Fire and Shadow
June 19, 2026 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
The Rock Theatre at Rockridge Canyon
Beethoven • Shostakovich • Dvořák
The festival opens with music of dramatic intensity and emotional depth. Beethoven’s String Trio in G Major, Op. 9 No. 1 reveals the young composer already expanding the expressive possibilities of chamber music, blending Classical elegance with bold energy and rich interplay among the instruments.
Written nearly 170 years later, Shostakovich’s Ninth String Quartet reflects a deeply personal voice forged under political pressure, its five connected movements moving between quiet introspection and bursts of restless urgency.
The program culminates with Dvořák’s sweeping Piano Trio No. 3 in F minor, one of the composer’s most powerful chamber works. Passionate melodies, dramatic contrasts, and moments of radiant lyricism create a work of profound emotional breadth, bringing the evening to a stirring conclusion.
Concert Program
Dark intensity and sweeping Romantic expression open the festival.
Music of dramatic depth begins the festival. Beethoven’s early masterpiece bridges Classical clarity with emotional boldness, Shostakovich’s Ninth Quartet reveals a deeply personal twentieth-century voice, and Dvořák’s monumental piano trio closes the evening with passionate lyricism.
