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Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach
Announces 2025-2026 Season

(Palm Beach, FL) — The 2025-2026 Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach (CMSPB) season will include an array of concerts with repertoire ranging from Strauss, to Dvorak, to Saint-Saëns, and the Florida premiere of Michael Stephen Brown’s The Carnival of Endangered Wonders: A Zoological Fantasy. To view the full 2025-2026 season concert lineup online, purchase a subscription, membership or single tickets, please visit www.cmspb.org/season/2025-2026

Featured performers and ensembles include GRAMMY-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux, George Solti Career Grant winning flutist Sooyun Kim, the Ehnes Quartet in collaboration with CMSPB Artistic Director Arnaud Sussmann, and more. This year’s season runs from November 2025-April 2026. Performances will take place at three venues in the Palm Beach area including Norton Museum of Art, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, and the Church of Bethesda-By-The-Sea.

“In our 2025-2026 season in Palm Beach, we are excited to take our audiences on a journey through music both familiar and new,” said CMSPB Artistic Director Arnaud Sussmann. “This season we will trace a path though joy, reflection, virtuosity and innovation. I look forward to bringing our audience the inspiration and deep connection that is unique to every CMSPB concert.”

“Over the last 12 seasons Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach has established itself as the destination of world class chamber music in South Florida.” said CMSPB Interim Executive Director Amy Lam. “This year’s season will once again celebrate the transformative power of music and ignite dialogues across generations – in only a way that chamber music can.”

CMSPB 2025-2026 Season Concerts

Joyful Beethoven: Season Opener
November 20, 2025 | 7 PM
The Church of Bethesda-By-The-Sea

Arnaud Sussmann, violin
Brian Isaacs, viola
Nicholas Canellakis, cello
Nina Bernat, bass
Gina Cuffari, bassoon
Alex Fiterstein, clarinet
David Byrd-Marrow, horn

Richard Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel einmal anders!
Ludwig van Beethoven: Duet with Two Obligato Eyeglasses
Carl Nielsen: Serenata in vano
Beethoven: Septet, Op. 20

The season opening concert offers an evening of music that inspires both heart and mind. Beethoven’s radiant Septet exudes warmth and lyricism, Nielsen’s Serenata in vano reveals wit and charm, and Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel sparkles with character and vitality. Artistic Director Arnaud Sussmann begins the season alongside some of his closest musical colleagues.

The Lush Guitar
December 11, 2025 | 7 PM
Norton Museum of Art

Jason Vieaux, guitar
Arnaud Sussmann, violin
Tessa Lark, violin
Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola
Edward Arron, cello

Niccoló Paganini: Trio Concertante
Luigi Boccherini: Fandango
Astor Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5

GRAMMY-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux, who has been hailed as “virtuosic, flamboyant, dashing and, sometimes ineffably lyrical” by The New York Times, joins an ensemble of some of today’s most sought-after musicians including Tessa Lark, Milena Pajaro-van Stadt, Edward Aaron, and Sussmann. The program spans centuries and continents, highlighting the expressive power of strings. Paganini’s Trio Concertante dazzles with virtuosic brilliance, while Boccherini’s spirited Fandango features Spanish dance rhythms. Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango traces the evolution of Argentina’s most iconic dance, from intimate cafés to modern concert halls. The evening concludes with Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, a lush, atmospheric work that fuses Brazilian folk colors with the spirit of Bach.

Golden Baroque: The Luminous Flute
January 22, 2026 | 7 PM
The Church of Bethesda-By-The-Sea

Kenneth Weiss, harpsichord
Sooyun Kim, flute
David Requiro, cello
Sasha Sitkovetsky, violin
Grace Park, violin

Henry Purcell: Sonata No. 6 in G minor
François Couperin: L'espagnol from Les Nations - Sonade, Passacaille
Georg Philipp Telemann: Paris Quartet No. 1
Jean-Féry Rebel: Les Élémens

This program brings together four masters of the Baroque period, each with a distinct voice and style. Purcell’s Sonata No. 6 in G minor reveals the English composer’s poignant lyricism and harmonic richness. Couperin’s L’espagnol from Les Nations blends French elegance with Spanish flair, while Telemann’s Paris Quartet No. 1 reflects his cosmopolitan spirit and gift for melodic invention. The concert concludes with Rebel’s Les Élémens, a bold and imaginative depiction of creation, complete with one of the most striking dissonances of the 18th century.

Charm and Reflection: Mozart Dvorák
February 26, 2026 | 7 PM
Kravis Center, Rinker Playhouse

Arnaud Sussmann, violin
Paul Neubauer, viola
Gary Hoffman, cello
Chloe Mun, piano

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Duo No. 2 in B flat major, K. 424
Antonín Dvorák: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat Major, Op. 87 (B. 162)

Cellist Gary Hoffman joins violinist Arnaud Sussmann, violist Paul Neubauer, and pianist Chloe Mun for an evening of chamber music at its most intimate and expressive. Mozart’s String Duo No. 2 in B-flat major sparkles with elegance and conversational charm, while Dvorák’s Piano Quartet No. 2 unfolds with lyrical warmth, rhythmic vitality, and symphonic richness. Together, these works highlight the beauty of musical dialogue among close collaborators.

Fire & Form: The Ehnes String Quartet
March 18, 2026 | 7 PM
The Church of Bethesda-By-The-Sea

Ehnes Quartet:
James Ehnes, violin
Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin
Brian Chen, viola
Edward Arron, cello
Arnaud Sussmann, viola/violin

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 18, No, 5
Franz Schubert: Rondo in A major for Violin and Strings, D 438
Felix Mendelssohn: String Quintet No. 2 in B flat Major, Op. 87

The acclaimed Ehnes Quartet performs in The Church of Bethesda-By-The-Sea, joined by violinist and CMSPB Artistic Director Arnaud Sussmann, for an evening of chamber music masterworks. Beethoven’s youthful String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 5 brims with clarity and elegance, while Schubert’s radiant Rondo in A major showcases lyricism and virtuosity. The program concludes with Mendelssohn’s String Quintet No. 2, a vibrant and expansive work that overflows with energy and expressive depth.

Double Forte: Two Pianos
April 9, 2026 | 7 PM
Kravis Center, Rinker Playhouse

Wu Qian, piano
Juho Pohjonen, piano

Johann Sebastian Bach: Passacaglia in C minor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Fugue in C minor
George Gershwin: An American in Paris
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

Pianists Wu Qian and Juho Pohjonen unite for a dazzling four-hand performance that spans centuries and styles. Bach’s Passacaglia in C minor and Mozart’s Fugue in C minor showcase the brilliance of counterpoint, while Gershwin’s An American in Paris pulses with jazz-infused color and rhythm. The evening culminates with Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, a work of sweeping intensity and orchestral grandeur reimagined for two pianos.

Carnival of the Animals
April 23, 2026 | 7 PM
Norton Museum

Kristin Lee, violin
Arnaud Sussmann, violin
Paul Neubauer, viola
Nicholas Canellakis, cello
Anthony Manzo, double bass
Orion Weiss, piano
Michael Stephen Brown, piano
Tara O'Connor, flute
Jose Franch-Ballester, clarinet
Ian Rosenbaum, percussion

Camille Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals
Michael Stephen Brown: The Carnival of Endangered Wonders: A Zoological Fantasy

A celebration of musical imagination comes to life in this special season closing concert at the Norton Museum. Saint-Saëns’ beloved Carnival of the Animals enchants with humor, wit, and unforgettable character, from the regal ‘Lion’ to the graceful ‘Swan.’ In dialogue with this classic, pianist and composer Michael Stephen Brown presents—and performs in—the Florida premiere of The Carnival of Endangered Wonders: A Zoological Fantasy, co-commissioned by CMSPB. Performed by an extraordinary ensemble of CMSPB artists, this program offers a journey through the animal kingdom—both real and fantastical.

SPECIAL SINGLE TICKET ONLY EVENTS
Tickets on sale October 6, 2025

Humor and Harmony RETURNS
November 6, 2025 | 7 PM
Kravis Center, Rinker Playhouse
Tickets on sale October 6, 2025

Celebrated cellist Nicholas Canellakis and award-winning pianist-composer Michael Stephen Brown return with their acclaimed mix of chamber music and spirited entertainment that has delighted audiences around the world. Blending short films, comedy, and musical storytelling, the duo (longtime best friends) bring their unique charm to the concert stage.

Following the performance, guests are invited to stay for a post-concert mixer, where they can mingle with the musicians and fellow arts lovers while enjoying light bites and refreshments.

Rising Artists in Concert
January 10, 2026 | 7PM
Norton Museum

CMSPB presents the popular Rising Artists Concert, a culminating performance following a transformative week of mentorship, collaboration, and music-making. Experience the next generation of extraordinary emerging artists alongside artist-mentors Arnaud Sussmann and Edward Arron. The 2025 Rising Artists will be announced in mid-October.

Rhapsody in Blue – Gala Concert
February 4, 2026 | Time TBA
Kravis Center
Gala concert purchase only; Not Included in Standard Subscription

Orion Weiss, piano
Jose Franch-Ballester, clarinet
Benjamin Beilman, violin
Arnaud Sussmann, violin
Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola
Estelle Choi, cello

Darius Milhaud: La création du monde
Sergei Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes
Florence Price: Andante Moderato – Allegretto, from String Quartet No. 1
Maurice Ravel: Tzigane
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

CMSPB’s 2026 Gala is inspired by the vibrance of the Roaring Twenties. Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue crowns a program that also features Milhaud’s jazz-inflected La création du monde, Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes, Florence Price’s lyrical Andante Moderato – Allegretto from her first String Quartet, and Ravel’s fiery Tzigane. With pianist Orion Weiss and a stellar ensemble of CMSPB artists, this one-night celebration brims with virtuosity, style, and the exuberant spirit of a golden age in music.

Invitations to the Gala Concert will be mailed in late November. For more information on the Gala, please call 561-379-6773.

ABOUT CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF PALM BEACH

The Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach (CMSPB) has brought extraordinary chamber music performances and educational programming to Palm Beach County and the wider South Florida region since 2013.

Over 12 seasons CMSPB has presented over 150 artists including the Emerson and Harlem string quartets, violinist James Ehnes, pianist Inon Barnatan, and members of the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and Philadelphia Orchestra, among many others. In 2019 CMSPB introduced frequent guest artist and acclaimed violinist Arnaud Sussmann as its Artistic Director. In his first season, Sussmann led the organization in launching virtual programming to make CMSPB available to audiences around the globe.

The Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach reaches nearly 2,000 students and young musicians each season with hands-on access to some of the finest artists and music educators in the world. Through masterclasses, in-school performances, and open rehearsals, CMSPB aims to fuel the creativity and curiosity of young people and nurture the artists of tomorrow. With support from the Goldner Educational Initiative Fund and the Kovner Foundation, the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach frequently partners with area schools including the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, U. B. Kinsey/Palmview Elementary School of the Arts, the Conservatory School, Bak Middle School of the Arts, the Lynn Conservatory, and the UM Frost School of Music to provide access to high quality coaching and performances by CMSPB artists.

In 2022 CMSPB launched the Boscobel Chamber Music Festival in partnership with the Boscobel House and Gardens, a historic house museum located at a scenic site on the Hudson River, just one hour north of New York City. The festival programming features school and community outreach, open rehearsals, and lectures in addition to main stage concerts. The annual event has reached nearly 3,000 audience members in its first four years.