Gershwin’s An American in Paris

The sound of today’s best pianos—like the Hamburg Steinway concert grands you hear at CMS—is a truly awesome sonority. A great piano can do anything, from roaring like a lion to singing like a soprano. But composers as far back as Mozart realized a pianist could do even more with a partner, and we now enjoy a stunning array of repertoire for pianos side by side. No piano aficionado should miss this concert filled with the camaraderie of five pianists.

JEAN-EFFLAM BAVOUZET, Piano 
ALESSIO BAX, Piano 
ANNE-MARIE MCDERMOTT, Piano 
EVREN OZEL, Piano 
WU HAN, Piano 

Mozart: Sonata in C major for Piano, Four Hands, K. 521 (1787) 
Chopin: Rondo in C major for Two Pianos, Op. 73 (1828) 
Lutosławski:Variations on a Theme by Paganini for Two Pianos (1941) 
Tansman: Le train de nuit for Two Pianos 
Gershwin: An American in Paris for Two Pianos (1928) 

About The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center 

HISTORY: 
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is one of eleven resident companies of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the largest performing arts complex in the world. The vision for CMS emerged in 1965, when the distinguished American composer and then-President of Lincoln Center, William Schuman, conceived of an institution dedicated to chamber music, housed in its own specially designed recital hall. CMS is part of a distinguished community of resident companies at Lincoln Center, including The Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the New York City Ballet. 

Under the artistic guidance of Charles Wadsworth, and through the patronage and inspiring leadership of Alice Tully, the plan came to fruition. On September 11, 1969, Alice Tully Hall opened with the first performance of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, inaugurating a new era for chamber music in the United States. 

Since that time, CMS has grown remarkably in scope and stature, to become the world’s largest international chamber music producing and presenting organization. Under the leadership of Co-Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han since 2004, CMS now comprises a multi-generational and international roster of over 140 of the finest chamber musicians. CMS presents chamber music of every instrumentation, style, and period, reaching a global audience of over 65,000 each year with more than 150 performances and education programs in New York and on tour worldwide.   

CMS is committed to broadening public engagement with chamber music through its robust in person education programs and expansive educational media initiatives, including almost 2,000 videos and an in-depth about the music resource, available on its website for free. Over its history, CMS has commissioned more than 200 new works from leading composers. The Bowers Program, CMS’s rigorous three-season residency for outstanding early-career musicians, is widely recognized as the most distinguished young-artist program in the field, offering unparalleled mentorship and performance opportunities to the future leaders of the art form. 

MISSION STATEMENT: 
The Chamber Music Society’s numerous activities — from concerts and education programs to commissioning projects and young artist development — are guided by the founding vision articulated when the organization was created in 1969. CMS is dedicated to stimulating and supporting the appreciation, performance, and composition of chamber music: 

  • By presenting chamber music concerts featuring works of artistic merit performed by musicians selected by CMS; 

  • By commissioning and performing new chamber music works, and by supporting their publication and dissemination; 

  • By sharing chamber music performances through media, including broadcasts, recordings, and digital platforms; 

  • By presenting and supporting educational programs designed to deepen understanding and appreciation of chamber music’s literature, history, and performance traditions; and 

  • By maintaining collections of material relevant to chamber music — including manuscripts, scores, literature, and recordings — and making these resources available by appropriate means.