Heart Strings - Photo Credit: Portland Chamber of Music Festival

Heart Strings

Discover delightful hidden gems of classical chamber music over the course of this exquisite evening. Highlights include the rich colors of folk-inspired serenades, spine-tingling virtuosity, and the opulent tones of harp, strings, and piano.

Events > Heart Strings
Stevens Square Theater
631 Stevens Avenue
Portland, Maine 04103 United States
About the Event
Presented by
Portland Chamber Music Festival
(800) 320-0257
August 16, 2025

7:30 PM

Zoltán Kodály’s Serenade, a rambunctious blend of folk inspiration and modern harmonies wrapped in classical form, was written during a fraught period when he was accused of crimes against the state. Yet his close friend Bartók considered the piece a delight: “We find ourselves in a fairy world never dreamed of before.” Henriette Renié was one of the foremost authorities on the harp in Edwardian England, gaining prominence as virtuoso performer and composer in an era where fame was socially unacceptable for women. Her gorgeous trio is a sensitive, heartfelt gem. Dmitri Shostakovich wrote his Piano Quintet four years after being denounced for pandering to the decadent tastes of the bourgeois West, deliberately infusing his own distinctive voice into traditional Classical forms. Combining shades of Bach and Russian circus music, the piece builds towards an ending that is at once enigmatic and bittersweet.

PROGRAM Zoltan Kodály: Serenade, Op. 12 Henriette Renié: Trio for Harp, Violin and Cello Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Quintet ARTISTS David Bowlin, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Tai Murray, violins; Marcus Thompson, Melissa Reardon, violas; Brant Taylor, Raman Ramakrishnan, cellos; Henry Kramer, piano; Charles Overton, harp

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