Lee University, in partnership with The Hunter Museum of American Art, is proud to present the fourth season of String Theory at the Hunter, a series of chamber music concerts created by Artistic Director Gloria Chien.

String Theory at the Hunter brings world-class chamber musicians to the Chattanooga area to perform at the museum. This season’s schedule features six concerts.

In addition to music, this season’s String Theory series also offers Art Connections and Musical Dialogues. Art Connections give String Theory attendees the opportunity to visit the Hunter Museum galleries at 5:30 p.m. prior to the concerts to hear Hunter Chief Curator Ellen Simak and Maestro Robert Bernhardt discussing works from the Hunter collection that relate to the music featured in the evening’s concert. Art Connections are scheduled for the Oct. 4, Jan. 17 and the March 14 concerts.
Musical Dialogues, scheduled for the Dec. 13, Feb. 14 and April 11 concerts, take place at 6 p.m. from the concert stage and feature an in-depth conversation with Patrick Castillo, Director of Artistic Planning of The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

The season opens on Thursday, Oct. 4 with a concert featuring Roberto Diaz, President of the Curtis Institute of Music. He will be joined by mezzo-soprano Jazimina Macneil, the first singer to perform in a String Theory concert. The concert marks the Chattanooga debut for both artists.

On Thursday, Dec. 13 the audience will enjoy two rarely heard compositions— Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s “Suite for Two Violins, Cello and Piano Left Hand” and Leon Kirchner’s “Piano Trio No.2” share a lush, post-romantic lyricism and will make for a compelling performance.

The third concert of the season will be held on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. For this concert String Theory proudly welcomes back David Shifrin, Wu Han and David Finckel, revered artists who are the past and present Artistic Directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Shifrin will be joined by audience favorite, the Miro String Quartet, in a program that includes Brahms’s beloved “Clarinet Quintet.”

The series proceeds with a concert on Thursday, Feb. 14. Han and Finckel, along with Philip Setzer, violinist for the Emerson String Quartet, will perform Mendelssohn’s “Trio in D Minor” as well as Dvorak’s “Dumky” trio in the Feb. 14 concert.
Violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi will perform in the March 14 concert. Ashkenasi is hailed as a “genuine talent and profoundly gifted” violinst. As first violinist of the Vermeer Quartet, he received five Grammy nominations.

The season finale on Thursday, April 11, 2013, will highlight 10 virtuoso musicians from The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the only full-time professional chamber orchestra in the U.S. This program will be tailored and curated by guest speaker, Patrick Castillo, Senior Director of Artistic Planning at The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Season tickets are available by calling the Hunter at 423.267.0968. Tickets are $25 for Hunter Museum members and String Theory donors; $10 for students with valid ID; Non-Member Price: $35.

For more information about String Theory at the Hunter, visit http://stringtheorymusic.org/.