Orchestra of St. Luke's Chamber Music Series Continues This Spring With Mendelssohn the Prodigy

ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE’S CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES CONTINUES THIS SPRING
WITH MENDELSSOHN THE PRODIGY, SHOWCASING THE COMPOSER’S
VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MINOR AND HIS OCTET FOR STRINGS

ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28 AT THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM,
APRIL 30 AT MERKIN CONCERT HALL,
AND MAY 1 AT THE MORGAN LIBRARY

St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, the musical core of Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL), concludes this season’s signature Chamber Music Series with a spring program, Mendelssohn the Prodigy, showcasing the depth of the young Mendelssohn’s extraordinary talent. The Ensemble will perform his Violin Concerto in D Minor and Octet for Strings, Op. 20 on April 28 at the Brooklyn Museum, April 30 at Merkin Hall, and May 1 at The Morgan Library.

Felix Mendelssohn was already recognized as a child prodigy when he composed his Octet for Strings, one of his best known and most frequently performed works, at the age of 16. In later life Mendelssohn would declare the String Octet “my favorite of all my compositions…I had a most wonderful time in the writing of it!” The Octet for Strings is paired with another work composed in the early years of Mendelssohn’s prolific career, the rarely heard Violin Concerto in D Minor. Written when Mendelssohn was only 13, the obscure work was “rediscovered” in the early 1950s when the manuscript was presented by the Mendelssohn family to Yehudi Menuhin, who quickly published and recorded the work.

WHAT
MENDELSSOHN THE PRODIGY
St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble
MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in D Minor
MENDELSSOHN Octet for Strings, Op. 20

WHEN
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019, 2:00 PM
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019, 7:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 2019, 7:30 PM

WHERE
BROOKLYN MUSEUM (SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019)
200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium
MERKIN HALL (TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019)
129 W. 67th Street
THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM (WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2019)
225 Madison Avenue
Richard Gilder Chamber Music Series

TICKETS
Individual tickets start at $40 (April 28) and $50 (April 30 and May 1) and details are available here.

About Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL) is one of America’s most versatile and distinguished orchestras. Now in its 44th season, the Orchestra performs a variety of musical genres at New York City’s major concert venues and has collaborated with artists ranging from Renée Fleming and Joshua Bell to Bono and Metallica. In September 2018 Bernard Labadie, a world-renowned conductor of Baroque and Classical repertoire, joined OSL as Principal Conductor, continuing the Orchestra’s tradition of working with champions of historical performance practice. In 2019 OSL launches two major initiatives: the inaugural OSL Bach Festival in New York City and the opening of the DeGaetano Composition Institute. The three-week Bach Festival will feature 15 performances, including orchestral concerts conducted by Bernard Labadie, keyboard concerts, and the Paul Taylor Dance Company performing Paul Taylor’s complete Bach dances. OSL’s signature programming includes a subscription series presented by Carnegie Hall; an annual summer residency at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts; and a chamber music series at The Morgan Library & Museum, Brooklyn Museum, and Merkin Hall. The Orchestra has participated in 118 recordings, four of which have won Grammy Awards, has commissioned more than 50 new works, and has given more than 175 world, U.S., and New York City premieres.

OSL’s Education & Community Engagement programs reach over 11,000 New York City public school students each year. Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s (YOSL) provides free instrumental coaching for public school children, while the Chamber Music Mentorship Program provides professional development opportunities and workshops for pre-professional musicians. OSL built and operates The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in Hell’s Kitchen. New York City’s only rehearsal, recording, education, and performance space expressly dedicated to classical music, The DiMenna Center serves over 500 ensembles and over 30,000 musicians annually.

About St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble
St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble was founded in 1974 when a group of virtuoso musicians began performing chamber music concerts at Greenwich Village’s Church of St. Luke in the Fields. Today, the 24 Ensemble musicians make up the artistic core of Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Every season, OSL features the Ensemble in its Chamber Music Series, which explores beloved chamber works and brings attention to lesser-known or rarely-performed works through three distinct programs performed at The Morgan Library & Museum, Brooklyn Museum, and Merkin Hall. Throughout the season, musicians of the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble perform on almost every program presented by OSL.

Media Contacts
Pascal Nadon Communications
Pascal Nadon
pascal@pascalnadon.com
(646) 234-7088

Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Stephen Litner, Director of Marketing and Communications
slitner@OSLmusic.org
(212) 594-6100 x103