Spectrum Chamber Music Society, Fort Worth’s oldest professional chamber music group, celebrates Valentine’s Day with a pair of concerts on Monday, February 11, 2019 at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth and Monday, February 18, 2019 at First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church. Spectrum features musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and friends performing popular music and hidden gems from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary periods.

The downtown Fort Worth concert will take place on Monday, February 11 at 7:00 pm in the intimate Leonard Memorial Chapel at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, 800 W. 5th Street, and will feature a program mostly made up of duets (with a trio thrown in, just for fun). Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Assistant Principal Clarinet, Ivan Petruzziello and FWSO violist Daniel Sigale will explore the beautiful musical landscapes of Rebecca Clarke’s Prelude, Allegro and Pastorale. They will then be joined by FWSO Principal Keyboard, Shields-Collins Bray to perform Richard Schumann’s final chamber music work, the charming Fairy Tales for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Op. 132. The concert continues with Reinhold Gliere’s Suite for Viola and Bass, performed by a wife and husband duo, Dallas Opera Orchestra violist Donna Hall and FWSO bassist Jeff Hall. The program concludes with the Wonderland Duets by Raymond Luedeke, a quirky setting of four Lewis Carroll poems scored for two tubas and narrator, featuring FWSO Principal Tuba Ed Jones, Tubaist Sawyer Davis, and narrated by Mr. Sigale. Admission is free as part of “The Gift of Music” series at First United Methodist Church.

There are more duets, as well as a “Labor of Love” at the east side Fort Worth concert, which will take place on Monday, February 19 at 7:30 pm at First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, 1959 Sandy Lane. FWSO violinist Qiong Hulsey and FWSO Principal Keyboard Shields-Collins Bray will begin the program with Ludwig van Beethoven’s energetic Sonata No. 8 in G Major for Violin and Piano. FWSO Cellist Karen Hall and Texas Wesleyan University Adjunct Professor of Percussion Mai Hessel will perform the dramatic and emotional Mariel for Cello and Marimba by Osvaldo Golijov. The second half of the program consists of Romantic Austrian composer Josef Labor’sstunningly beautiful Piano Quintet in E minor, performed by pianist Charlene Sutton Lotz, along with FWSO musicians, violinist Kim Torgul, violist Daniel Sigale, Associate Principal Cello Keira Fullerton, and Principal Bass William Clay. A freewill donation is suggested for this performance.

Now in their 33rd season, the Spectrum Chamber Music Society is devoted to sharing diverse and exciting chamber music performances with the local community of Fort Worth, as well as neighboring communities. Their annual series of six unique concert programs take place at two local churches, First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth (downtown) and First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church (east side). The group features musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, joined by musicians from all over North Texas and beyond.

For questions concerning Spectrum concerts, please contact Dan Sigale (817-938-5492 | spectrumchambermusic@gmail.com) or visit spectrumchambermusic.weebly.com.