В Монпелье отметили 25-летие фестиваля камерной музыки Capital City Concerts и передали руководство новому поколению

In a city small enough to walk from one end to the other in less than half an hour, big ideas have always found room to grow. Montpelier — the nation’s smallest state capital — is located in the heart of Vermont’s Green Mountains. With a population of just 8,000, residents take pride in an arts scene that feels intimate rather than grand, personal rather than institutional. Among the organizations at the center of this vibrant cultural landscape is Capital City Concerts (CCC), an organization that has spent more than a quarter-century bringing world-class chamber music to the intimate venues of Vermont’s capital. The story of Capital City Concerts is one of mentorship, community, and an unwavering belief that a small town deserves the same caliber of music as a major metropolitan center. The origins of Capital City Concerts trace back to the early 1990s when Times Argus arts editor Jim Lowe insisted that this flutist, then a 29-year-old Montpelier resident, listen to a 1972 recording of J.S. Bach’s cantata aria “Süsser Trost, mein Jesus kömmt.” The recording featured Louis Moyse — legendary French flutist and co-founder of the famed Marlboro Music Festival in southern Vermont — with soprano Benita Valente. Inspired, I sought out Moyse, who was then in his early 80s and living in upstate New York. I became his student, and an immediate deep bond formed. Eventually, I persuaded Moyse and his wife Janet to relocate to Montpelier. When I expressed frustration about the lack of performing opportunities for classical musicians in the area, Moyse offered a simple, life-changing piece of advice: “Invite your friends to come and play in Montpelier. Start your own series.” Taking my mentor’s advice to heart, I founded Capital City Concerts in 2000. Built firmly on the “Marlboro tradition” of deep collaboration, in which aspiring younger musicians benefit from the experience and wisdom of revered older artists, the series was designed to be uniquely intimate while maintaining the highest possible standards. Rather than simply acting as a presenting organization that booked touring acts, CCC created unique, one-time performances specifically for Montpelier audiences, pairing world-renowned artists with outstanding Vermont musicians. The inaugural 2000 season opened in January with a brilliant solo piano recital by Shelburne pianist Paul Orgel and closed in the spring with a show-stopping performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” by pianist Jeffrey Chappell, who would go on to perform in nearly every subsequent season. While concerts occasionally expanded into nearby historic spaces such as the Barre Opera House, the Vermont State House, and Burlington venues, the heart and home of the series is the acoustically superb sanctuary of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. Its simple yet beautiful architecture and warm acoustics create an ideal setting for chamber music. Over the decades, I used my connections to draw musical royalty to Montpelier’s small stage: Internationally recognized ensembles included the Borromeo, Talich, and Ying string quartets, as well as the Paris Piano Trio. Master soloists included violinists Jaime Laredo, Régis Pasquier and Laurie Smukler; cellists Edward Arron, Roland Pidoux, and Joel Krosnick; clarinetist Daniel Gilbert, soprano Hyunah Yu; mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne; and a host of pianists including Vermonters Paul Orgel, Diana Fanning, and Michael Arnowitt, as well as Jeffrey Chappell, Jean-Claude Pennetier, Robert McDonald, and Jeewon Park. The series commissioned major works, including compositions by Mohammed Fairouz and Vermont composers Evan Premo and Jorge Martin. The sold-out 2018 performance of J.S. Bach’s Magnificat at Montpelier’s Saint Augustine’s Church broke attendance records for a live performance in the Capital City. A highlight of the 20th Anniversary season was a double-header concert weekend by the Paris Piano Trio, one of the world’s finest chamber ensembles and among the most beloved groups in CCC history. Their packed-house performances in early March 2020 took place just days before the massive COVID shutdown. Montpelier has faced immense challenges. Following the devastating flood of 2023, the community rallied around events such as Jeffrey Chappell’s flood-relief benefit concert, which raised $10,000. In 2025, Capital City Concerts celebrated its 25th Anniversary Season. The series and I were honored at this milestone with a concurrent resolution from the Vermont House of Representatives recognizing the organization’s quarter-century of cultural service. True to its origins, the grand finale concert in May 2025 featured soprano Hyunah Yu and me reprising the very Bach aria (“Süsser Trost”) that had inspired the series 30 years earlier. At the conclusion of the 2025–2026 season, after 26 years of leadership, I passed the baton to a new generation: the husband-and-wife team of Jillian Reed — a Montpelier native and former student of mine — and pianist Tyler Emerson. This transition mirrors the mentorship that inspired the founding of the series, carrying forward the hope that community-centered chamber music will continue to echo through the hills of Vermont’s capital for decades to come. Grammy-nominated flutist Karen Kevra founded Capital City Concerts in 2000 and was artistic director through the 2025-2026 season.