Bluegrass trio, classical string quartet and more part of Chamber Music on the Fox’s season

A classical string quartet performing with a bluegrass folk trio, celebrations of Latin American women and North and South American songs and dances are all on the schedule for Chamber Music on the Fox’s 11th season.

The series will also be performing works by legendary classical masters, according to a news release.

“We are excited to offer a five-concert series that features a variety of world class musicians, some who have played with us before to great fanfare, like the KAIA String Quartet and pianist Liang-yu Wang, and some, like the Kontras Quartet and the bluegrass folk trio of the Kruger Brothers, that will stretch the traditional boundaries of classical music to create energetic, awe-inspiring experiences,” said Mark Fry, artistic director and co-founder of Chamber Music on the Fox.

In keeping with its expansion across the Fox Valley, Chamber Music on the Fox concerts will be held in Elgin, Dundee, Aurora and St. Charles.

In addition to the series, Chamber Music on the Fox will host a special event that focuses on the Baroque era and features the music of Bach, Frescobaldi and Handel on Nov. 25 at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Charles. The special concert will feature soprano Kathleen Monson, bass trombonist Mark Fry, violinist Eric Pidluski, flutist Scott Metlicka and keyboardist Christopher Powell. Tickets for this concert will be sold separately from the series subscription.

Chamber Music on the Fox will also continue its partnership with the Woodstock Opera House, and performances in Woodstock will be announced at a later date and tickets will be available exclusively through the opera house.

Two of the Chicago area’s most brilliant and virtuosic musicians, Matthew Oliphant and Rachel Velvikis, come together in a program that showcases the French horn on Jan. 12 and 13, 2025.

The pair will be joined by violinists Eleanor Bartsch and MingHuan Xu, and pianists Winston Choi and Liang-yu Wang, in works by Beethoven, Ligeti and Brahms. The Jan. 12, 2025 concert will take place at New England Congregational Church in Aurora at 2:30 p.m. The 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13, performance will be held at First Congregational Church of Elgin.

The internationally recognized Zodiac Trio will present familiar masterpieces alongside hidden musical gems in a virtuosic program featuring iconic Benny Goodman tunes and original arrangements of Argentine Tangos and Mexican ballroom dance music in February 2025. The Sunday, Feb. 23, performance will be held at 2:30 p.m. at New England Congregational Church in Aurora. The First Congregational Church of Dundee will host the Monday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m. performance.

A favorite of Chamber Music on the Fox’s audiences, pianist Liang-yu Wang returns on March 23 and 24 to perform Leoš Janáček’s Capriccio for Piano Left-Hand and Chamber Ensemble. Mark Fisher will conduct the program, which also includes Paul Hindemith’s Morgenmusik for brass ensemble and Igor Stravinsky’s Octet for wind instruments. The programs will take place Sunday, March 23, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., at the New England Congregational Church in Aurora, and Monday, March 24, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., at the First Congregational Church of Dundee.

Moonshine Sonata rounds out the season on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., at The Venue in Aurora, and Monday, May 19, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., at The Haight in Elgin. In a meeting between classical string quartet and bluegrass folk trio, this promises to be a fun and feisty concert that weaves together new American folk and old European classical traditions. The Kontras Quartet and the Kruger Brothers are featured.

Chamber Music on the Fox is a world class chamber music series serving the Fox valley region with engaging, enriching and immersive live performances. To learn more, visit www.chambermusiconthefox.org.