Our 97th Season
This could be Chamber Music Cincinnati’s most exciting season ever!
Two of the BBC’s “ten greatest string quartet ensembles of all time.”
The only active six-time Gramophone winning string quartet.
The most important contemporary string quartet, a three-time Grammy-winner.
The most popular European string quartet in America on their only U.S. tour next season (a Musical America Ensemble of the Year).
Young winners of top 2022 North American and European string quartet competitions.
One of the world’s great cellists, described by Gramophone as “a master at his craft.”
The expense of presenting the world’s great chamber artists, and your financial support is welcome.
Our “Early Bird Subscription” prices continue to be one of the nation’s great chamber music bargains at $150 in the Orchestra and Center Balcony, and $120 for side and rear Balcony. That’s 40% and 33% off list price, respectively.
If you are a 2025-26 subscriber, your current preferred seats will be held for you until June 1.
KRONOS QUARTET
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. Memorial Hall
They’re hard to describe; compelling to experience.
· The leading contemporary string quartet and one of the BBC’s “ten greatest string quartets of all time.” (Only five are still active.)
· Now celebrating its 53rd season, more than 1,200 new works have been commissioned for it.
· For its 50th anniversary Kronos celebrated with a commissioning project, 50 for the Future, and made the sheet music to all 50 pieces available free online.
· The New York Times review of its 2025 Carnegie Hall performance called the Kronos “a venerable quartet returned with a typically eclectic program and a newfound emotional intensity … the quartet’s ranks refreshed by three brilliant new players.”
· In October 2023, Kronos drew the largest Cincinnati chamber music audience in a decade.
· Repertoire TBA
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Kronos was founded in 1973 by Seattle violinist David Harrington, who continues to lead it. At age 14, he realized that all of the composers whose music he was being taught were of the same faith and lived in the same city at about the same time. “There must be more,” he thought. Since its founding, Kronos has been about the “more.” In addition to “Fifty for the Future” noted above, it has almost certainly drawn more new audience members to chamber music than any other contemporary ensemble.
Based in San Francisco for most of its history, in addition to Harrington, today’s members include former Cincinnati resident, cellist, and composer, Paul Wiancko, and former CCM viola professor, Ayane Kosaza. The 1,200 commissions have been written by composers from all over the world in many genres. The group travels with its own sound and lighting technician. Kronos is not your father’s or mother’s string quartet.
JEAN-GUIHEN QUEYRAS
“A master at his craft” —Gramophone
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. Memorial Hall
We welcome to Cincinnati for the second time one of the world’s great cellists, two-time Gramophone Award winner Jean-Guihen Queyras with pianist Alexander Melnikov. Jean-Guihen was first here as a member of the Arcanto Quartet in November 2015. It was one of the most stunning performances any of us had ever heard. The Arcanto has since disbanded. We are bringing its members back individually.
ISIDORE STRING QUARTET
w/Sterling Elliott, cello
“Excitement fills the air around the Isidore.” —The Strad
Tuesday, December 1, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. Memorial Hall
· We could not be more excited about the return of the Isidore String Quartet given their stunning performance with pianist Jeremy Denk here last March. It’s almost unheard of us to bring back so young an ensemble so soon.
· Joining them will be one of the most exceptional young cellists on the classical stage, Sterling Elliott, in his Chamber Music Cincinnati debut.
· After winning the 2022 Banff Competition it was as if the Isidore was shot out of a cannon. In each of the past three seasons, they’ve played up to 100 concerts.
· Their first recording, Adorations, takes its name from one of Florence Price’s best known works.
· With exceptional cellist Sterling Elliot they will play what many regard as the single greatest chamber work, Schubert’s String Quintet, written in 1828, just months before his death.
· We can’t wait.
DANISH STRING QUARTET
“An exceptional quartet, whatever repertory they play.”
—The New York Times
Tuesday, February 9, 2027 - 7:30 p.m. Memorial Hall
· The Danish String Quartet, now in its 23rd year, is without a doubt the most in-demand European chamber ensemble in America. In 2020, they were named Musical America’s “Ensemble of the Year.”
· While most European ensembles do one U.S. tour each season, the Danes have been doing as many as four.
· In spring 2024, they drew Cincinnati’s third largest audience for chamber music since the COVID shutdown.
· Now, DSQ members have young children and will only make one trip to the U.S. next season. We are fortunate to have them. Cincinnati will likely be the smallest city on their 2026-27 tour.
PAVEL HAAS QUARTET
“The world’s most exciting string quartet?” —Gramophone
Tuesday, March 9, 2027 – 7:30 p.m., Memorial Hall
· Next March, we welcome back for the fourth time from Prague the only active six-time Gramophone-winning string quartet ensemble, the Pavel Haas Quartet.
· In recent years, the PHQ has appeared on our series more than any other string Quartet.
· Like the Kronos Quartet, the BBC Music Magazine, the industry’s largest, rates the Pavel Haas “one of the ten greatest string quartet ensembles of all time.” Only five of the ten remain active.
· With the appearance of the Ébène Quartet here this April, all five of the active BBC “Top Ten” will have appeared on our series since the COVID shutdown.
LEONKORO QUARTET
“The Leonkoros are surely stars in the making.” —The Guardian
Tuesday, April 13, 2027 - 7:30 pm, Memorial Hall
· With Germany’s Leonkoro closing the season, we will have presented the winners of the most important North American and British string quartet competitions in less than six months. (The Isidore String Quartet is the other.)
· The Leonkoro won London’s International String Quartet Competition in 2022, the same year that the Isidore won Banff.
· The Guardian wrote earlier this month that “the Leonkoros are surely stars in the making.”
· The Strad describes them in their cover story as being “at the forefront of a new wave of brilliant young string quartets.”