Oak Hill Music Festival

Oak Hill Music Festival is a unique opportunity to enjoy intimate summer evening chamber music concerts with world-class musicians. We bring together elite artists who perform with the nation’s top orchestras, such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and our roster includes award-winning international soloists and a recent GRAMMY recipient. Led by founder and Upper Valley native Leah Kohn, our concerts celebrate the depth, diversity, and endless possibilities of chamber music with timeless masterpieces and new favorites. Our 2024 season features music by Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, and Dvorak in our three themed concerts, "Folk Music", "The Romantic Virtuoso", and "Landscapes". In addition, we offer free daytime open rehearsals to the community, and a children’s concert in collaboration with Upper Valley Music Center. This season, Oak Hill Music Festival has events every day from July 9th-14th.

The Romantic Virtuoso

The nineteenth century saw the rise of the musical superstar, a trend reflected in the dazzling music written by and for these virtuosos. The Piano Trio in Eb major is from the height of Beethoven’s heroic middle period. As the composer, our archetypal Romantic artist-hero, wrote of himself: “There are many princes and there will continue to be thousands more, but there is only one Beethoven.” Halvorsen’s flamboyant Passacaglia, based on a theme by Handel, puts both violin and viola through their paces. Brahm’s stunning clarinet quintet was written to feature both clarinet and violin, in a part originally written for Joseph Joachim, one of the 19th century’s most influential violinists.

Concert Program

Johan Halvorsen or George Frideric Handel Passacaglia for Violin and Viola

Ludwig van Beethoven  Piano Trio in E flat Major, Op. 70 No. 2

Inyermission

Johannes Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115