Camerata San Antonio brings chamber music to South Texans every autumn, and this year it all starts October 3rd in Boerne.
“In Boerne we play at the First Methodist Church, and in Kerrville we play at First Presbyterian. Both of those we’ve been in for many, many years. And in San Antonio we play at Christ Episcopal,” says Camerata founder and cellist Ken Freudigman.
Those three gigs start Friday evening, then Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Freudigman explains what they will be playing.
“The first program is called 'Russian Soul,' and when you think of Russian music, the first composers that come to mind are Shostakovich and Prokofiev. And Shostakovich is of course represented on this program. But the second composer is named Mieczysław Weinberg" he said. "A magnificent composer, but one of these composers, for those who grew up during the Cold War, his music did not make it out of Russia.”
That means his prolific output is only now becoming fully known in the music world, and it’s so good that Freudigman thinks of him this way: “A third master that’s come out of Russia.”
Freudigman continues to detail Camerata’s season.
“The second concert of the season is called 'Clarinet and Strings,' and we have the great privilege of working with Ilya Shterenberg."
As he detailed the efforts it takes to create Camerata performances, I asked: "It's a lot of work for you, but fun?" Freudigman's face lit up.
"Oh, it’s absolutely fun! It doesn’t come easy; you have to work. But in the end it’s the joy of making music. It's something that we love to pass on to the people who come to hear us.”
We’ll have more on Camerata’s music in a subsequent report.
Here's their schedule: http://cameratasa.org/merchandise.htm
