Chamber music series bring in top international musicians

COURTESY PHOTO The Afiara String Quartet will perform in the series. The Chamber Music Society of Southwest Florida launches its inaugural season at the Foulds Theatre in the Alliance for the Arts next month.

Led by mezzo-soprano and Artistic Director Janelle McCoy, the chamber music society will present four concerts that will include international chamber groups, Grammy-winning composers and several regional premieres. The concerts, themed "Journeys," are designed to promote and make accessible chamber music of the last 100 years through lectures, composer appearances and performances in intimate spaces.

Highlights for this season include an appearance by Grammy-nominated composer Lori Laitman; the Canadianborn Afiara String Quartet, Banff finalists and Morrison Fellowship Quartetin Residence at the International Center for the Arts, San Francisco State University; the Juilliard-based and Banff finalists Attacca String Quartet; and the international award-winning Amernet String Quartet, the Quartet-in-Residence at Florida International University.

COURTESY PHOTO Grammy-nominated composer Lori Laitman will appear at the Jan. 28 concert. The concerts dates are Jan. 28, Feb. 25, March 31 and April 28, on Monday nights at 7:30 p.m..

"The Foulds Theatre offers a rare opportunity to be close and personal with these exciting musicians while they perform highly provocative chamber music," McCoy said.

All tickets are $20 and can be purchased by visiting www.chambersociety.

Noted for her musical and dramatic versatility, mezzo-soprano McCoy has performed with world-class orchestras and artists such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; conductors Robert Spano, Donald Runnicles and the late Robert Shaw; bass James Morris; sopranos, Dawn Upshaw, Andrea Gruber and Christine Brewer; cellist Andrés Diaz; and members of the American String Quartet.

She made her Kimmel Center debut as Maddalena (Rigoletto) and her Aix-en- Provence debut accompanied by Robin Bowman. She was named a Classical

COURTESY PHOTO Artistic Director Janelle McCoy has put together four concert dates beginning Jan. 28.

Singer Magazine National Vocal Competition finalist for 2004.