Midsummer’s Music Explores the Piano Trios of Clara and Robert Schumann, and Mendelssohn

From Saturday, June 29, through Sunday, July 7, Door County’s Midsummer’s Music presents a series of concerts dedicated to the Piano Trios of Felix Mendelssohn, and Robert and Clara Schumann, including Clara Schumann’s Trio in G Minor, Op. 17 (1846), Robert Schumann’s Trio in D Minor, Op. 63 (1847), and Felix Mendelssohn’s Trio in C Minor, Op. 66 (1845). Featured Midsummer’s Music musicians include David Perry, violin, Walter Preucil, cello, and Jeannie Yu, piano.

Through the music and concert talks, the series explores the fascinating commingling of the musical and personal lives of Clara and Robert Schumann, whose marriage, fiercely opposed by her father, resulted in 8 children, and their friend and mentor, Felix Mendelssohn, each of whom, as pianists and composers, quickly became the main superstars of the early romantic period. The three piano trios on this program date from about a decade after their first meeting.

Following is the Clara, Robert, and Felix concert schedule:
Saturday, June 29, at 7:30pm at Björklunden
Friday, July 5, at 7:00pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Saturday, July 6, at 3:00pm at The Clearing Folk School
Sunday, July 7, at 3:00pm at the Kress Pavilion

Overlapping the Mendelssohn and Schumann program, Midsummer’s Music continues their series of concerts devoted to the extraordinary quintets of Mozart and Brahms from Wednesday, June 26, through Wednesday, July 3. The program includes Mozart’s Quintet for Horn and Strings in E-flat Major, K.407, and Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A Major, K.581, and Brahms’ Quintet No. 2 for Strings in G Major, Op. 111. Featured Midsummer Music artists for this cycle include Fritz Foss, horn, Daniel Won, clarinet, Jeannie Yu, piano, violinists David Perry and Ann Palen, violists Allyson Fleck and Stephanie Preucil, and cellist Walter Preucil.

Following is the Mozart and Brahms concert schedule:
Wednesday, June 26, at 7:00pm at Woodwalk Gallery, with an optional 5:00pm pre-concert picnic
Friday, June 28, at 7:00pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Sunday, June 30, at 3:00pm, a Salon Concert in a Sturgeon Bay private home
Wednesday, July 3, at 7:30pm at Björklunden

Tickets are $29 for adults, $10 for students, and children 12 and under are free. Premium prices apply for salon/home concerts, dinner concerts and other special events. Subscriptions consisting of four concert tickets and flex-packs of six or eight tickets are available. Tickets, subscriptions and flex-packs can be ordered online at midsummersmusic.com or by phone at 920-854-7088 for this series or the rest of the season which continues through September 2.

Midsummer’s Music draws on the extraordinary talent of musicians from the Chicago Symphony, Chicago’s Lyric Opera, Milwaukee Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Aspen Music Festival, China National Symphony and the Ravinia Festival, among others.

Midsummer’s Music was co-founded in 1990 by Jim and Jean Berkenstock, long-time Door County summer residents and principal orchestral players with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. What began as two concerts among friends has become one of the Midwest’s most anticipated chamber music series, bringing thousands of chamber music enthusiasts from around the globe to the magical Door County Peninsula.