The 8th Annual NEXUS Chamber Music Festival, Re:newal,
featuring two commissioned world premieres
August 8, 12, and 13, 2025
The nonprofit Guarneri Hall, an intimate state-of-the-art, custom-built classical music venue in the heart of downtown Chicago at 11 E. Adams St., proudly kicks off its eighth season with the 8th annual NEXUS Chamber Music Festival, “Re:newal.” NEXUS Chamber Music, Guarneri Hall’s ensemble-in-residence, presents three different concerts featuring two world premieres and a selection of rarely heard treasures, on Friday, August 8, and Tuesday, August 12, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Guarneri Hall, and Wednesday, August 13, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at Winnetka Congregational Church, 725 Pine St, Winnetka, IL. Adding to the intimacy of these events and helping make chamber music a deeply personal experience, each musical evening includes a themed reception where audience members are invited to mix and mingle with the performer. Tickets can be purchased now at guarnerihall.org, with general admission priced at $50 and student discounts available.
The first concert Re:construct celebrates composers who were also distinguished performers, featuring works by cellist Luigi Boccherini, violinist Fritz Kreisler, and a brand-new violin and cello duo by cellist-composer Paul Wiancko, commissioned by NEXUS Chamber Music through the Chamber Music America classical commissioning program. The program includes Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805): String Quintet in E major, G. 275, Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962): String Quartet, and Paul Wiancko (b.1983): The Twelve Seasons. Performing artists include: Brian Hong, Katie Hyun and Miho Saegusa, violin; Ramón Carrero Martínez, viola; Gabriel Cabezas and Alexander Hersh, cello.
The second performance, Re:demption,explores powerful narratives of hope and renewal, from the emotional struggle and resolution in Eleanor Alberga’s world premiere work Glimpses and Glances for Baritone and String Quartet, to the transformative journey of Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht. SamuelBarber’s haunting Dover Beach completes the evening with its own poignant reflection on human vulnerability.Performing artists include: William Socolof, baritone; Katie Hyun and Miho Saegusa, violin; Brian Hong and Ramón Carrero Martínez, viola; Gabriel Cabezas and Alexander Hersh, cello.
With the last performance, Re:ignite,NEXUS brings to North Shore the highlights from the previous nights, closing the festival with works by Boccherini, Alberga, and Schoenberg. Performing artists include: William Socolof, baritone; Katie Hyun and Miho Saegusa, violin; Brian Hong and Ramón Carrero Martínez, viola; Gabriel Cabezas and Alexander Hersh, cello.
About Guarneri Hall
Guarneri Hall NFP delivers extraordinary classical music to a broad and diverse audience through a curated mix of live performances and original music videos. The hall is a uniquely intimate, custom-built, 60-seat venue in the heart of downtown Chicago with optimal acoustics designed by Threshold Acoustics. In addition to presenting live performances that connect audiences to the dynamism of live performance with unparalleled intimacy, Guarneri Hall also produces high-quality video content designed to advance classical music in the digital age. Named after the famous Italian family of luthiers whose prominence in violin making is equaled only by that of Stradivari, Guarneri Hall (pronounced gwar-NAIR-ee) was founded in 2018 by esteemed violinist and violin dealer Stefan Hersh of Darnton & Hersh Fine Violins. For more information on Guarneri Hall visit guarnerihall.org.
About NEXUS Chamber Music
NEXUS Chamber Music (NEXUS) is Guarneri Hall’s ensemble-in-residence. A Chicago-based, artist-driven collective whose mission is to make chamber music culturally relevant, NEXUS specializes in live performances and multimedia content. NEXUS presents an annual festival in Chicago and tours nationally during the year. NEXUS Co-Artistic Directors Alexander Hersh and Brian Hong are driven by a desire to create unique and engaging classical music experiences for an ever-broadening audience. Each year, Hersh and Hong bring in numerous world-class artists to take part in NEXUS’ annual fall festival, adding to an impressive and expanding international roster. Since its inaugural season in August 2018, NEXUS has grown into a classical chamber music tour de force, capturing critical acclaim through stellar live performances and dazzling music videos of exciting new commissions and traditional masterworks alike. Each year in the Fall, NEXUS organizes its NEXUS Chamber Music Festival in the Loop.
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