Birthday tribute to Beethoven opens Naples Classic Chamber season




The Formosa Quartet: Che-Yen Chen (viola), Deborah Pae (cello), Wayne Lee (violin) & Jasmin Lin (violin)

The Formosa Quartet: Che-Yen Chen (viola), Deborah Pae (cello), Wayne Lee (violin) & Jasmin Lin (violin)

The 25th anniversary season of the Naples Classic Chamber Concerts opens Monday, Dec.16 at 8 p.m. at the Sugden Theater in Naples with pianist Orion Weiss, violinist Yura Lee and cellist Clive Greensmith in an all-Beethoven program to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the com­poser’s birth.

“Appreciation for classical music begins in childhood,” said Michael Finn, artistic director for nearly two years, who brought his enthusiasm for education and added master classes to every performance.

The morning after a concert, a workshop is conducted at a local school. Students play and the master artists listen, offering their suggestions on improving sound, tempo, and overall technique, followed by a Q&A about life as a professional musician.

“Classic Chamber Concerts had a light that needed to shine brighter in the community,” said Finn. This season has been nearly two years in the planning. It benefits from Finn’s international cham­ber music connections from his diverse career, during which he toured as a bassoon performer, was dean of performance at Julliard and founded a chamber music series in Palm Beach. The result is a 2020 season of world class performances and master classes.

Last season’s master class at Barron Collier with Michael Brown, Elena Urioste and Nicholas Canellakis

Last season’s master class at Barron Collier with Michael Brown, Elena Urioste and Nicholas Canellakis

Finn suggests that while Beethoven was the rock star of his generation, chamber music today is often misunderstood. He aims to change that by bringing an educational element to concerts also, by including a pre- concert introduction to the performers to help the audience appreciate the music and the performers’ interpretations.

January’s concert, with a performance by the Formosa Quartet, features four international award-winning musicians: Che-Yen Chen (viola), Deborah Pae (cello), Wayne Lee (violin) and Jasmin Lin (violin). They will be giving three master classes. Beethoven fills the concert program in addition to a Taiwanese piece based on a sacred prayer song by Taiwanese aborigines, written for Formosa.

Formosa also enjoys performing works by living composers and their own transcriptions that may include a jazz or folk tune.

Reached while traveling to their next stop on tour, group members shared their thoughts on master classes.

“We all had dedicated mentors in our youth and we choose to work with artists of the next generation,” said Pae. “We work with master classes internationally – festivals in Taiwan and coaching the Chamber Youth Orchestra of Canada as examples – in addition to our university teaching.”

“Sharing our own process as a string quartet can be very effective,” said Lee. “Our four different personalities bring four perspectives to a master class.”

Chen said they teach at four different universities across the U.S. – each bringing something different to the table. “Posture is a huge element,” said Chen. “I never met a student with totally perfect posture.”

“Over the years I have realized that we can only plan for master classes to a point – I live in the moment and apply to each individual according to their need,” added Lin.

Classic Chamber Concerts

The six-concert season runs December 16 through April 6, 2020. Performances begin at 8 p.m. at either the Sugden Theater or First United Methodist Church in Naples.

Go to naplesccc.org/2020-season for information and tickets. Call 239-434-8505 or email info@naplesccc.org.