The Austin Chamber Music Festival takes over the classical music world in Austin every summer. By presenting local, emerging, and international-touring chamber artists, ACMC energizes the community with chamber music.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, June 27, 2025

7:30 PM: Yamazalde Trio

Kick off the 2025 Austin Chamber Music Festival with the Yamazalde Trio! Acclaimed violinist and ACMC Artistic Director Sandy Yamamoto is joined by cellist Matthew Zalkind and pianist Julio Elizalde for a program featuring the vibrant rhythms of Joseph Haydn, Astor Piazzolla, and Anton Arensky.

Program:

Piano Trio No. 39, “Gypsy” | Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)

Andante
Poco adagio, cantabile
Rondo all’Ongarese: Presto
The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires | Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992) arr. José Bragato

Primavera Porteña
Verano Porteño
Otoño Porteño
Invierno Porteño
INTERMISSION

Piano Trio No. 1 | Anton Arensky (1861–1905)

Allegro moderato
Scherzo: Allegro molto
Elegia: Adagio
Finale: Allegro non troppo
 
YAMAZALDE TRIO
Sandy Yamamoto, violin | Matthew Zalkind, cello | Julio Elizalde, piano

Approximate run time: 70 minutes, plus one short intermission

Saturday, June 28, 2025

7:30 PM: Yamazalde Trio & Friends

The Yamazalde Trio returns for a second night of the Austin Chamber Music Festival to perform music alongside prize-winning chamber musicians: violinist Patrice Calixte and violist Eric Wong. The concert program features intimate, intertwined musical dialogues between Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms.

Program:

Three Romances for Violin and Piano | Clara Schumann (1819–1896)

Andante molto
Allegretto
Leidenschaftlich schnell
Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47 | Robert Schumann (1810–1856)

Sostenuto assai – Allegro ma non troppo
Scherzo: Molto vivace – Trio I – Trio II
Andante cantabile
Finale: Vivace
INTERMISSION

Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34 | Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

Allegro non troppo
Andante, un poco adagio
Scherzo: Allegro
Finale: Poco sostenuto – Allegro non troppo – Presto, non troppo
 
YAMAZALDE TRIO
Sandy Yamamoto, violin | Matthew Zalkind, cello | Julio Elizalde, piano

Patrice Calixte, violin | Eric Wong, viola

Approximate run time: 80 minutes, plus one short intermission

Sunday, June 29, 2025

3:00 PM: Cantus

Why is it that we can recall the lyrics and melody of a song from our childhood, but we struggle to find our keys in the morning, or find ourselves unable to remember peoples’ names? Time and age can cause organized memories to gradually become a maze of fragments, but music often remains the one thing that helps us to remember who we are. In Wanting Memories, Cantus explores the unique and enduring relationship between music and memory in all of our lives. Through selections that include timeless tunes like “Over the Rainbow,” “What a Wonderful World,” and Taylor Swift’s “Fifteen,” and anchored by Ysaÿe M. Barnwell’s “Wanting Memories,” this performance traverses the realms of nostalgia and family, loss and love, grief, laughter, fear and hope.

Program:

What a Wonderful World | Bob Thiele (1922-1996) & George David Weiss (1921–2010)

When I Grow Up from Matilda | Tim Minchin (b. 1975)

Fifteen | Taylor Swift (b. 1989)

I Would Live in Your Love | Christopher H. Harris (b. 1985)

Wedding Qawwali | A. R. Rahman (b. 1967) arr. by Ethan Sperry

I Remember It Well, from Gigi | Alan Jay Lerner (1918–1986) & Frederick Loewe (1901–1988)

Landslide | Stevie Nicks (b. 1948)

Wanting Memories | Ysaÿe M. Barnwell (b. 1946)

INTERMISSION

Traumlicht | Richard Strauss (1864–1949)

Gagot | Sydney Guillaume (b. 1982)

Ain’t No Sunshine | Bill Withers (1938–2020)

Spes (Hope) | Mia Makaroff (b. 1970)

When We Sing | Rosephanye Powell (b. 1962)

Light of a Clear Blue Morning | Dolly Parton (b.1946)

Over the Rainbow | Harold Arlen (1905-1986) & E.Y. Harburg (1896–1981)

I’ll Be Seeing You | Sammy Fain (1902-1989) & Irving Kahal (1903–1942)

CANTUS
Jacob Christopher, Alexander Nishibun, Paul John Rudoi, Paul Scholtz, tenors | Rod Kelly Hines, Jeremy Wong, baritones | Samuel Boulanger-Green, Chris Foss, basses

Approximate run time: 70 minutes, plus one short intermission

Saturday, July 19, 2025

7:30 PM: Kodak Quartet with Michelle Schumann

Grand prize winners of Austin’s own national Coltman Chamber Music Competition kick off weekend two of the Austin Chamber Music Festival! Kodak Quartet is highly regarded for their work with contemporary composers and for presenting traditional works with a contemporary flavor; their July 19 program features Johannes Brahms, John Zorn, and Ernst von Dohnányi. Joining the energetic ensemble is pianist Michelle Schumann, named “Best Classical Musician” in the Best of Austin Readers Poll by the Austin Chronicle.

Program:

String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2 | Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

Allegro non troppo
Andante moderato
Quasi minuetto, moderato – Allegretto vivace
Finale: Allegro non assai
Cat o’Nine Tails | John Zorn (b. 1953)

INTERMISSION

Piano Quintet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 1 | Ernst von Dohnányi (1877–1960)

Allegro
Scherzo: Allegro Vivace
Adagio, quasi andante
Finale: Allegro animato
 
KODAK QUARTET
Edgar Donati, Martin No, violins | Daniel Spink, viola | Blake Kitayama, cello

Michelle Schumann, piano

Approximate run time: 78 minutes, plus one short intermission

Sunday, July 20, 2025

12:00 PM & 2:00 PM: Carnival of the Animals

A family-friendly concert featuring Camille Saint-Saëns’s beloved Carnival of the Animals invites young listeners and their families into the vibrant world of chamber music, with interactive activities and games that create an engaging, playful environment. Music fans of all ages will enjoy an inspiring, accessible experience that bridges generations and sparks a lifelong love for music. Narrated in both English and Spanish by Armstrong Community Music School’s Monica Salas. Featured performers include Coltman Competition grand prize winners Kodak Quartet, acclaimed pianists Michelle Schumann and Sohee Kwon, and musicians from the Butler School of Music and the Austin Symphony.

Program:

Carnival of the Animals | Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)

Introduction and Royal March of the Lion | Introducción y Marcha real del león
Hens and Roosters | Gallinas y gallos
Wild ***** (Swift Animals) | Asnos, animales salvajes
Tortoises | Tortugas
The Elephant | El elefante
Kangaroos | Canguros
Aquarium | Acuario
Characters with Long Ears | Personajes con largas orejas
The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods | El cucú en el fondo del bosque
Aviary | Pajarera
Pianists | Pianistas
Fossils | Fósiles
The Swan | El Cisne
Finale
KODAK QUARTET
Edgar Donati, Martin No, violins | Daniel Spink, viola | Blake Kitayama, cello

Monica Salas, narrator | Ebonee Thomas, flute | Tyler Webster, clarinet | Jonathan Rouse, bass | Sohee Kwon & Michelle Schumann, pianos | Tom Burritt, percussion

Approximate run time: 45 minutes

Friday, August 1, 2025

7:30 PM: Twelfth Night

Described as “an absolute gift to see live” (The Nevada Sagebrush), Twelfth Night is a refreshingly new ensemble of historical performance specialists led by keyboardist David Belkovski and violinist Rachell Ellen Wong, formed with the firm belief that art is best explored as a meeting place of the past, present, and future. Their Austin Chamber Music Festival performance shows off their spirit and boundless revelry with a program featuring Georg Philipp Telemann, Antonio Vivaldi, and more.

Program:

Sonata à 5 in D Minor | Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688–1758)

Largo
Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Sonata à 4 in A Minor | Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767)

Grave – Allegro
Allegro
Largo e staccato
Allegro
Mensa Sonora Pars 3 | Heinrich von Biber (1644–1704)

Gaillarde
Sarabande
Aria
Chaconne
Sonatine
Violin Concerto in G Major, RV 307 | Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)

Allegri e molto
Adagio
Allegro
INTERMISSION

Cello Concerto in G Minor, RV 417 | Antonio Vivaldi

Allegro
Andante
Allegro
Concerto for 2 Violins, Viola, and continuo in G Minor | Francesco Durante (1684–1755)

Affettuoso
Presto
Largo affettuoso
Allegro
Sonata in D Major, TWV 44:1 | Georg Philipp Telemann

Sinfonia. Spirituoso
Largo
Vivace
 
TWELFTH NIGHT
Rachell Ellen Wong & Carmen Johnson-Pájaro, violins | Andrew Gonzalez, viola | Clara Abel, cello | Kevin Payne, theorbo | David Belkovski, harpsichord

Approximate run time: 76 minutes, plus one short intermission

Saturday, August 2, 2025

7:30 PM: Poiesis Quartet & Friends

An emerging young “ensemble to watch” (Hyde Park Herald), the Poiesis Quartet already has a long list of prizes under their belt, including winning last year’s Concert Artists Guild Competition. The Quartet was lauded as “agile collaborators” with an “extraordinary, honeyed group sound” (Cleveland Classical); for their Austin Chamber Music Festival debut, they’ll be collaborating with violist John Largess and cellist Joshua Gindele from the award-winning Miró Quartet.

Program:

Many Many Cadences | Sky Macklay (b. 1988)

String Quartet in D Major, Op. 71, No. 2 | Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)

Adagio – Allegro
Adagio
Menuetto – Allegro
Finale: Allegretto
String Quartet No. 7 (Austin Premiere) | Kevin Lau

INTERMISSION

String Sextet No. 2 in G, Op. 36 | Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

Allegro ma non troppo
Scherzo
Adagio
Allegro
 
POIESIS QUARTET
Sarah Ma, Max Ball, violins | Jasper de Boor, viola | Drew Dansby, cello

John Largess, viola | Joshua Gindele, cello

Approximate run time: 76 minutes, plus one short intermission

Sunday, August 3, 2025

3:00 PM: Miró Quartet & Poiesis Quartet

Join the renowned Miró Quartet at the Austin Chamber Music Festival as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s Quartet Opus 132. This heartfelt masterpiece takes us through the journey of Beethoven’s illness, from facing mortality to spiritual healing. The concert continues with a thrilling musical collaboration, as the Miró Quartet joins forces with the prize-winning Poiesis Quartet to perform Felix Mendelssohn’s masterful String Octet. This unique performance showcases the blending of two extraordinary ensembles of established and emerging talent, delivering an exhilarating and richly textured interpretation of one of chamber music’s most beloved works.

Program:

String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132 | Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Assai sostenuto – Allegro
Allegro ma non tanto
Molto adagio – Andante
Alla marcia, assai vivace
Allegro appassionato
INTERMISSION

String Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20 | Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)

Allegro moderato con fuoco
Andante
Scherzo: Allegro leggierissimo
Presto
 
MIRO QUARTET
Daniel Ching, William Fedkenheuer, violins |John Largess, viola | Joshua Gindele, cello

POIESIS QUARTET
Sarah Ma, Max Ball, violins | Jasper de Boor, viola | Drew Dansby, cello

Approximate run time: 80 minutes, plus one short intermission

Saturday, August 9, 2025

7:30 PM: Gil Shaham & Akira Eguchi

Grammy award-winning violinist Gil Shaham and acclaimed pianist Akira Eguchi bring Beethoven’s iconic Sonatas for Piano and Violin to life in the grand finale of the 2025 Austin Chamber Music Festival. This special event promises an unforgettable evening of profound artistry.

Program:

Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23 | Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Presto
Andante scherzoso, più allegretto
Allegro molto
Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24, “Spring” | Ludwig van Beethoven

Allegro
Adagio molto espressivo
Scherzo: Allegro molto
Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo
INTERMISSION

Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, “Kreutzer” | Ludwig van Beethoven

Adagio sostenuto – Presto
Andante con variazioni
Presto
 
Gil Shaham, violin | Akira Eguchi, piano

Approximate run time: 76 minutes, plus one short intermission

Fest Date: June 27, 2025 - August 9, 2025

Location: Bates Recital Hall, 2406 Robert Dedman Drive, Austin, TX 78712

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