Bridgehampton Chamber Music’s Fall Series Offers Three Concerts

Two gem-like programs of classical masterworks and a festive concert of Baroque music will be offered to celebrate the holidays with BCM Autumn, Bridgehampton Chamber Music’s fall series. The three Saturday 5 p.m. concerts take place in the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, the home of Long Island’s longest-running classical music festival.

On October 26, internationally acclaimed pianist and BCM favorite Gilles Vonsattel performs two of Beethoven’s most beloved sonatas, the “Moonlight” and “Pathétique.” On November 16, pianist Gloria Chien, violinist Soovin Kim, and cellist Paul Watkins, singular artists who have all appeared on the BCM stage separately, come together as an all-star ensemble performing piano trios by Schumann and Ravel. And December 7 brings “Baroque Bounty,” a program to mark the holidays for which BCM artistic director, flutist Marya Martin, will be joined by three young artists making their BCM debuts — flutist Brandon Patrick George (who studied with Martin at Manhattan School of Music), violinist Kevin Zhu and cellist James Baik — as well as Michael Stephen Brown, whose compositions were prominently featured in BCM’s 2024 summer festival, on the harpsichord.

In the 40 years since its founding, Bridgehampton Chamber Music has become known for presenting a broad range of music performed by some of the best musicians in the world in one of the most beautiful seaside settings on the East Coast. With autumn and spring mini-series joining the summer festival, Bridgehampton Chamber Music now offers programs almost year-round.

Usually comprising a dozen events over four weeks, the BCM summer festival has developed a loyal core audience among local residents and summer visitors since it began with four artists in two concerts in the intimate setting of the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church. The festival is still based in the graceful 1842 church — which boasts glowing acoustics — and has expanded to include other special event venues, including the Channing Sculpture Garden and Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, and the Madoo Conservancy in Sagaponack.

In 2012, BCM launched its own record label, BCMF Records. Signifying the festival’s commitment to American composers, the label’s first recording was “BCMF Premieres,” a disc of contemporary American music. The label’s current discography of 12 releases includes music by Bruce Adolphe, Robert Beaser, Leon Kirchner, Howard Shore, Paul Moravec, Kevin Puts, and Elizabeth Brown, as well as Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms and more.

Convinced that there were music lovers looking for more opportunities to hear excellent chamber music year-round, BCM introduced its Spring series in 2015, and in 2017 expanded it from two concerts to three. BCM Autumn, a three-concert series, followed and was launched in the fall of 2021.

Bridgehampton Chamber Music has a wide variety of performance videos and online programs from past seasons posted on its website and YouTube channel.

For tickets and more information, visit bcmf.org/autumn-series.

BCM Autumn 2024

All concerts are at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, 2429 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton.

Tickets are $75, $50 ($10 students)

Saturday, October 26, 5 p.m. — “The Heart of Beethoven”

Beethoven, at heart, was a pianist, and some of his greatest emotional outpourings came at the keyboard. BCM favorite Gilles Vonsattel brings passionate musicality and cool intelligence to two of Beethoven’s most beloved sonatas, the “Moonlight” and “Pathétique.”

Ludwig Van Beethoven

Piano Sonata No. 14, “Moonlight”

Piano Sonata No. 8, “Pathétique”

Gilles Vonsattel, piano

Saturday, November 16, 5 p.m. — “Schumann & Ravel”

Gorgeous piano trios by Schumann and Ravel are performed by the Chien/Kim/Watkins Piano Trio. Gloria Chien, Soovin Kim, and Paul Watkins have all appeared on BCM stages separately, but they also perform together as one of the world’s finest piano trios. Hear their Bridgehampton debut.

Robert Schumann, Piano Trio in D minor

Maurice Ravel, Piano Trio in A minor

The Chien-Kim-Watkins Piano Trio: Gloria Chien, piano; Soovin Kim, violin; Paul Watkins, cello

Saturday, December 7, 5 p.m. — “Baroque Bounty”

The fall season comes to a close with a festive program featuring a bevy of Baroque delights. Marya Martin will be joined by fellow flutist Brandon Patrick George (BCM debut), violinist Kevin Zhu (BCM debut), cellist James Baik (BCM debut) and harpsichordist Michael Stephen Brown.

Program to include works by members of the Bach family, Telemann and more

Marya Martin, flute; Brandon Patrick George, flute; Kevin Zhu, violin; James Bank, cello; Michael Stephen Brown, harpsichord