The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is one of the few places in San Diego where you can enjoy chamber music as it was intended - in an intimate venue. The Athenaeum's Chamber Concert Series began in 1990 and was renamed the Barbara and William Karatz Chamber Concert Series in 2003. Held in the library’s 160-seat Joan & Irwin Jacobs Music Room, the six-concert annual series features internationally recognized classical musicians and ensembles, each followed by a private reception with the artists.

22nd Anniversary Season, 2011-2012

Saturday, October 1, 2011, 7:30 p.m. - Inon Barnatan, solo piano
Monday, November 7, 2011, 7:30 p.m. - Lincoln Trio
Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 7:30 p.m. - Brooklyn Rider
Saturday, February 18, 2012, 7:30 p.m. - Miró Quartet
Tuesday, April 3, 2012, 7:30 p.m. - Boris Allakhverdyan, clarinet with La Catrina Quartet
Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 7:30 p.m. - Euclid Quartet

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is proud to present its 22nd anniversary season of chamber concerts. Enjoy chamber music as it was intended—in a warm, intimate setting, where you are treated as a guest in our historic home. Doors open at 7 p.m. Guest names will be on a will call list at the door. Please note that seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. Only members at the Donor level and above receive reserved seating.

These concerts are made possible in part, thanks to funding from the City of San Diego through a program managed by the Commission for Arts and Culture and the County of San Diego.

Saturday, October 1, 2011, 7:30 p.m. - Inon Barnatan, solo piano

$40 member/$45 nonmember

Pianist Inon Barnatan is rapidly gaining international recognition for his poetic and passionate music making, communicative performances and engaging programming. Since moving to the United States in 2006, he has quickly made his mark in debuts with the Cleveland, San Francisco and Houston Symphony Orchestras, performing at New York's Carnegie Hall, 92nd Street Y, Metropolitan Museum and Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, touring throughout the United States and appearing at the festivals of Aspen, Vail, Music@Menlo, Santa Fe and Spoleto USA. His flourishing career has taken him to some of Europe's most illustrious venues, including the Royal Festival, Queen Elizabeth and Wigmore Halls in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Salla Verdi in Milan, Musikverein in Vienna, and Salle Gaveau in Paris, as well as the Delft, Lanaudiere and Verbier Festivals. In 2009 he was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant, one of the most prestigious prizes in classical music.

Monday, November 7, 2011, 7:30 p.m. - Lincoln Trio

$30 member/$35 nonmember

Formed in 2003, the Lincoln Trio has performed throughout the United States, including appearances at the Ravinia Music Festival, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Beethoven Chamber Music Series, Oakmont Chamber Music Series, the Lane Concert Series at the University of Vermont, Central Texas Orchestral Society, Columbus Chamber Music series, a tour on behalf of the Ravinia Festival celebrating the Lincoln Bicentennial which included a kickoff celebration in Springfield Illinois with President Obama.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 7:30 p.m. - Brooklyn Rider

$40 member/$45 nonmember

The adventurous, genre-defying string quartet Brooklyn Rider combines a wildly eclectic repertoire with a gripping performance style that is attracting legions of fans and drawing critical acclaim from classical, world and rock critics. NPR credits Brooklyn Rider with "recreating the 300-year-old form of string quartet as a vital and creative 21st-century ensemble." The musicians play in concert halls and clubs, in venues as varied as Joe's Pub in New York City, the San Francisco Jazz Festival, Todai-ji Temple in Japan, the Library of Congress and the South By Southwest Festival. Through creative programming and global collaborations, Brooklyn Rider illuminates music for its audiences in ways that are "stunningly imaginative" - Lucid Culture.

Saturday, February 18, 2012, 7:30 p.m. - Miró Quartet

$40 member/$45 nonmember

The Miró Quartet, one of America's highest-profile chamber groups enjoys its place at the top of the international chamber music scene garnering praise from audiences and critics alike. Founded in 1995 at the Oberlin Conservatory, the Miró Quartet met with immediate success winning first prizes at the Coleman, Fischoff, and Banff competitions as well as the prestigious Naumburg Chamber Music Award. The Miró Quartet was also a recipient of the Cleveland Quartet Award and was the first ensemble ever to be awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant. Regularly invited to perform at the world's most celebrated concert halls, the Miró Quartet has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic's Kammermusiksaal, and Amersterdam's Concertgebouw among many others. A favorite of summer music festivals, the Quartet has frequently appeared at Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Sunflower Music Festival, and the White Pine Festival.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012, 7:30 p.m. - Boris Allakhverdyan, clarinet with La Catrina Quartet

$40 member/$45 nonmember

Hailed by Yo Yo Ma as wonderful ambassadors for music, the La Catrina Quartet is one of the most sought after ensembles on tour today. Their unique blend of Latin-American and standard repertoire has proved enormously entertaining for its diverse audiences, catering to the more traditional concertgoers while still attracting the next generation of listeners. Their infectious personalities infuse their playing, creating truly compelling performances. The La Catrina Quartet has a triple mission: to perform the masterworks of the string quartet repertoire, to promote Mexican and Latin American art music worldwide and to work closely with composers in order to promote the performance of new music.  First place winner of numerous competitions - Boris Allakhverdyan was appointed Associate Principal Clarinet of the Kansas City Symphony in August 2009. He also serves as Principal Clarinet of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra in Boulder, Colorado.  Boris is seen as the one of the hottest young clarinetists on the classical music scene today.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 7:30 p.m. - Euclid Quartet

$30 member/$35 nonmember

The Euclid Quartet, a dynamic ensemble known for performances filled with personality and vibrant color, is recognized as one of the most well-regarded chamber ensembles in its generation. Captivating audiences and critics ranging from Carnegie Hall to school classrooms to radio and television broadcasts, the quartet has performed to great acclaim across the country. The Euclid Quartet is the only American string quartet to be awarded a top prize at the prestigious Osaka International Chamber Music Competition since 1993. Prior to its victory in Japan, the quartet also won numerous competitions in the U.S., such as the Hugo Kauder International Competition for String Quartets and Carmel Chamber Music Competition. Most recently, the Euclid Quartet has been awarded the prominent “American Masterpieces” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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