Pew Center for Arts and Heritage

Main page contents

Departure and Discovery: New Directions at the Apex of Creativity

Philadelphia Chamber Music Society

Photography related to this content

On faculty at the Yale School of Music, the Brentano String Quartet is widely considered as one of the most thoughtful and musically accomplished string quartets performing today. The New York Times described their music making as “private, delicate, and fresh, but by its very intimacy and importance it seizes attention.” — On faculty at the Yale School of Music, the Brentano String Quartet is widely considered as one of the most thoughtful and musically accomplished string quartets performing today. The New York Times described their music making as “private, delicate, and fresh, but by its very intimacy and importance it seizes attention.”

Lewis Lapham, the former editor of Harper’s Magazine will discuss creativity, aging, and reinvention as part of a public panel moderated by classical music radio host Gregg Whiteside and featuring Harvard musicologist Christoph Wolff, former New York Times music critic Allan Kozinn, and behavorial scientist Dr. Daniel Gottlieb. — Lewis Lapham, the former editor of Harper’s Magazine will discuss creativity, aging, and reinvention as part of a public panel moderated by classical music radio host Gregg Whiteside and featuring Harvard musicologist Christoph Wolff, former New York Times music critic Allan Kozinn, and behavorial scientist Dr. Daniel Gottlieb.

Jonathan Biss and Yilin Liu in performance for Departure and Discovery. Photo by Fadi Kheir.

The acclaimed English tenor Mark Padmore will continue his artistic collaboration with Jonathan Biss in the final of three project performances, featuring Schubert's Schwanengesang. — The acclaimed English tenor Mark Padmore will continue his artistic collaboration with Jonathan Biss in the final of three project performances, featuring Schubert's Schwanengesang.

World-renowned pianist Jonathan Biss extends his deep musical and intellectual curiosity from the keyboard to classical music lovers in the concert hall and beyond. For this project, he will serve not only as pianist in three high-profile performances, but also as co-curator and the author of a Kindle Single.

Jonathan Biss and Soohong Park. Photo by Fadi Kheir.

Recipient

Grant Year 2015

Grant Amount $209,700

Status Completed

Updated May 30, 2023

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presented a trio of concerts from the world-acclaimed pianist Jonathan Biss, tenor Mark Padmore, violist Hsin-Yun Huang, and the Brentano String Quartet that provided audiences new insights into the forms of expression found in the late stages of the lives of nine great composers. The three programs were structured around the themes of "farewell," featuring work by Bach, Kurtág, Britten, and Beethoven; "waywardness," with music by Schumann, Gesualdo, Brahms, and Mozart; and "the voice of a visionary," featuring two works by Schubert. Together, the concerts highlighted the dramatic new directions taken and fresh discoveries made by these great composers while at the height of their creative powers. The series was accompanied by an interdisciplinary panel discussion featuring musical thought leaders Christoph Wolff and Allan Kozinn, writer Lewis Lapham, and behavioral scientist Dr. Daniel Gottlieb. A podcast series produced by David Osenberg utilized music and interviews to illustrate the ways in which composers' voices evolved into new realms in their final works. An accompanying Kindle Single by Biss is available online.

Additional unrestricted funds are added to each grant for general operating support.

Primary EventsEvents & Exhibitions

On faculty at the Yale School of Music, the Brentano String Quartet is widely considered as one of the most thoughtful and musically accomplished string quartets performing today. The New York Times described their music making as “private, delicate, and fresh, but by its very intimacy and importance it seizes attention.”

Departure and Discovery: Farewell

Feb 16, 2017
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Perelman Theater, 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia

Clarinetist Anthony McGill and the Brentano Quartet perform during an open rehearsal. Photo by Langdon Photography. Courtesy of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.

Departure and Discovery: Waywardness

Mar 6, 2017
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Perelman Theater, 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia

The acclaimed English tenor Mark Padmore will continue his artistic collaboration with Jonathan Biss in the final of three project performances, featuring Schubert's Schwanengesang.

Departure and Discovery: The Voice of a Visionary

Mar 13, 2017
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Perelman Theater, 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia

Recipient

Philadelphia Chamber Music Society

Philadelphia Chamber Music Society

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (PCMS) presents a rich and compelling variety of chamber music and recital programs performed by exceptional international and Philadelphia-based artists at affordable prices. Founded in 1986, PCMS is a resident company of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and has presented more than 1,500 concerts, including 65 commissions and world premieres.

More info

News

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Announces 2015 Grants for Philadelphia Artists and Organizations

Jun 15, 2015

Introducing the 2015 Grantees of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

Jun 15, 2015

Explore Connections

Larry W. Cook, Untitled.

National Media Spotlight on Philadelphia’s Cultural Scene

Nels Cline in performance at Royce Hall, Los Angeles. Photo by Phinn Sriployrung.

Guitarist Nels Cline on Musical Lineage

Video Tradition & Translation

Walking with Trane, Urban Bush Women. Photo by Gennia Cui.

Questions of Practice: Choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar on Art and Social Justice

Video Social & Community-Based Practices

Sonia Sanchez. Photo by Erika Vonie.

Celebrating Poet Sonia Sanchez, plus Pew Fellows Earn Guggenheim Fellowships, Peabody Award, and More

Pew Fellows Candice Iloh and Armando Veve. Photos by Neal Santos.

Fellow to Fellow: Candice Iloh and Armando Veve Find Inspiration in Each Other’s Mediums

Interview Cross-Disciplinary Practices

Enrique Bostelmann, Portrait of Cora Flores, 1980, part of Mirages series.

Projects in Process: Discoveries in the Archives with Berman Museum and Japan America Society

Essay Legacy & Archives

Yolanda Wisher, 2022 Philadelphia's Cultural Treasures fellow and 2015 Pew Fellow. Photo by Mark Palacio.

Four Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures Fellows on Care and Community Impact

EgoPo Classic Theater, rehearsal for Ramayana with Papermoon Puppet Theatre and Kalanari Theatre Movement, 2023, Java, Indonesia. Photo courtesy of EgoPo.

Projects in Process: Wilma Theater and EgoPo on Creative Collaborations

Essay Co-Authorship & Collaboration