Wed., October 17, 2007, Series A

The Juilliard String Quartet needs no introduction to American or international audiences. Their sound has modulated very subtly according to the slow and rhythmic changes in membership, and they remain on the top of the heap after more than 50 years. The quartet has always been known for its blend of intensity and serenity. This standard-bearing quartet has played in this series many times, and this year’s program showcases their power and imagination: Haydn Op. 76, No. 6; Shostakovich Quartet No. 13; and Beethoven Op. 59, No. 1.

Wed., November 7, 2007, Series B

The Miró String Quartet was formed in 1995 at the Oberlin Conservatory and met with immediate success, winning basically every important competition: Coleman, Fischoff, Banff, and Naumberg. This remarkable achievement was corroborated by their hair-raising performance here in 2000. Now, 12 years into it, the critics are still talking about the youthful energy of their playing, but now also the “irresistible inner glow” of their music making. Their program balances old and new with Beethoven Op. 18, No. 1; the exceptional contemporary composer John Zorn’s masterpiece, Necromicon; and Dvorak’s String Quartet No. 12, the American.

Fri., November 30, 2007, Series B

Yefim Bronfman, the great Uzbekistan-born New Yorker, is back with a program that might melt the 9-foot Hamburg Steinway with either his tenderness or his power. “Fima” is a phenomenon, and his program this season shows that he dares to tread on the brink of what is possible: Beethoven Op. 27, No. 3; Schumann Fantasy in C, Op. 17; Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit; and the magnificent and nearly impossible Balakirev Islamey.

Mon., December 10, 2007, Series A

The Jupiter String Quartet is the hot young American quartet. In 2006, they finished their master’s degrees from the New England Conservatory in quartet performance and they have already won some of the big prizes, including Fischoff and Banff (like the Miró Quartet some years before them). We can expect heat and precocious maturity as they play Mendelssohn Op. 80, Bartok Quartet No. 3, and the Debussy Quartet.

Wed., January 30, 2008, Series B

Camilla Tilling is the young, rising-star soprano of Sweden. Now her shining, pure voice has stolen the hearts of opera directors, concert presenters, and audiences around the world. She is a major operatic force at Covent Garden, Paris, Vienna, the Metropolitan, Chicago, San Francisco, and on it goes. We have been waiting for a date from her for three years. She will be accompanied by her very accomplished countryman, Bernt Wilhelmson, on the piano, in a program including Grieg and Richard Strauss.

Mon., February 11, 2008, Series B

The Academy of Ancient Music was founded in 1726 in London to play early music of that era, and it was refounded in 1973 by Christopher Hogwood on the same basis. The ensemble plays on original instruments and generally concentrates on the Baroque and Classical eras. The Napa performances will be led from the harpsichord by the new music director, Richard Egarr, who succeeded Hogwood last year. This brilliant ensemble has led the way from the beginning of the period-instrument movement. The program includes virtuosic concerti by Bach, Handel, and Telemann.

Tue., February 26, 2008, Series A

Barbara Bonney makes her third appearance here, this time accompanied by Napa’s own Fritz Hatton, who made his celebrated CMNV debut last season in the Mozart “Triple Concerto.” Barbara Bonney, adored around the world for her radiant voice, is equally at home in opera and recital. Witness the voice of an angel and the mind of a professor (which she is, at the Mozartaum in Salzburg), all governed by the warmest heart. Her discography of more than 100 recordings is a tribute to her enormously successful career. The program is still evolving, but it will certainly include some of her signature songs from Schubert and Strauss.

Mon., March 17, 2008, Series B

The Takács String Quartet – two Hungarians, a Brit, and an American – continue their Napa Beethoven cycle. Based in Boulder, at the University of Colorado, they share the throne with the Juilliard as the most sought-after, “must-hear” quartet in the country. Their rapport with Beethoven is uncanny; they play these cornerstones of the quartet repertory as if they were world premiers. Their recent Grammy for their complete Beethoven is truly a well-deserved honor. This year we will hear Op. 59, No. 3; Op. 130; and Op. 133, The Great Fugue.

Thur., April 3, 2008, Series A

The Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra from Sweden may set the record for the number of musicians on the stage of the NVOH. Andrew Manze will trade his astonishing violin for the conductor’s baton to lead his orchestra in two of the Romantic era’s greatest symphonies: Beethoven’s Third and Brahms’s First. Those who attended Manze’s concert in 2006 will remember his famous humor and his erudition.


Preconcert Talk, 6:30 p.m.
The maestro will discuss the program in a half-hour lecture beginning at 6:30, one hour before curtain.

Tue., April 22, 2008, Series A

Garrick Ohlsson, the American superstar, continues to favor us with his annual visits to Napa. More than anyone in his generation, Garrick creates fearless programs in the manner of a nineteenth-century virtuoso. This year he is offering an extravaganza of Romantic thunder: Beethoven Op. 31, No. 3; the Liszt Sonata; and, from Chopin, Barcarolle, Op. 60; Mazurka Op. 50, No. 3 and Sonata No. 3. This is an embarrassment of riches.