ANNOUNCING THE 2013-2014 RICHARD P. GARMANY CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES

The Hartt School is pleased to announce the spectacular roster of artists for the 2013-2014 Richard P. Garmany Chamber Music Series, celebrating its fifth year of bringing world-class chamber music to Greater Hartford. The 2013-2014 Richard P. Garmany Chamber Music Series features:

JAIME LAREDO, VIOLIN, AND JOSEPH KALICHSTEIN, PIANO - October 3, 2013

Two of the pre-eminent musical artists of our time, Laredo and Kalichstein have performed, both as soloists and chamber artists, in the leading music venues of the world. They frequently are joined by internationally-acclaimed cellist Sharon Robinson as the Kalichstein/Laredo/Robinson Trio. In addition to his instrumental career, Jaime Laredo is a sought-after conductor, currently in his 13th year as music director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. For their Garmany Series appearance, Laredo and Kalichstein will perform as a duo on the first half of the evening; they will be joined after intermission by the Hartt String Quartet for a performance of the monumental sextet of Chausson. www.franksalomon.com/artist.php?aid=11; www.opus3artists.com/artists/joseph-kalichstein

ANDY NARELL AND HIS ENSEMBLE - November 21, 2013

Paris-based Narell (pictured) is acknowledged as the world's leading exponent of the steel drum, or "pans." His extraordinary career has included collaborations with artists as diverse as Tito Puente, Bela Fleck, and Aretha Franklin, and his work has been celebrated on frequent NPR appearances and in two full-length film documentaries. In addition, his jazz-inflected, Caribbean influenced music has been heard on more than a dozen best-selling recordings. For this rare East Coast appearance, Narell will be joined by an all-star ensemble of sidemen, all of whom who are distinguished artists in their own right. www.andynarell.net

SYBARITE5 - February 6, 2014

One the fastest-rising chamber music ensembles in the United States, the string quintet (quartet plus bass) Sybarite5 (pictured below) has been earning rave reviews and cheering audiences from coast to coast. After winning the prestigious Concert Artists Guild Competition last year (the same competition previously won by Imani Winds, eighth blackbird, and many other now-celebrated artists) the group enjoyed a raucous, sold-out debut performance at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall. Its latest album, Everything in its Right Place, is a collection of Radiohead songs arranged expressly for them. www.sybarite5.org

CANTUS - March 27, 2014

Known to music lovers throughout the United States from its appearances on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion," Cantus is a 9-member male vocal ensemble of astonishing range and versatility. Both in its recordings (more than a dozen and counting) and in its concert appearances, Cantus performs everything from Renaissance music to post-bop jazz arrangements. Fanfare Magazine calls the group simply, "the premier men's vocal ensemble in the United States." www.cantussings.org

ABOUT THE SERIES:

The Series is made possible by the Richard P. Garmany Fund at The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, which has been the principal underwriter of the Series since its inception in 2009, and has provided more than $230,000 in support.

"Thanks to the ongoing generosity of the Garmany Fund, our concert series has, in just four seasons, established itself as one of the region's signature cultural attractions," said Steve Metcalf, founder and curator of the Series. "Our cheering, sold-out audiences are telling us that chamber music is alive and well in this community."

David Polk, advisor to the Garmany Fund at The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, said, "We continue to be truly impressed by and grateful for the quality of programing that Series curator Steve Metcalf has put together. It gets better and better, including more world-class performers, each year. I hope the consistently high caliber of artists Hartt is bringing to Greater Hartford will continue to garner more attention and appreciation from the community, and also connect Hartt with people who might not have known about the School otherwise." Mr. Polk added, "Mr. Garmany would be very impressed with the progress the program has made over the past five years, and of its evolution from a mere dream to a world-class Series. This Series has become a beautiful part of his legacy."

Before his death in 2008, Mr. Garmany, a former executive at Aetna, created a donor-advised fund at the Hartford Foundation through his will. Since then, more than 60 grants totaling almost $2 million have been awarded to support dozens of regional nonprofits, including Hartford Hospital, Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Connecticut River Watershed Council, Hartford Stage, SummerWind, Riverfront Recapture, the Elizabeth Park Conservancy, Hospital for Special Care, and the Simsbury Land Trust.

SERIES SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TICKETS:

All performances are held on Thursday evenings and begin at 7:30 PM. Performances are held in Hartt's Millard Auditorium on the University of Hartford's West Hartford campus. Individual concert tickets are $35 and Series subscriptions are $120, with discounts on individual tickets and subscriptions for seniors, educators, University of Hartford alumni, students, and groups.

Current subscribers must renew by May 24 to retain their current seats. New subscriptions are available beginning June 1. Individual concert ticket sales begin August 1, when both new subscriptions and individual tickets also may be purchased on line, at www.hartford.edu/hartt. Requests for individual tickets will not be processed until August 1. University of Hartford student, faculty, and staff subscriptions (including renewals) and individual tickets will be available by phone and in person at the Box Office beginning August 1.

A special pre-concert dinner precedes each performance, and details will be announced shortly. Patrons may purchase Series subscriptions or individual tickets to the performances and/or the pre-concert dinners. To purchase Series subscriptions or individual tickets, or to get additional information, please visit or call the University of Hartford Box Office in Lincoln Theater on the University of Hartford Campus at 860.768.4228 or 800.274.8587. To purchase tickets online after August 1, please visit www.hartford.edu/hartt.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for the 29-town Greater Hartford region, dedicated to improving the quality of life for area residents. The Hartford Foundation receives gifts from thousands of generous individuals and families and in 2012 awarded grants of more than $27 million to a broad range of area nonprofit organizations. For more information about the Hartford Foundation, and its strategic plan, Accelerate Success, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.