Outstanding young artists from the United States and abroad join the ranks of the illustrious musicians who performed in the series early in their careers—artists including Peter Serkin, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Guarneri String Quartet.
Alexander Schneider, founder and music director (1957–1993)
Music advisors: John Dalley, Pamela Frank,* Jaime Laredo, Cho-Liang Lin,* Anthony McGill,* Kurt Muroki,* Tara O'Connor, Arnold Steinhardt
Advisory committee members: Ben Cadwallader, Mark Epstein, Fiona Fein, Vanyah Harrigan, Elisabeth Lorin, Frank Salomon, Susan Sawyer, Zachary Smith, Linda Strommen,* Jani Tree
*Alum of the New York String Orchestra Seminar.
2024–2025 Season
Introducing an exciting new series format!
The new format ensures that we stay true to the mission we've had for over 70 years:
presenting outstanding emerging chamber artists performing excellent
music in an accessible venue at prices affordable to all. It also lets
us offer new things audience members have been asking for: more recognized artists, a bit of mixed repertoire, concert-related
presentations, and opportunities for community. (See the information under
the subscriptions section to learn more.)
Throughout
the season, you will hear favorites of the traditional chamber music
repertoire, outstanding contemporary works with a focus on (though not
exclusively) American composers, and music from composers of widely
varied backgrounds - inviting us to re-discover chamber music and
embrace the excitement and surprise of the new in a form hundreds of
years old.
We hope you will support us all season long by subscribing to the 2024–2025 season of chamber music concerts!
$90.00 Schneider Concerts season subscription
Access to all 6 concerts
The subscription also includes:
- A fall festival opening reception immediately following the October 6 concert
- A spring season opening reception immediately following the January 12 concert
- A book club: In keeping with our fall "story" theme, we'll gather together to read Arnold Steinhardt's "Indivisible by Four." Mr. Steinhardt will join us by Zoom at our final session to discuss the book and his time with the Guarneri Quartet.
- Two pre-concert lectures (specific concert dates TBA)
You will have an opportunity to let us know which events you wish to attend on the subscription purchase form.
NOTE:
We will not be mailing physical tickets for this series. You will
receive email confirmation and periodic reminders before each concert,
and we will have guest list check-in with ticket buyers' names at each
performance.
Season subscriptions for all six concerts are available by mail and online here. Single ticket purchase links will be available August 15, 2024.
Fall Festival: Story in Chamber Music: Three Concerts Exploring Narrative in Composition
Across four continents and four centuries, people voice their experiences, loves, origin stories, and secrets through music.
October 6, 2024, 2:00 p.m.
Verona Quartet
Ravel: String Quartet in F Major (1903)
Justinian Tamusuza: String Quartet "Pieces of Africa"—Ekitundu Ekisooka (first movement) (1992)
Leila Adu-Gilmore: String Quartet "if the stars align" (2016)
Beethoven: String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 59, No. 2 (1808)
Subscribers are invited to an informal post-concert reception following this concert.
This concert will be approximately one hour and 40 minutes, including intermission.
Location: The New School's Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
November 17, 2024, 2:00 p.m.
Erinys Quartet—New York Debut
Haydn: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 50, No. 5, “The Dream” (1787)
Raven Chacon: String Quartet "Journey of the Horizontal People" (2016)
Kaija Saariaho: Terra Memoria for String Quartet (2006)
Janáček: String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters” (1928)
This concert will be approximately one hour and 40 minutes, including intermission.
Location: The New School's Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
December 8, 2023, 2:00 p.m.
Kenari Saxophone Quartet
Guillermo Lago: Ciudades (2011)
Robert Schumann: A Schumann Bouquet (1848), arr. by William Bolcom (2016)
Mischa Zupko: Quantum Shift (2017)
Béla Bartók: Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (1940), arr. by Lovro Merčep
John Lesczynski: They Might Be Gods (2009)
Bach: Selections from Goldberg Variations (1741), arr. by David Maslanka (2010)
John Mackey: Unquiet Spirits (2012)
This concert will be approximately one hour and 45 minutes, including intermission.
Location: The New School's Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
Spring Season: Three Concerts with the Ivalas Quartet and Guests
We
presented the Ivalas Quartet's New York debut. Now we've invited the quartet back to share their journey in three concerts: reintroducing themselves,
performing with artists who inspired them earlier in their careers,
and finally passing the torch by presenting Trio Gaia's debut—and
joining the trio in performance.
January 12, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
Ivalas Quartet
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135 (1826)
Alvin Singleton: String Quartet No. 3 "Somehow We Can" (1994)
Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 13 (1827)
This concert will be approximately one hour and 40 minutes, including intermission.
Location: The New School's Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
Subscribers are invited to an informal reception following this concert.
March 9, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
Ivalas Quartet with
Anthony McGill, Clarinet
Ayane Kozasa, Viola
Brahms: Viola Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111 (1891)
Dvorak: String No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96 "American" (1893)
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Clarinet Quintet, Op. 10 (1895)
The concert will be approximately one hour and 50 minutes, including intermission.
Location: The New School's Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
April 6, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
Trio Gaia—New York Debut
Debussy: Piano Trio in G Major (1880)
Robert Schumann: Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor (1847)
Ellen Taafe Zwilich: Septet for String Quartet and Piano Trio (2009)—with members of the Ivalas Quartet
This concert will be approximately one hour and 50 minutes, including intermission.
Location: The New School's Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
Programs are subject to change
Watch Past Performances
Visit Our YouTube Channel
- March 20, 2022: Balourdet Quartet—New York debut | Haydn, Brahms, Debussy, and Nina C. Young
- April 10, 2022: Abeo Quartet | Haydn, Shostakovich, and Billy Childs
- May 15, 2022: PUBLIQuartet | Vijay Ayer, Rhiannon Giddens, and improvisations inspired
by Dvořák, Coleman, Waller, and many more
- November 6, 2022: Calidore and Abeo String Quartets | Performance of excerpts by Mendelssohn and Han Lash
- November 20, 2022: Ivalas String Quartet—New York debut | Beethoven, Golijov, and Eleanor Alberga
- January
15, 2023: Viano String Quartet with guest violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt | Nokuthula Ngwenyama, Krzysztof Penderecki, Astor Piazzolla, and Franz Schubert
- March 19, 2023: Isidore String Quartet—New York debut | Bach, Britten, Aida Shirazi, and Dinuk
Wijeratne
- April 2, 2023: Umama Womama flute, viola, and harp trio—New York debut | Excerpted performance of works by Saint-Saëns and the members of this composer-performer collective: Valerie Coleman, Han Lash, Nokuthula Ngwenyama
- May 7, 2023: WindSync
| Jean-Philippe Rameau, Miguel del Aguila, Valerie Coleman, Mark Mellits, Akshaya Avril Tucker, and Nathalie Joachim
The Copland Fund provided support for live performances of contemporary American works during the 2022–2023 season.
The Schneider Concerts Is Committed to Accessibility
- Accessible and early seating, large-print programs, and assistive listening devices are available at all our concerts events - no advance request needed.
- Additional supports may be requested at time of ticket purchase, or contact us at [email protected].
- Streamed events include captions and voiceover of any information provided only by text on video.
- The performance location, 66 West 12th Street, is accessible to Access-a-Ride.
- Please contact us if you see something we could improve.
Information for Ensembles Interested in Appearing in the Series
The Schneider Concerts focuses on presenting outstanding emerging chamber ensembles. If you would like us to consider your ensemble for an upcoming series, please note that our season of Sunday afternoon concerts runs from October to April. Please submit
the following materials by email to [email protected] or by mail to New School Concerts, 55 West 13th Street, room 929, New York, NY 10011:
- Downloadable recordings of three to four complete works; please include Classical or Romantic repertoire as at least two of the works. We request submissions of contemporary and modern works for the
remainder.
- Repertoire proposals for the upcoming season. Please give us a few options and include timings.
- Ensemble biography and website URL.
Please make sure that all components of your submission are clearly labeled with your ensemble's name and that you have included contact information with your submission.
NOTE: We cannot engage you if are not an American citizen or do not have the appropriate work visa. We do not offer visa sponsorship.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The History of Schneider Concerts
Founded at The New School in 1957 as New School Concerts, this series was renamed the Schneider Concerts in 1993 in honor of founding artistic director Alexander “Sasha” Schneider, a conductor, violinist, and member of the famed Budapest String Quartet.
Established with the aim of offering access to chamber music performance at an exceptionally high level to all (tickets at that time cost only $1), the series has expanded its goals in the past 60-plus years to include:
- Offering affordable tickets
- Supporting emerging chamber artists
- Serving older New Yorkers
- Going beyond ADA compliance
- Opening our vision to include multiple approaches to chamber music
- Continually reviewing our work through the lens of equity, inclusion, and social justice to ensure that we are welcoming to and supportive of audiences and artists from all backgrounds
The series has been led by Rohana Elias-Reyes since 2001. Founding director Frank Salomon remains involved. Guided by music advisors John Dalley, Pamela Frank, Jaime Laredo, Cho-Liang Lin, Anthony McGill, Kurt Muroki, Tara O’Connor, and Arnold Steinhardt,
the series carries forward Schneider’s commitment to providing early career exposure to exceptional young artists and ensembles and offering outstanding concerts at modest ticket prices to ensure access for all. Pianist Peter Serkin and cellist
Yo-Yo Ma received early career exposure on the series, and the Guarneri, Dover, Calidore, Viano, Balourdet, and Isidore string quartets are among the many ensembles to receive their New York debuts in the series.
The 2024–2025 Schneider Concerts Season is supported by the Alexander Schneider Foundation and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
