Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Tuesday at 10:00 pm

David Finckel and Wu Han, artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Chamber music performances from the world’s most famous performing arts complex

Recorded live in New York's Alice Tully Hall, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center series features stellar performances. The artists of CMS, a multi-generational selection of expert chamber musicians, constitute an evolving repertory company capable of presenting chamber music of every instrumentation, style, and historical period. Performing repertoire from over three centuries, and numerous premieres by living composers, CMS offers programs curated to provide listeners a comprehensive perspective on the art of chamber music.

Upcoming Episodes
Latest Episodes

End of Time

June 23, 2026, 10:00 pm

Olivier Messiaen’s best known work is also one of the greatest masterpieces of the 20th century. Even its creation sounds like something out of a legend: Quatuor pour la fin du temps was written during the composer’s detainment in a WWII concentration camp. The quartet uses a mixture of Biblical mythology, poetry, and the artist’s own imagination to guide listeners through ...

New and Old, But Always Timeless

June 30, 2026, 10:00 pm

We officially ring in the summertime by comparing two works of chamber music beloved by CMS musicians: Beethoven’s Septet in E-flat major, and a new work by Patrick Castillo titled Incident for Violin and Piano.

A Russian Requiem

June 16, 2026

Two stunning works of deep melancholy paint portraits of remembrance. First, a selection from Rachmaninoff’s Vespers is presented in an arrangement for twelve cellos. Then later, we hear the piano trio Tchaikovsky wrote in honor of his departed friend and mentor, Nikolai Rubinstein.

Visions of a Better World

June 9, 2026

Between 1829 and 1845, Felix Mendelssohn completed one of his most famous bodies of piano works, the Songs without Words. It is paired with another set of piano works constructed nearly 100 years later: the seven-part suite Visions de l’Amen by Olivier Messiaen.

Foreign Flavors

June 2, 2026

A mixture of chamber music from various parts of Europe, including Russia, Spain, France, and others.

Trio Artistry

May 26, 2026

Two works for a traditional string trio configuration: piano, violin, and cello. Pianist Orion Weiss is joined by Ani Kavafian and Carter Brey for Mozart’s iconic C Major trio; later, Juho Pohjonen, Danbi Um, and Jakob Koranyi play the dramatic Schubert Trio in D minor.

Romantic Sonorities

May 19, 2026

Romanticism, also known as the Romantic Era, was a 19th century movement that saw a rise of symbolism and indivdualism across the fine arts. In music, the Romantic Era spans roughly between 1820 and 1890, and included artists from Beethoven (at least his later works) through to Mahler. Tonight, hear two lesser known string quartets from the Romantic Era that ...

Schubert’s Greatness

May 12, 2026

Franz Schubert is one of classical music’s greatest composers: an innovator and visionary whose output far exceeds his 31 years on this Earth. Two of his chamber works are celebreated tonight, including a piece of incidental music that Schubert had initially written for the play Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern by Helmina von Chézy.

Variations

May 5, 2026

When searching for inspiration, composers don’t always go to the works of others: sometimes, they look back at their own repertoire. Tonight’s broadcasts features two works by composers who “self-plagerized” to some extent. Edvard Grieg wrote his only cello sonata after a period of illness, taking the opportunity to expand on themes he had first introduced in a previously composed ...

Rhythm and Reverie

April 28, 2026

An exploration of new approaches. First, themes from African dances reflect the style of British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor in the early 20th century. Then later, a quintent in E-flat major by German Romantic composer Robert Schumann.

Shadow and Memory

April 21, 2026

The “memories” referenced in this program have a deeply emotional, at times harrowing, quality. The Shanghai Quartet performs a work they premiered at the composer’s 75th birthday – Penderecki’s Quartet No.3 (subtitled “Leaves of an Unwritten Diary”). Later, Gloria Chen joins a string quartet in performing Bloch’s anxious, relentless first piano quintet.

From Rio to Paris

April 14, 2026

Two works from completely different places on Earth: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Paris, France.

1930’s Bartók

April 7, 2026

Works by the Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist – often considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century. The 1930s marked some of Bartok’s final works written or premiered in Hungary before immigrating to the United States.

Simply Britten

March 31, 2026

2026 marks the 50th anniversary of Benjamin Britten’s death. An English composer, conductor, and pianist, Britten was one of the most important figures in 20th-century British music. He contributing a wide range of pieces from operas to chamber music. It is the later that is the focus of today’s program. The Calidore Quartet performs Britten’s second quartet, while a chamber ...

Instrumental Textures

March 24, 2026

How does instrumentation affect an ensemble’s capability to create new textures? This is the topic explored in today’s program. Two classical-period works are compared side by side: one a string quartet, the other a wind quintet. Both works were written by composers who helped to shape and perfect their respective genres. What can we learn from comparing the two masters?

From Paris

March 17, 2026

A program of chamber music written by Parisians. Whether they were born in the city of light, or moved there for musical opportunities, each piece offers a different glimpse into the arts scene of Paris during the early 20th century.

French Explorations 1922–25

March 10, 2026

The post-war period of 1920s France has been referred to by historians as “Les années folles” – the crazy years – in reference to the decade’s many social, artistic, and cultural developments. It was the birth of “cafe” society, whereby meetings in cafes developed a thriving literary and arts scene, as well as many pivotal artist movements. Classical music also ...

Archive Treasure IV

March 3, 2026

The fourth in Chamber Music Society’s “Archive Treasure” series, reliving some of the best musical performances in the group’s archives. This week features the Amadeus String Quartet recording Britten’s third quartet, Heather Harper in Respighi’s Il Tramonto, and a curious trio by Franz Schubert.

German Fantasy

February 24, 2026

Two enchanting and charming chamber music works by German contemporaries who shared a complicated relationship: Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms.

Great Duos

February 17, 2026

Some of classical music’s greatest duets performed by leading duos! From voice and piano to a violin duet, enjoy a program chock full of music for two.

“…the sincerest form of flattery”

February 10, 2026

If you hear some similarities in these works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn, it’s not just you.

Shostakovich Quartets

February 3, 2026

Throughout his life, Shostakovich wrote a total of 15 works for string quartets. He also wrote a number of works for other instrument chamber groups, including song cycles, sonatas, and more. Tonight’s program pairs Shostakovich’s Quartet no. 13 in B minor with a rarely heard song cycle. From Jewish Folk Poetry takes inspiration from a collection of Jewish folk songs published ...

Through the Night with Peter van de Graaff