling quality and nuanced musicality, the First Prize winner of the 2019 Young Concert Artists International Auditions has appeared as a soloist with the San Diego, Seattle, Montreal, Colorado Music Festival, Las Vegas, Manchester, and Barcelona symphony orchestras, amongst others.
“He established himself as an artist to watch.”
-Montreal Gazette
Questions? Please contact Marcie Blackman at mblackman@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3808.
All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.
Ying Quartet
Sunday, March 16th
3:00 PM
Sunday
Tickets available soon!
March 16 | 3:00 PM | $55/Individual concert (starting September 2) | $250/All 6 Polinger Artists of Excellence concerts (by September 1)
Ying Quartet
The Ying Quartet occupies a position of unique prominence in the classical music world, combining brilliantly communicative performances with a fearlessly imaginative view of chamber music in today’s world. Now in its third decade, the Quartet has established itself as an ensemble of the highest musical qualifications. Their performances regularly take place in many of the world’s most important concert halls; at the same time, the Quartet’s belief that concert music can also be a meaningful part of everyday life has also drawn the foursome to perform in settings as diverse as the workplace, schools, juvenile prisons, and the White House. In fact, the Ying Quartet’s constant quest to explore the creative possibilities of the string quartet has led it to an unusually diverse array of musical projects and interests.
“The Ying Quartet came as close to the ideal as possible, delivering chamber music of astonishing, refreshing exaltation and exhilaration.”
-The Los Angeles Times
Questions? Please contact Marcie Blackman at mblackman@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3808.
All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.
Lysander Piano Trio
Sunday, April 6th
7:00 PM
Sunday
Tickets available soon!
April 6 | 7:00 PM | $55/Individual concert (starting September 2) | $250/All 6 Polinger Artists of Excellence concerts (by September 1)
The Lysander Piano Trio has been praised by The Strad for its “incredible ensemble, passionate playing, articulate and imaginative ideas and wide palette of colors” and by The Washington Post for “an uncommon degree of heart-on-the-sleeve emotional frankness” and “vivid engagement carried by soaring, ripely Romantic playing.” The group has developed a reputation for exciting programming, finding creative ways to connect well-known masterworks with pieces by lesser-known and underrepresented composers, discovering common threads across cultures and times.
“…incredible ensemble, passionate playing, articulate and imaginative ideas and wide palette of colours. Performed with sensitivity, panache and emotional depth, it perfectly displayed the Lysander Trio’s enormous potential.”
-The Strad
Questions? Please contact Marcie Blackman at mblackman@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3808.
All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.
Alon Goldstein
Sunday, June 8th
7:00 PM
Sunday
Tickets available soon!
June 8 | 7:00 PM | $55/Individual concert (starting September 2) | $250/All 6 Polinger Artists of Excellence concerts (by September 1)
Alon Goldstein
Alon Goldstein is one of the most original and sensitive pianists of his generation, admired for his musical intelligence, dynamic personality, artistic vision and innovative programming. He has played with the Philadelphia orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, Toronto and Vancouver symphonies as well as the Israel Philharmonic, London Philharmonic , Los Angeles and Radio France Orchestra. He played under the baton of such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Herbert Blomstedt, Vladimir Jurowski, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, Peter Oundjian, Yoel Levi, Yoav Talmi, Leon Fleisher and others.
“…an irresistible powerhouse performance”
-The New York Times
Questions? Please contact Marcie Blackman at mblackman@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3808.
All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.