Camerata Pacifica Announces 2025-26 Season

Santa Barbara-Based Chamber Collective’s 36^th Season Offers
Sweeping Programming Featuring New and Legacy Works

Camerata Pacifica, the Southern California-based chamber music collective hailed for its exceptional artistry and compelling programming of legacy classics and daring new work, unveils its 2025-26 season. Founder and Artistic Director Adrian Spence announced the details of the 36^th season.

“Camerata Pacifica is known for keeping audiences on their toes with wide ranging programming both familiar and lesser known, and the 2025-26 season is no exception,” says Spence. “We will explore the limitless scope of the chamber music repertoire, connecting with patrons at the four distinctive Southland venues where we perform – Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West, Thousand Oaks’ Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, San Marino’s The Huntington, and Downtown L.A.’s Zipper Hall.”

Camerata Pacifica, comprised of virtuoso musicians from around the globe, presents a total of eight programs, including six chamber programs and two piano recitals.

Among numerous highlights, Spence says, “We are thrilled to announce the launch of ‘Beethoven 32,’ a monumental three-year project that will feature our extraordinary Principal Piano Gilles Vonsattel performing all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, which are imbued with profound humanity and artistic richness. This season Vonsattel will play 12 of the masterworks in a hybrid blend of solo recitals and chamber programs.

The chamber music collective also presents the world premiere of a Camerata Pacifica-commissioned wind quintet by David Bruce, who has forged a unique path in contemporary classical music with colorful imaginative works inspired by the dances and heart-felt laments of gypsy music, flamenco, klezmer and other folk traditions.

Other contemporary offerings include Kenji Bunch’s genre-defying Transcontinental for Violin and Percussion Quartet, originally commissioned by Paul Huang; Thierry De Mey’ Musique de Table, featuring four percussionists using a small table as their only instrument; María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir’s Aequora for grand piano and electronics; and Peteris Vasks’ Castillo Interior for Violin & Cello, rich with emotion and flair.

In addition to the Beethoven piano sonatas presented in conjunction with “Beethoven 32,” Spence has programmed chamber masterworks by Anton Arensky, Arno Babadjanian, Johannes Brahms, Frédéric Chopin, W.A. Mozart, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, and Dmitri Shostakovich.

 Artists making their Camerata Pacifica debuts include David Byrd-Marrow, the “stunning and assured” (The New York Times) horn soloist with the famed International Contemporary Ensemble; Eleni Katz, a “thoughtful and expressive” bassoonist (San Diego Union Tribune); and Melia Badalian, the highly regarded principal horn with the Long Beach and Modesto symphonies.

Two percussionists also make their Camerata Pacific debuts, Ayano Kataoka, known for her brilliant and dynamic technique and appearances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 2006, and Svet Stoyanov, praised for his “understated but unmistakable virtuosity” and “winning combination of gentleness and fluidity” (The New York Times). They are joined by returning guest artist Jason Treuting, a percussionist and founding/current member of the influential quartet, So Percussion, who produces a “cathedral of sound” (Washington Post).

Other guest artists returning to Camerata Pacifica this season are Alena Hove, a rising violinist applauded for her “rich, smooth tone” (CityArts); Meredith Crawford, a “superlative violist” (Crescenta Valley Weekly); Santiago Can~o´n-Valencia, a “technically flawless” cellist (The Strad); violist Che-Yen Chen who plays “with silken finesse” (Dallas Morning News); clarinetist Pascal Archer, heralded for his “mellow tone and daunting leaps of registers” (South Florida Classical Review); William Wood, a Santa Barbara-based bassoonist celebrated for his “throaty, wistful sound” (Noozhawk); hornist Ben Goldscheider, “a musical Bear Grylls…fearlessly leaping through dangerous terrain” (Huffington Post); and former Berlin Philharmonic Principal Flute Sébastian Jacot, heralded as “flute rock star” by his peers.

Featured from Camerata Pacifica’s own roster of stellar musicians, in addition to Principal Piano Gilles Vonsattel, are Paul Huang, The Bob Christensen Chair in Violin who is “a compelling podium presence” (Culture OC), and recipient of the 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists; Principal Cello Ani Aznavoorian, whose “scorchingly committed performances…wring every last drop of emotion out of the music” (The Strad); and Principal Clarinet Jose Franch-Ballester, a captivating performer of “poetic eloquence” (The New York Sun). Also returning to Camerata Pacifica’s stage this season are Principal Oboe Nicholas Daniel, whose playing “bursts with exuberant charisma and optimistic allure” (MusicalCriticism.com); percussionist Ji Hye Jung, lauded for her tremendous “musical athleticism” (VC Reporter); and Principal Piano Irina Zahharenkova, who delivers performances with “impressive…musical colour” (Bachtrack).

Spence notes that Camerata Pacifica also continues to elevate its concerts with a range of visual elements, such as video content, projections, and theatrical lighting “to enrich the audience’s experience and enhance and heighten the music being performed without detracting from it.”

2025-26 PROGRAMS DETAILED  

September 2025:

Tuesday, September 23, 7:30 pm, The Huntington, San Marino
Thursday, September 25, 8:00 pm, Zipper Hall, Los Angeles
Friday, September 26, 7:00 pm, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara
Sunday, September 28, 3:00 pm, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, Thousand Oaks

Paul Huang, violin
Alena Hove, violin
Che-Yen Chen, viola
Meredith Crawford, viola
Ani Aznavoorian, cello
Santiago Can~o´n-Valencia, cello
ARENSKY String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 35
PETERIS VASKS Castillo Interior for Violin & Cello
BRAHMS String Sextet in G Major, Op. 36

Camerata Pacifica launches its 2025-26 season with an all-string chamber program anchored by Brahms’ artful and sophisticated String Sextet in G Major, Op. 36, a richly sonorous and innovative work noted for its exotic sounding opening. The repertoire also features Anton Arensky’s mournful String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 35, which he dedicated to the memory of Tchaikovsky, his close musical colleague. Its somber aesthetic is heightened by its unusual scoring for violin, viola, and two cellos. Adding crisp contemporary flair to the program, Latvian composer Peteris Vasks’ Castillo Interior for Violin & Cello, written in 2013 in remembrance of the great mystic St. Teresa of Avila, weaves together slow and contemplative passages with quick eruptions of emotion. Showcasing their virtuosity on the technically demanding repertoire are violinists Paul Huang and Alena Hove; violists Che-Yen Chen and Meredith Crawford; Principal Cello Ani Aznavoorian; and Columbian cellist Santiago Can~o´n- Valencia.

 

October/November 2025:

Tuesday, October 28, 7:30 pm, The Huntington, San Marino
Wednesday, October 29, 7:00 pm, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara
Thursday, October 30, 8:00 pm, Zipper Hall, Los Angeles
Sunday, November 2, 3:00 pm, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, Thousand Oaks

Nicholas Daniel, oboe
Claire Brazeau, oboe
Jose Franch-Ballester, clarinet
Pascal Archer, clarinet
Eleni Katz, bassoon
William Wood, bassoon
David Byrd-Marrow, horn
Melia Badalian, horn
Gilles Vonsattel, piano

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106, “Hammerklavier“ (Sponsored by Betsey Tyler)
MOZART Serenade in E-flat Major for Wind Octet, K.375
CHOPIN Nocturne No. 11 in G Minor, Op. 37, No. 1

Landmark works for solo piano by Beethoven and Chopin complement a Mozart chamber music tour de force for woodwinds and horn in this program. Notably, Camerata Pacifica embarks on “Beethoven 32,” a momentous three-year Beethoven cycle featuring Principal Piano Gilles Vonsattel, “a pianist well worth watching” (The New York Times), on all 32 of Beethoven’s sublime piano sonatas in a hybrid blend of solo recitals and chamber programs. To set the tone for this significant and deeply impactful project, Vonsattel performs Beethoven’s thrilling Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106, “Hammerklavier,“ considered among the most demanding and monumental pieces in the solo piano repertoire.

Mozart’s first masterpiece, Serenade in E-flat Major for Wind Octet, K.375, at once ceremonial, playful, seductive, and witty, provides striking aural contrast to the piano work. It features oboists Nicholas Daniel and Claire Brazeau; clarinetists Jose Franch-Ballester and Pascal Archer; bassoonists Eleni Katz and William Wood; and Melia Badalian, horn.

Vonsattel follows it with another milestone of the solo piano canon, Chopin’s restrained and emotional Nocturne No. 11 in G Minor, Op. 37, No. 1, considered by many to reflect the composer’s abiding believe in the power of faith to provide solace.

November 2025: 

Tuesday, November 18, 7:30 pm, The Huntington, San Marino

Thursday, November 20, 8:00 pm, Zipper Hall, Los Angeles

Friday, November 21, 7.00 pm, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara
Sunday, November 23, 3:00 pm, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, Thousand Oaks

Alena Hove, violin

Ani Aznavoorian, cello
Irina Zahharenkova, piano

RACHMANINOFF Sonata for Cello & Piano in G Minor, Op. 19

MARÍA MULD MARKAN SIGFÚSDÓTTIR Aequora

BABADJANIAN Piano Trio in F-sharp Minor 

Camerata Pacifica’s season continues with a selection of 20^th and 21^st Century piano works, including Rachmaninoff’s final chamber work, the expressive and tender Sonata for Cello & Piano in G Minor, Op. 19, composed in 1901, featuring Principal Cello Ani Aznavoorian and Principal Piano Irina Zahharenkova. Illuminating a strikingly different aspect of the piano repertoire, Zahharenkova performs Aequora for grand piano and electronics by María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, which was originally commissioned for the Iceland Arts Festival in 2015. To cap the program, violinist Alena Hove joins Aznavoorian and Zahharenkova on Soviet-Armenian composer Arno Babadjanian’s 1953 folk-inspired masterpiece Piano Trio in F-sharp Minor.

January 2026: 

Sunday, January 11, 3:00 pm, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, Thousand Oaks
Tuesday, January,13, 7:30 pm, The Huntington, San Marino
Thursday, January 15, 8:00 pm, Zipper Hall, Los Angeles
Friday, January 16, 7:00 pm, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara

Che-Yen Chen, viola
Gilles Vonsattel, piano

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90 (Sponsored by Miguel & Paula Levy)
SCHUBERT Arpeggione Sonata in A Minor, D. 821
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 19 in G Minor, Op. 49, No.1 (Sponsored by Kimberley Valentine)
SCHUMANN Märchenbilder, Op. 113

Camerata Pacifica ushers in the New Year with four achingly beautiful works for piano and viola by Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann. The “Beethoven 32” project continues with Principal Piano Gilles Vonstattel performing Beethoven’s poignant Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90, and affecting Piano Sonata No. 19 in G Minor, Op. 49, No. 1, both for solo piano. Violist Che-Yen Chen joins Vonstattel on Schubert’s heartfelt Arpeggione Sonata in A Minor, D. 821, and Schumann’s fairy-tale inspired Märchenbilder, Op. 113, which wraps the program with tender reverie.
 

March 2026: 

Sunday, March 1, 3:00 pm, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, Thousand Oaks
Tuesday, March 3, 7:30 pm, The Huntington, San Marino
Thursday, March 5, 8:00 pm, Zipper Hall, Los Angeles
Friday, March 6, 7:00 pm, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara

Sébastian Jacot, flute
Nicholas Daniel, oboe
Jose Franch-Ballester, clarinet
Eleni Katz, bassoon
Ben Goldscheider, horn
Irina Zahharenkova, piano

DRING Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano
DAVID BRUCE Wind Quintet (World Premiere; Camerata Pacifica Commission)
CHAMINADE Thème varié, Op. 89
DVORÁK/arr. Jolley – Sextet after the Quintet in A Major, Op. 81

This chamber program offers a daring musical mix punctuated by folk influences. Among the highlights is the world premiere of a Camerata Pacifica-commissioned wind quintet by David Bruce, who has forged a unique path in contemporary classical music with a series of colorful imaginative works inspired by the wild dances and heart-felt laments of gypsy music, flamenco, klezmer and other folk traditions. English composer Madeline Dring’s exuberant Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano (1968) written for her husband Roger Lord, a professional oboist who played with the London Symphony Orchestra, opens the program. Also featured are Chaminade’s Thème varié, Op. 89, a set of variations for solo piano, and an arrangement by David Jolley of Dvorak’s emotion-filled Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81, for piano and wind quintet. Delivering the musical luster are Sébastian Jacot, flute; Nicholas Daniel, oboe; Jose Franch-Ballester, clarinet; Eleni Katz, bassoon; Ben Goldscheider, horn; and Irina Zahharenkova, piano.
 

March 2026: 

Piano Recital with Gilles Vonstattel

Friday, March 20, 7:00 pm, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara
Sunday, March 22, 8:00 pm, Zipper Hall, Los Angeles

Gilles Vonsattel, piano

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13, “Pathetique” (Sponsored by Albert & Lisa Cosand)
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1, “Sonata quasi una fantasia” (Sponsored by Stanley & Judith Farrar)
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major, Op. 26 (Sponsored by Joan Davidson in Memory of Lorna Hedges)
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata” (Sponsored by David & Leslie Dodson)

The “Beethoven 32” initiative kicks into high gear with the first of two back-to-back recitals this season devoted exclusively to Beethoven’s piano sonatas. Camerata Pacifica’s Principal Pianist Gilles Vonsattel takes centerstage to perform composer’s celebrated Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 “Pathetique,” and the beautiful and intense Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1, “Sonata quasi una fantasia.” He also interprets Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major, Op. 26, the third movement of which was played during Beethoven’s own funeral procession, and the tempestuous Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata.”

April 2026:

Piano Recital with Gilles Vonstattel

Friday, April 10, 7:00 pm, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara
Sunday, April 12, 8:00 pm, Zipper Hall, Los Angeles

Gilles Vonsattel, piano

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3 (Sponsored by Diane Boss)
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp Major, Op. 78, “à Thérèse” (Sponsored by Marty Coffey)
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101 (Sponsored by David Robertson & Nancy Alex)

For the second and final Camerata Pacifica recital this season devoted to the “Beethoven 32” project, Principal Pianist Gilles Vonsattel opens with the Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3, an often-overlooked gem filled with emotional exploration. He also plays Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp Major, Op. 78, “à Thérèse,” one of the composer’s favorite sonatas, and the divine and mysterious Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101.

May 2026 

Thursday, May 14, 8:00 pm, Zipper Hall, Los Angeles
Friday, May 15, 7:00 pm, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara
Sunday, May 17, 3:00 pm, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, Thousand Oaks
Tuesday, May 19, 7:30 pm, The Huntington, San Marino

Paul Huang, violin
Ani Aznavoorian, cello
Gilles Vonsattel, piano
Ji Hye Jung, percussion
Ayano Kataoka, percussion/marimba
Svet Stoyanov, percussion
Jason Treuting, percussion

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2 (Sponsored by George T. & Susan Northrop)
THIERRY DE MEY Musique de Table
KENJI BUNCH Transcontinental for Violin and Percussion Quartet
SHOSTAKOVICH (arr. Derevyanko) Symphony No. 15 for piano trio and percussion

Camerata Pacifica’s 2025-26 season finale incudes the last “Beethoven 32” offering of the season with Principal Piano Gilles Vonsattel performing the Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2, a masterpiece that helped cement Beethoven’s reputation as one of the most important composers of his era. Works spotlighting percussion complete the remainder of the program, including an arrangement of Shostakovich's 15th Symphony for percussion and piano trio by Victor Derevyanko.

Principal Percussion Ji Hye Jung and percussionists Ayano Kataoka, Svet Stoyanov, and Jason Treuting add rhythmic joy with Belgian composer Thierry De Mey's fascinating Musique de Table for which the artists “play” small tables as their only instruments. The four percussionists also join Paul Huang, Camerata Pacifica’s Bob Christensen Chair in Violin, for his reprise of Kenji Bunch’s Transcontinental for Violin and Percussion Quartet, which he commissioned and premiered at The Kennedy Center in 2023. Bunch has earned a reputation as one of America’s most engaging, influential, and prolific composers, with genre-defying music that has been performed on six continents and by over seventy American orchestras.

TICKETS/INFORMATION

For information about Camerata Pacifica and to purchase single tickets ($75 - $83) and subscriptions (beginning at $300), please visit cameratapacifica.org.

VENUE ADDRESSES:

Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Colburn School, Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012

Music Academy of the West, Hahn Hall, 1070 Fairway Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93108

The Huntington, Rothenberg Hall, 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, CA 91108

# # #