Thanks to all of our donors who have supported the Bellingham Chamber Music Society

The Louise Farrenc Nonet Level

$10,000 +

Nineteenth century French composer, Louise Farrenc, was a trailblazer of her time who cleverly navigated the the all male world of Classical music as a composer and a pianist. Her 1849 Nonet for Strings and Winds gained her so much fame that her salary was raised to match her male colleagues at the Paris Conservatoire.

  • Garland Richmond & Richard Stattelman

The Schubert Octet Level

$5,000 – $9,999

Arguably one of the most sublime chamber music works ever composed, the Schubert Octet features two violins, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, bassoon and horn. Schubert was influenced by Beethoven’s Septet of nearly the same instrumentation, but his pairing of instrumental timbres and long fluid melodies make this piece stand out as a masterpiece.

  • Dr. & Mrs. William E. Means

The Ludwig Van Beethoven Septet Level

$2,500 – $4,999

Beethoven’s Septet in Eb Major for clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, and double bass was one of his most popular works during his lifetime.  Beethoven inspired many other composers to write for this instrumentation including Spohr, Schubert and Farrenc.

  • Anonymous, In memory of Linda Armstrong, pianist, performing member and former President of the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle
  • Charles Johnson & Jo Montgomery
  • Eric Jenkins & Susan Smith
  • Bob Weeks
  • Carolyn & Ronald Woodard

The Brahms Sextet Level

$1,000 – $2,499

Brahms’s name is nearly synonymous with chamber music. After having written several works for string ensemble and piano and strings, he composed two sextets for two violins, two violas and two celli that show off his stunning contrapuntal style and his use of rich harmonies. Brahms composed these stunning works in his youth when he was still learning how to compose for string ensembles.

  • Deborah Oksenberg & Serge Lindner
  • Don and Karen Berry
  • John and Pat Nelson
  • Deborah Oksenberg & Serge Lindner
  • Catherine Rae Sheldon
  • Jennifer Weeks

The Mozart Quintet Level

$500 – $999

Although Mozart composed six quintets for strings alone, one of his most admired works is the Clarinet Quintet, K581, composed in 1789 for clarinetist Anton Stadler. In his letters, Mozart wrote to Stadler: “Never should I have thought that a clarinet could be capable of imitating the humas voice as it was imitated by you.”

  • Bea Acland
  • Minda Rae Amiran
  • Don & Karen Berry
  • Sandra Mangsen
  • Cliff Smith
  • Mary Pat & Joel Thuma

The Dvorak Quartet Level

$250 – $499

During his time Dvorak set a new standard for string quartet literature. He composed 15 quartets that are essential to the quartet repertoire, the most popular being the “American Quartet”.  This work was composed during his residency in the United States and the work captures the spirit of American music at the time.

  • John and Erika Block
  • Dr Tung Ha & Dr Kerri Fitzgerald
  • Paul & Debra Gagnon
  • Kathy & Charles Halka
  • Ming Lin
  • Stephen & Maryanne Means
  • Debby & Barry Meyers
  • Maria Paredes Mendez
  • Erika Shepard
  • Molly Westring

The Clara Schumann Trio Level

$100 – $249

Clara Schumann was one of the first acknowledged female superstars of the Romantic period. She made a name for herself on the concert stage as a concert pianist, but also was an amazing composer. Her Piano Trio in G Minor, is a beautiful work that she composed while on the road seeking help for her husband Robert’s medical conditions.

  • John and Erika Block
  • John Danneker
  • Dr Tung Ha & Dr Kerri Fitzgerald
  • Paul & Debra Gagnon
  • Kathy & Charles Halka
  • Ming Lin
  • Stephen & Maryanne Means
  • Debby & Barry Meyers
  • Maria Paredes Mendez
  • Erika Shepard
  • Molly Westring

The Beethoven Duo Level

~ $99

In addition to writing some of the most iconic symphonies, Beethoven’s chamber music output was stunning. His Eyeglasses Duo for viola and cello was given this bizarre title because both he and his cellist needed to wear eyeglasses to see the music.

  • Roger Clark
  • Anne & Bernie Desrosiers
  • Lorraine Dukes
  • Maria Gomez
  • Mark Olson
  • Lorraine Savage
  • Susan Sayler
  • Octavia Schultz
  • Anne Slater
  • Nathaniel Slesinger
  • Steve & Betsy Slocumb
  • Maia Willebrand