By David Ehrlich
The Southwest Chamber Players announce their triumphant return to the concert stage of Saint Augustine’s Episcopal Church with a pair of concerts Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 3 at 2:30 p.m. Following a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, this happy occasion will mark the amateur organization’s 25th anniversary. Founded in March 1997, the Players’ history has paralleled the growth and development of our Southwest neighborhood, resulting in the presentation of nearly two hundred concert programs.
April’s two different programs will feature works of the great masters Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorak, Poulenc, Shostakovich and others. Performers will include Southwest residents Gwyn Jones on flute and her pianist Rosanne Conway; Caleb Johnson on violin and viola and Joyce Bouvier. The will be augmented by longtime favorites Julia Goudimova on cello; Nancy Genovese and Harold Yaffe on clarinet; Dilyana Kirova on bassoon; Marje Palmieri, a soprano, and Stephen Brown and David Ehrlich on piano. In addition, attendees can expect cameos from the DC Public Library’s Brown Bag series’ Vasily Popov on cello and Ralitza Patcheva on piano. Newcomers include Mayron Tsong on piano; Paul Blanchard, a tenor; U.S. military band members Luke Wedge on violin and Hrant Parsamian on cello and the Mtingo clarinet quartet.
The public is invited to join these celebratory concerts. Coronavirus precautions, including social distancing, will be observed and it is requested that all attendees are fully vaccinated. Attendance will be limited to 75 guests per performance, but the April 1 concert will be livestreamed and available to all at www.southwestchamberplayers.org.