Scott Flavin, violin Ross Harbaugh, cello Lindsay Garritson, piano The Bergonzi Piano Trio will perform the delightful "Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu" Variations by Ludwig van Beethoven, and the beautiful Andante from the G Minor Opus 17 trio by Clara Schumann. The program will conclude with a performance of the evocative Piano Trio in D Minor Opus 32 of Anton Arensky. SUN / OCT 4, 2026 / 4:00 PM Knight Center for Music Innovation, Newman Recital Hall FREE Set a reminder here. Read program here. Read program notes here.

Gerard Schwarz, conductor Cello Student Soloist, TBA This concert opens with Eugene Goossens’ Jubilee Variations. Written in celebration of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary in 1945, the work is a collaborative set of variations on Goossens’ original theme. He invited ten American composers - including Aaron Copland, Paul Creston, Howard Hanson, and William Schuman - to each contribute a variation, while he himself composed the finale. From this American opening, the program turns to Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Inspired by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his admiration for the Classical style, Tchaikovsky uses an original theme in the Rococo style. He worked closely with the German cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, for whom the piece was written. Fitzenhagen later made significant changes to the piece, going as far as rearranging the order of the original eight variations, and eliminating the final one. The program concludes with Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90. Although the shortest of his four symphonies, it remains one of his most powerful and concentrated works. After listening to the first and final movements, Antonin Dvorak remarked, “I say without exaggerating that this work surpasses his first two symphonies; if not, perhaps, in grandeur and powerful conception—then certainly in—beauty.” The symphony opens with the motif F-Ab-F, widely interpreted as a musical representation of Brahms’ personal motto, rei aber froh (free but happy). Brahms developed this motto in response to his friend, Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim’s motto, frei aber einsam (free but lonely). SAT / OCT 17, 2026 / 7:30 PM Gusman Concert Hall $30 $25 $15 Purchase tickets here. Set a reminder here. Read program here. Read program notes here.

Charles Caslteman - violin Naoko Takao - piano Deering Quartet: Madison Ryan - violin Eliot Roske - violin Alexandra D’Amico - viola Anthony de Peña - cello Chausson’s Concerto for solo violin, solo piano, and string quartet, Op. 21 is a rarely heard gem—an expansive, genre-defying masterpiece that blends chamber intimacy with symphonic sweep. Long regarded as an archetype of Eugene Ysaye’s legendary artistry, this unique work will be brought to life by inimitable Frost violin faculty Charles Castleman, himself a direct musical descendant of Ysaye. The program also includes another masterpiece inspired by a virtuoso violinist (Josef Slavík): Schubert’s Rondo in B minor for violin and piano, D. 895. TUE / NOV 17, 2026 / 7:30 PM Knight Center for Music Innovation, Newman Recital Hall $20 $15 $10 Purchase tickets here. Set a reminder here. Read program here. Read program notes here.

Gerard Schwarz, conductor Tessa Lark, violin Svet Stoyanov, percussion Acclaimed violinist Tessa Lark takes center stage with the Frost Symphony Orchestra in Christopher Theofanidis’ Gemini Sun, a striking concerto for violin, percussion, and orchestra co-commissioned by Frost. Joined by percussionist Svet Stoyanov, Lark brings her signature virtuosity and expressive brilliance to this dynamic new work. The program opens with Paul Creston’s Symphony No. 3, all under the direction of Gerard Schwarz. Creston’s Symphony No. 3 “Three Mysteries” reflects the composer’s emotional response to pivotal moments in the life of Jesus Christ: the nativity, the crucifixion, and the resurrection. Drawing on the influence of Gregorian chant, taking the modal material and subjecting it to rigorous development in the composer’s robust and opulent manner. SAT / FEB 6, 2027 / 7:30 PM Gusman Concert Hall $45 $40 $35 Purchase tickets here. Set a reminder here. Read program here. Read program notes here.

Chad Cannon, composer & violin Hui Wu, piano Timothy Rauch, animation Frost students performers, TBA Experience Music for the Oceans, a powerful multimedia concert by Juilliard-trained composer Chad Cannon that brings the beauty and urgency of coral reef preservation to the stage. Presented in partnership with the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and Ocean Awareness Week, this immersive performance blends live music, scientific insight, and stunning visual storytelling to explore one of the most critical environmental challenges of our time. Coral reefs, often called the “rainforests of the sea,” support a vast diversity of marine life and play a vital role in coastal protection and global ecosystems. Yet today, these fragile systems are under unprecedented threat from rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and acidification, leading to widespread coral bleaching events that are occurring with increasing frequency and severity around the world. Cannon’s score reflects both the wonder of these ecosystems and the fragility of their current state, while visual elements drawn from real-world research illuminate the environmental forces at play. The result is an evening that is as thought-provoking as it is moving; inviting audiences to engage emotionally and intellectually with the future of our oceans. SAT / APR 10, 2027 / 7:30 PM Newman Recital Hall $35 $30 $20 Purchase tickets here. Set a reminder here. Read program here. Read program notes here.