The Fairmont Chamber Music Society (FCMS), celebrating its 42 nd year providing world class classical chamber music to North Central West Virginia, welcomes the “Ensemble Aubade” at 3pm on Sunday, October 1, 2023 at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church at 407 Jackson Street in downtown Fairmont, WV.
Ensemble Aubade, which includes Peter H. Bloom, flute; Francis Grimes, viola; and Steven Sussman, piano, enthralls audiences across the United States with vibrant chamber music, blending familiar masterworks and rarely heard gems. The acclaimed trio provides an exhilarating tour of chamber music by European and American masters, spanning many styles and centuries.
The group is based in Boston and concertizes across the United States, captivating audiences with their virtuosity, versatility, and electrifying performances. Their music has been called “dynamic, expressive, richly colored and affecting.”
Ensemble Aubade makes its debut for the Fairmont Chamber Music Society with Mozart and More, an exuberant program showcasing masterpieces for the unusual combination of flute, viola and piano. The ensemble will take the audience on a fascinating tour, from the salons of Vienna and Paris to the concert halls of New York.
Peter H. Bloom, flute and alto flute, whose playing has been called “a revelation for unforced sweetness and strength” (The Boston Globe), “brightly gorgeous” (Gapplegate Music Review), and “breathtaking” (Ivan Rod Review, Denmark), performs in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand; is featured on 48 recordings; is contributing editor for Noteworthy Sheet Music; and is a winner of the American Musicological Society’s Noah Greenberg Award.
He has concertized with such noted artists as Ensemble Chaconne, The Henning Ensemble, D’Anna Fortunato, and the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra (51st season). Bloom has given lectures and classes at colleges and universities across the globe. He holds an MM with distinction in flute performance from New England Conservatory of Music, and a BA (philosophy) from Boston University.
Francis Grimes, viola, is an esteemed chamber musician, orchestral player and educator. He has performed with the Boston Pops, Boston Opera, Masterworks Chorale, Sinfonova, Boston Ballet, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, and other premier ensembles. He toured nationally with the Star Wars Orchestra and performed with choral groups in Italy, England and the Czech Republic. He serves regularly in the orchestras of Boston’s Colonial and Schubert Theatres. He served on the faculties of Milton Academy, All Newton Music School, Community Music Center of Boston, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He attended Boston University’s School of Fine Arts and completed his BM at Indiana University as a student of William Primrose. He also studied with Roman Totenberg, Bernard Kadinoff, Eugene Lehner, and members of the Fine Arts Quartet at University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.
Steven Sussman, piano, is acclaimed as a soloist, accompanist, chamber musician and orchestral member, performing classical music, jazz, and musical theater in New England and across the United States. He is the director of Opera Presto, toured previously with Brown Bag Opera, and was staff accompanist at the Berklee College of Music. An experienced educator, Sussman serves on the faculty at The Rivers Conservatory of Music, teaches at the St. Marks School, and maintains an active private teaching studio. He earned a Master of Music in performance from Boston University, and a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University, where his principal teachers were Enrica Cavallo-Gulli and Jorge Bolet.
Single tickets for the concert may be purchased at the door –$10.00 adults and $6.00 for seniors and –and subscriptions for the 2023-24 concert season may be purchased for $30.00 adults and $18.00 for seniors and students. Purchases may be made by cash, check or credit card.
A reception in the church social hall will follow the concert where the audience may enjoy refreshments and meet the artists.
This program is presented with financial assistance from the WV Department of Arts, Culture, and History, the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the WV Commission on the Arts.