Experience Musical Excellence at the Bender JCC
2024-2025 POLINGER ARTISTS OF EXCELLENCE CONCERT SERIES | Sundays at 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Six outstanding concerts you don’t want to miss!
Join us for magnificent well-loved chamber works by Schubert, Franck, Puccini and Dvořák plus lesser-known works by Thomas Adès, Adolphus Hailstork and Pierre Jalbert. Musicians perform in the Gildenhorn/Speisman Center for the Arts’ intimate Kreeger Auditorium.
Purchase your Polinger VIP Experience today and attend all six concerts for just $250! (Pre-sale | July 11 – September 1)
EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS | SPECIAL CONCERT | OCT 22 | 7:00 PM
Einav Yarden, Pianist
C.P.E. Bach: Variations in F Major
Haydn: Variations in F minor, Hob. XVII/6
Haydn: Piano Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI/24
Schumann: Kreisleriana, Op. 16
Free and exclusive to Polinger VIP Experience subscribers.
Single concert tickets are $50, and go on sale Monday, September 2!
Marcie Blackman: (301) 348-3808 or mblackman@benderjccgw.org
Purchase Polinger Artists of Excellence Concert Tickets
Borromeo String Quartet and Henry Kramer
String Quartet + Piano | September 22 | 7:00 PM
G. Bacewicz: String Quartet No. 6
A. Hailstork: String Quartet No. 2, Variations on “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Dvořák: Piano Quintet No. 2, Op. 81
Brannon Cho and Janice Carissa
Cello + Piano | November 17 | 7:00 PM
Leoš Janáček: Pohádka
Cesar Franck: Sonata in A Major FWV 8 (arr.Delsart)
Thomas Adès: Lieux retrouvés Op. 2
Bohuslav Martinů: Sonata No. 3 H. 340
William Hagen and Albert Cano Smit
Violin + Piano | December 8 | 3:00 PM
Mendelssohn: Violin Sonata in F major, MVW 026
Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100
Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor
Ying Quartet
String Quartet | March 16 | 3:00 PM
Hugo Wolf: Italian Serenade
Giacomo Puccini: Chrysanthemums
Pierre Jalbert: Icefield Sonnets
Franz Schubert: String Quartet in D Minor, D. 810 “Death & the Maiden”
Lysander Piano Trio
Ensemble | April 6 | 7:00 PM
Joaquín Turina: Circulo, Op. 91
Franz Schubert: Notturno, D. 897
Udi Perlman: Nostos (2022)
Schumann: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 63
Alon Goldstein
Piano | June 8 | 7:00 PM
Bach/Busoni: Choral Prelude
Mendelssohn: Song Without Words
Mozart/Generani: Andante from Divertimenti Op. 138
Janacek: Sonata Oct. 1, 1905
Debussy: Preludes and “The Island of Joy”
Schubert: Sonata in B flat, D. 960
The Polinger Artists of Excellence Concert Series is made possible by the Geraldine and Howard Polinger Concert Endowment Fund.
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 |
Mount Vernon Virtuosi: Season Opening Concert | Sunday, October 27th |
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, Piano | 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 | $50/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. 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.
“edge of the seat performances…..simply the best.”
-Boston Globe
“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
“A musical experience of luminous beauty”
-The San Diego Reader
Henry Kramer, Piano
Performing with Borromeo
Pianist Henry Kramer is developing a reputation as a musician of rare sensitivity who combines stylish programming with insightful and exuberant interpretations.
“Thrilling [and] triumphant”
–The New York Times
“Astonishingly confident technique”
-Cleveland Classical Review
G. Bacewicz: String Quartet No. 6
A. Hailstork: String Quartet No. 2, Variations on “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Dvořák: Piano Quintet No. 2, Op. 81
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.
Mount Vernon Virtuosi: Season Opening Concert
Sunday, October 27th
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Sunday, October 27 l 11:00 – 12:00 PM | Free Family Concert
Sunday, October 27 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM | Free Public Concert
About Mount Vernon Virtuosi
Baltimore-based Mount Vernon Virtuosi is an innovative chamber orchestra of exceptional young musicians who are in transition from their studies to a professional career. Founded by cellist, pedagogue, and conductor Amit Peled, the ensemble alternates between a free-of-charge concert season in several Baltimore area communities with events in Virginia, greater Washington DC, and beyond. The Mount Vernon Virtuosi regularly performs at three venues in Maryland – the Pratt Library in Baltimore, Spencerville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, and the Bender JCC in Rockville.
Brannon Cho, Cello and Janice Carissa, Piano
Sunday, November 17th
7:00 PM
Sunday
Tickets available soon!
November 17 | 7:00 PM | $50/Individual concert (starting September 2) | $250/All 6 Polinger Artists of Excellence concerts (by September 1)
Brannon Cho
Brannon Cho, cellist, 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.
“Burnished tone, spellbinding technique, and probing musical mind”
-Boston Classical Review
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.
Leoš Janáček: Pohádka
Cesar Franck: Sonata in A Major FWV 8 (arr.Delsart)
Thomas Adès: Lieux retrouvés Op. 2
Bohuslav Martinů: Sonata No. 3 H. 340
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 | $50/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.
“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
“[Hagen] brought the audience to its feet…wore his heart on his sleeve and took many of us along to rejoice with him.”
-Violinist.com
Albert Cano Smit
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
“A moving young poet” and “A great romantic”
-Le Devoir
Mendelssohn: Violin Sonata in F major, MVW 026
Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100
Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor
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 | $50/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.
“Precarious balance where sheer agony and triumphant beauty intersect.”
-The Washington Post
“Sustained quietude, peacefulness, and serenity.”
–The New York Times
“The Ying Quartet came as close to the ideal as possible, delivering chamber music of astonishing, refreshing exaltation and exhilaration.”
-The Los Angeles Times
Hugo Wolf: Italian Serenade
Giacomo Puccini: Chrysanthemums
Pierre Jalbert: Icefield Sonnets
Franz Schubert: String Quartet in D Minor, D. 810 “Death & the Maiden”
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.”
-The Strad
“vivid engagement carried by soaring, ripely Romantic playing”
-The Washington Post
“polished and spirited interpretations”
-The New York TImes
Joaquín Turina: Circulo, Op. 91
Franz Schubert: Notturno, D. 897
Udi Perlman: Nostos (2022)
Schumann: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 63
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, Piano
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.
” A beautifully balanced approach to the score, refined yet impetuous, noble yet spirited”
-The New York Times
Bach / Busoni: Choral Prelude
Mendelssohn: Song without Words
Mozart / Generani: Andante from Divertimenti Op. 138
Janacek: Sonata Oct. 1, 1905
Debussy: Preludes and “The Island of Joy”
Schubert: Sonata in B flat, D. 960
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.