O1C Announces a Second Concert for October

Readers may recall that, earlier this month, this site reported that New Arts Collaboration pianist Ting Luo would be returning on October 4 to the Old First Presbyterian Church for her next performance to be presented by Old First Concerts (O1C). It turns out that O1C has planned only two programs for that month. It therefore seems timely to account for the second offering, which will take place during the following weekend.

“Mosaic” of Ives Collective performers (clockwise from upper left): Hrabba Atladottir, Keisuke Nakagoshi, Stephen Harrison, and Susan Freier (from the O1C event page for this performance)

That performance will see the return of the Ives Collective, an ad hoc chamber ensemble, which was formed by Co-Artistic Directors Susan Freier and Stephen Harrison after their Ives Quartet disbanded. Harrison still plays cello, but Freier alternates between viola and violin as necessary. For this concert the other Ives Collective performers will be Hrabba Atladottir on violin and pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi.

For the October program, Harrison will be featured in a performance of Gabriel Fauré’s Opus 117, his second cello sonata, composed in the key of G minor. At that time the composer was frail and in ill health, but he would not die for another two years. This sonata will be framed by two piano quartets separated by a little over fifty years, not to mention two world wars. Indeed, the more recent selection was completed during World War II. This is Bohuslav Martinů’s only piano quartet, which he completed in 1942, not long after he left Europe for New York. The program will conclude with the second of Antonín Dvořák’s two piano quartets, his Opus 87 in E-flat major.

This performance will take place on Sunday, October 13, beginning at 4 p.m. As in the past, it will be “hybrid,” allowing both live streaming and seating in Old First at 1751 Sacramento Street on the southeast corner of Van Ness Avenue. General admission tickets will be sold for $30, with reduced rates for seniors, students, and children age twelve and under. The event page, which includes information about all ticket prices and hyperlinks for purchases, including live stream viewing, provides additional information about both the works on the program and the contributing performers.