The 2018 festival highlights include two world premieres of commissioned works, Clarinet Quintet by Alyssa Weinberg, commissioned by Chamber Music America for the Enso String Quartet; and Sextet for piano four hands and string quartet by Inessa Zaretsky, commissioned by Lenore Fishman Davis for the St.Urban concert series.

The season opener will feature internationally acclaimed counter-tenor Nicholas Tamagna; program three is dedicated entirely to the works of Schubert with arguably his greatest masterpiece – the cello quintet crowning the evening; and an all-star ensemble with principal players from major symphony orchestras for our closing program including Alexandre Velinzon (violin, Boston Symphony Orchestra), Elisa Barston(violin, Seattle Symphony), Tatjana Mead-Chamis (viola, Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra), Mihail Istomin (cello, Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra) and Joseph McFadden (bass, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra).

Performances Saturdays at Warren Wilson College’s Kittredge Community Arts Center here in Asheville, NC; Sundays at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville, NC; and Mondays at Carolina Music Museum in Greenville, SC.

All concerts at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville are Sunday matinees at 3 pm except for Sunday, July 22 at 7:30pm.

Program 1 – June 30, July 1, 2 — Songs by Bach, Hendel, Poulenc, and Hahn; Felix Mendelssohn String Quartet in D major. Jasper String Quartet, Nicholas Tamagna, counter-tenor, Inessa Zaretsky, piano.

Program 2 – July 7, 8, 9 — Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet in D major, Op.18, No.3; Alyssa Weinberg Clarinet Quintet; Cesar Franck Piano Quintet in F minor – Enso String Quartet; Benjamin Mitchell, clarinet; Inessa Zaretsky, piano.

Program 3 – July 14, 15, 16 — Franz Schubert String Quartet in A minor, No. 13 “Rosamunde”; Selections from Moment musicaux, Impromptu; String Quintet in C major, Op. 163 – Tesla String Quartet; Kathe Jarka, cello; Inessa Zaretsky, piano.

Program 4 – July 21, 22, 23 — Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet in A major, Op.18, No. 5; Inessa Zaretsky Sextet for piano four hands and string quartet; Claude Debussy String Quartet in G minor, Op.10 – Tesla String Quartet; Lenore Fishman Davis, piano; Inessa Zaretsky, piano.

Program 5 – July 28, 29, 30 — Ernő Dohnányi Serenade for string trio in C major, Op.10; Amadeus Mozart Concerto for piano in C major, No.21; Antonín Dvořák String Quintet in G major, No. 2, Op. 77 – All-Star Ensemble with Alexander Velinzon, violin; Elisa Barston, violin; Tatjana Mead-Chamis, viola; Mihail Istomin, cello; Joe McFadden, bass; Inessa Zaretsky, piano.

For tickets and additional information, visit Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival scm-festival.com