This ensemble of 15 from Quebec City delivered a sterling demonstration of period instrument panache, and had the extra advantage of a Pied Piper-like soloist who worked his magic on three concertos.

On this day 41 years ago the legendary Beaux Arts trio graced the stage of Shriver Hall Concert Series in the second of 14 visits spanning from 1968 to 1995. The trio's name has recently been prevalent in the news again because of the sale of one of the greatest cellos in the world - an instrument owned by the late Bernard Greenhouse, founding member of the Beaux Arts trio. The instrument, a magnificent Stradivarius from 1707 that sold for over $6 million last week, was played by Mr. Greenhouse for over a half a century and the touching story of the bond between instrument and artist has been wonderfully told in a serious of New York Times articles:

Printed from the newspaper of The Johns Hopkins University at http://gazette.jhu.edu/?p=10477

45 years ago Mstislav Rostropovich, perhaps one of the greatest and most innovative cellists in history, graced the stage of Shriver Hall Concert Series in a recital that included Bach's third suite for solo cello, Brahms' E-Minor cello sonata, and Britten's C-Major Sonata. While scouring youtube for inspiring performances, I came across this 90 minute documentary on the life and legend of Slava. Produced by the BBC, the film is chock full of amazing performance, interesting facts, and moving anecdotes - its well worth watching and we hope you enjoy!

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a four-day weekend in New York City attending the Chamber Music America conference attending informational sessions, meeting with artists and their agents, and hearing artist showcases. This year's conference was centrally themed on Arts Advocacy with the keynote address presented by Americans for the Arts vice president for policy and research, Randy Cohen. Over the course of an hour, Mr. Cohen made a compelling case for why the arts are such a vital industry contributing considerably to local economies, being the cornerstone of tourism, and improving the communities in which they exist. Over the next couple of blog posts I'll elaborate on this further with the hopes that you may take a few moments to get involved and tell your state and federal representatives why the arts are important to you. If you wish to get involved right away, you can visit the national organization Americans for the Arts at www.artsusa.org or our local advocacy agency Maryland Citizens for the Arts at www.mdarts.org.

Here's an interesting piece courtesy of National Public radio with a blind listening test of a Stradivari and a newly made violin. So, can you tell the difference?

Seasons greetings from Shriver Hall Concert Series, Baltimore's premier presenter of classical chamber music and solo recitals since 1966! We want to thank you for your support while letting you know about the exciting array of upcoming concerts in 2012 (many of which would make a great gift to that special music-lover in your life!) and ways to sustain the music you love.

Les Violons du Roy, chamber orchestra: January 29, 2012

Wolfgang Holzmair, baritone, sings Schubert's Winterreise: February 26, 2012

Richard Goode, piano, plays Mozart, and Chopin: March 18, 2012

Takacs String Quartet plays Debussy, Janacek, and Beethoven: April 15, 2012

Angela Hewitt, piano, plays Bach, Couperin, and Rameau: May 6, 2012

The Series is thriving because it presents the extraordinary talents of musicians like those listed above, through the support of people like you, and because of careful management by our Board and Staff. Purchasing tickets to Series performances is a sure-fire way to ensure that the music you love continues to be played in our community - so we hope you will buy tickets often!

With ticket prices covering only one-third of our day-to-day operating expenses,the Series depends on the generosity of individuals like you to offset the rising costs of presenting world-class artists. Your support is critical to ensuring that we will be able to continue presenting both the number and quality of performances you've come to expect while maintaining single-ticket and subscription prices that are considerably lower than those of most music organizations in the greater Baltimore region.

We ask you to strongly consider making a year-end charitable contribution to the Series. Giving has never been easier: just visit our secure and easy to use giving page by clicking here. No gift is too small (or too large!), and you can easily find giving levels by clicking here.

Every Shriver Hall Concert Series performance and educational program reflects the support of people like you who love classical music and believe the arts are central to a prospering and vibrant community and that Baltimore is a better place to work and live because the Series adds vitality through inspiring musical performances.

We hope you can help us keep the music playing and wish you a 2012 filled with happy listening!

With warmest regards,

Stephen Jacobsohn

Executive Director

Thanks to Barbara Lam from The Johns Hopkins University News-Letter for a great review of the Johannes String Quartet's performance last Saturday - read it here!

Did you attend this Saturday's performance by the Johannes String Quartet at the BMA? If so, tell us what you thought of this free concert! We always appreciate your feedback.