Displaying items by tag: NEXUS Chamber Music Festival

Chamber music may be one of music’s most misunderstood children.  An early form of classical music, it has always been open to a huge spectrum of emotions and moods and can swing instantly from the softly reflective to the boldly dramatic.  Musicians love to play it because chamber music allows them much greater personal expression than they’d find in an orchestra.  With no conductor, it’s the musicians who collaborate and decide how they want the music they’re playing to be interpreted and performed.  Any combination of instruments can be used and, although the word chamber implies a small space, it can be played in any setting.  Making it a musical form tailor-made for creative nuance and surprise.

For the past eight years, Chicago based Nexus Chamber Music has been on a mission to make chamber music culturally relevant.  “Specializing in live performance and multimedia content”, it’s annual fall chamber music festival highlights how well chamber music is suited to contemporary sensibilities, tastes and interests.  By recruiting splendid musical talent and curating a wide range of highly engaging music, Nexus Chamber Music Festivals routinely generate enthusiastic responses.

This year’s festival featuring Grammy nominated John Novacek’s Music for 8, Shostakovich and a treasured composition by Felix Mendelsshon will undoubtedly do so as well. The ninth annual NEXUS Chamber Music Festival returns to Chicago’s Guarneri Hall for an intimate, high-caliber presentation titled "Music for 8." This specialized program highlights the depth and power of expanded string ensembles, bringing together eight world-renowned classical musicians. The repertoire bridges classical mastery and modern innovation, featuring Dmitri Shostakovich’s intense Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11, the Chicago premiere of John Novacek’s contemporary Music for 8, and Felix Mendelssohn’s radiant Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20. Designed for both avid chamber music enthusiasts and newcomers, the festival offers an immersive acoustic experience in a premier downtown venue.

Event: 9th Annual NEXUS Chamber Music Festival: Music for 8

Dates: Thursday, August 13, and Friday, August 14, 2026

Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Location: Guarneri Hall, 11 E. Adams St, Suite 350A, Chicago, IL 60603

Admission: $50 General Admission

Violinists: Claire Bourg, Jacques Forestier, Kenneth Renshaw, Rannveig Marta Sarc

Violists: Brian Hong, Cara Pogossian

Cellists: Alexander Hersh, Edvard Pogossian

Website: https://guarnerihall.org/events-calendar/

Guarneri Hall, an intimate state-of-the-art, custom-built classical music venue in the heart of downtown Chicago, proudly opens its 2026/27 season with the 9^th annual NEXUS Chamber Music Festival, titled Music for 8. NEXUS Chamber Music, Guarneri Hall’s ensemble-in-residence, presents a rarely heard collection of string octets on August 12, 2026, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Winnetka Congregational Church (725 Pine St, Winnetka, IL), and August 13-14, 2026, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Guarneri Hall (11 E. Adams St, Chicago). The program features the Chicago premiere of Music for 8, by the brilliant pianist and composer John Novacek. Written in 2025, Music for 8 has been thrilling audiences around the U.S. and is quickly becoming a new standard in the genre. Also included is Dmitri Shostakovich's haunting and electrifying Two Pieces for String Octet and the beloved String Octet by the young genius Felix Mendelssohn, one of the most cherished works in the literature. The August 12 program also features the world premiere of a new string trio by Brooklyn-based composer and Grammy® award-winning trumpet player Michael R. Dudley Jr.

Violinists Jacques Forestier, David Bernat, Rannveig Marta Sarc and Claire Bourg, violist Cara Pogossian, and cellist Eddie Pogossian join NEXUS Co-Artistic Directors, violist Brian Hong and cellist Alexander Hersh, for all three performances.

Audience members are invited to mix and mingle with the performers at a themed reception following each performance, adding to the unparalleled intimacy of these events and helping make chamber music a deeply personal experience for all. Tickets can be purchased now at guarnerihall.org, with general admission priced at $50 and student discounts available.

About Guarneri Hall

Guarneri Hall NFP delivers extraordinary chamber music experiences to a broad and diverse audience through a curated mix of live performances and original music videos. Located in a custom-built, 60-seat venue in the heart of downtown Chicago, Guarneri Hall is renowned for its exceptional acoustics, designed by Threshold Acoustics, and its uniquely intimate concert setting. Founded in 2018 by violinist and violin dealer Stefan Hersh of Darnton & Hersh Fine Violins, Guarneri Hall is named after the famed Italian family of luthiers whose legacy rivals that of Stradivari. Learn more at guarnerihall.org.

About NEXUS Chamber Music

NEXUS Chamber Music (NEXUS) is Guarneri Hall’s ensemble-in-residence. A Chicago-based, artist-driven collective whose mission is to make chamber music culturally relevant, NEXUS specializes in live performances and multimedia content. NEXUS presents an annual late summer festival in Chicago and tours nationally during the year. NEXUS Co-Artistic Directors Alexander Hersh and Brian Hong are driven by a desire to create unique and engaging classical music experiences for an ever-broadening audience. Each year, Hersh and Hong bring in numerous world-class artists to take part in NEXUS’ annual festival. Since its inaugural season in August 2018, NEXUS has grown into a classical chamber music tour de force, capturing critical acclaim through stellar live performances and dazzling music videos of exciting new commissions and traditional masterworks alike.