Friends of Music Concerts’ spring season opens with the Calidore String Quartet

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              Contact: Solange De Santis

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February 18, 2026                                                                               (917) 379-2260

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Friends of Music Concerts’ spring season opens with the Calidore String Quartet

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY – Friends of Music Concerts’ 72^nd season resumes this spring, highlighting the world of stringed instruments with the renowned Calidore String Quartet, brilliant young cellist Benett Tsai (with pianist Noreen Polera) and acclaimed violinist Stefan Jackiw (with pianist Kevin Ahfat).

“Our ‘Masters and Trailblazers’ season presents the world’s finest chamber music artists for Westchester County audiences. Our Sunday afternoon concerts provide a respite from a hectic world for music lovers of all ages. In addition, audience members are invited to to meet these stellar artists at our post-concert receptions,” said FOMC President Susan Harris.

The spring season begins on Sunday, March 22, 3 p.m., with the Calidore String Quartet.  

The location of the concert has been changed to Ossining High School, Ossining, N.Y., due to a conflict with the original venue. The entrance to the auditorium is off Wolden Road.

The quartet is recognized as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of a vast repertory, building on more than a decade of performances and residencies in the world’s most esteemed venues and festivals. The members are: Jeffrey Myers and Ryan Meehan, violins; Jeremy Berry, viola and Estelle Choi, cello.

Their recent recording of Beethoven’s string quartets drew this praise: “A standout young chamber group, Calidore meets the challenge of preserving yet reinterpreting the massive Beethoven legacy with a new album of both charm and profundity.” (ConcertoNet.com)

Their program will include: String Quartet No. 64 in D Major, Op. 76, No. 5 by Haydn, String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op.110 by Shostakovich and String Quartet, No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op.131 by Beethoven.

This concert is generously sponsored, in part, by the Raymond Han and Paul Kellogg Foundation.

Benett Tsai and Noreen Polera arrive on Sunday, April 12, 3 p.m.  A recipient of FOMC’s YCA Performance Award, the young Australian cellist was a winner of the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions in 2023. He is currently part of the Lausanne-based Classeek Ambassador Program for the 2025-26 season, a one-year career enhancement experience for nominated young artists.

Polera ranks among the most highly-regarded chamber artists performing today, and maintains a career that has taken her to every major American music center and abroad.

Their concert program includes works by Boulanger, Barber, Penderecki, Shchedrin, Bloch, Fauré and Shostakovich. This concert takes place at Sleepy Hollow High School’s Kusel Auditorium, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.

Stefan Jackiw and Kevin Ahfat wrap up the season on Sunday, April 26, 3 p.m. This season, Jackiw is appearing with orchestras in Des Moines, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Seoul, Vancouver and Pittsburgh. His active chamber music career encompasses performances with the Junction Trio, which includes pianist Conrad Tao and cellist Jay Campbell.

Ahfat is also Artistic Director of OPUS Chamber Music in Toronto. He performs and records as a core member of the ARC Ensemble, one of Canada’s preeminent chamber ensembles.

A review last December of Jackiw and Ahfat’s performance of a Prokofiev sonata noted that “Jackiw amazed us at how beautifully his tone could sing in every range, tempo and dynamic. Ahfat shied not a wit from the drama, nailing the cascades of fast notes.” (Boston Musical Intelligencer)

Their program will include: Fratres by Arvo Pärt; Affetuoso and Allegro from Sonata in D Major, HWV 371, by Handel; Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94a by Prokofiev; “All I had forgotten or tried to,” by Conrad Tao and Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 by Brahms. This concert takes place at Sleepy Hollow High School’s Kusel Auditorium, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.

Friends of Music Concerts’ history

Founded in 1954, Friends of Music Concerts has brought to Westchester nearly every chamber music group of world renown, soloists and developing artists. FOMC’s mission has always maintained a special focus on keeping musical experiences affordable and building audiences of the future.

Its Partnerships in Education Program sponsors one-day residencies of young professional musicians coaching students at Westchester County public schools.

Subscriptions and tickets

For the spring season, Friends of Music Concerts patrons may buy a FlexSub of four or more admissions for $35 each and use them as tickets in any combination at any concert. Single tickets are $40 for adults and free for those aged 18 and under. Go to www.friendsofmusicconcerts.org to purchase tickets.

Friends of Music Concerts, Inc. | P.O. Box 675 | Millwood, NY 10546

Tel (914) 861-5080 | www.friendsofmusicconcerts.org