Cellist Gregory Sauer performs in Chamber Music Quad Cities' “A Musical Tribute" at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral -- June 5.
Sunday, June 5, 3 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Parish Hall, 121 West 12th Street, Davenport IA
Held in memory of Connie Sauer-Adams, a Chamber Music Quad Cities founder and the mother of the group's artistic directors Gregory and Thomas Sauer, the classical recital A Musical Tribute will be held in the Parish Hall of Davenport's Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, this June 5 afternoon event hosted by Chamber Music Quad Cities and boasting sure-to-be-moving performances by Connie's gifted sons Gregory on cello and Thomas on piano.
The A Musical Tribute program will feature three works of particular beauty: Frédéric Chopin's 3rd Piano Sonata; Estonian legend Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in the Mirror); and the Cello Sonata in G Minor by Sergei Rachmaninov. With all three composers having Slavic roots, Chamber Music Quad Cities states that "vitality tinged with melancholy imprints itself on the Chopin and Rachmaninov Sonatas, while the shorter Pärt work is inspired by meditative rituals of the Eastern Orthodox Church." These works are sure to be given exceptional renditions in the performances of Connie Sauer-Adams' musician sons.
Praised for his versatility, cellist Gregory Sauer performs in many different musical arenas. He has appeared in recital at the Old First Concert Series in San Francisco, Vanderbilt University, Rice University, the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, and the Brightmusic Concert Series in Oklahoma City, among many others throughout the United States. Sauer has performed concertos with orchestras such as the Houston Symphony, the Quad City Symphony, the Columbus (GA) Symphony, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Missoula Symphony, among many others, and as a member of Trio Solis, he performed in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. He has also recorded for Harmonia Mundi, MSR Classics and Mark Records; holds the positions of principal cello of the Tallahassee Symphony and assistant principal of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra; and has served nine seasons as principal cellist of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra.
Pianist Thomas Sauer, meanwhile, is highly sought after as a soloist and chamber musician in a wide range of repertoire. Recent appearances include Carnegie Hall, St. John’s College, Oxford, and the Chamber Music Societies of Lincoln Center, Boston, and Philadelphia, and with his longtime duo partner Colin Carr, Sauer has appeared at the Wigmore Hall (London), the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston), and Da Camera (Houston). Additionally, he has performed with members of the Juilliard String Quartet at the Library of Congress and given numerous concerts with the Brentano String Quartet. Sauer’s varied discography includes recordings of Beethoven and Haydn piano sonatas; with Colin Carr, the complete cello and piano works of Mendelssohn and Beethoven; music of Hindemith with violist Misha Amory; music of Britten and Schnittke with cellist Wilhelmina Smith; and and music of James Matheson.
Chamber Music Quad Cities' A Musical Tribute will take place in the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral's Parish Hall on June 5 at 3 p.m., admission is $20 for adults and $5 for students, and masks are recommended but not required. For more information and tickets, visit ChamberMusicQC.org.
