We’re kicking off our 11th season with a mini-marathon concert, featuring eight artists sharing the stage for sets between 3-5pm. Feel free to come and go, or stay for the whole show!

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

3:00pm – Jeffrey Krieger: Electric Cello
This is a rare opportunity to experience a unique and engaging performance of music for electric cello incorporating electronics and video, including “Spiral” for by Robert Davidson; “Rivercare une Melodia” by Jonathan Harvey with video by Gene Gort; and “Liquid Fire” by Rusty Banks.

3:40pm – Vanessa Fountain & Joshua Phillips: 100 Years of Harp & Clarinet
This program of original compositions and arrangements begins with Vaughan Williams’ “Six Studies in English Folk Song”, composed in 1926, and takes us to the present day with “Introspective Blues,” adapted for the performers by composer Aaron Alter. Along the way, we’ll journey through TV theme music as well as works inspired by Japanese folk music and George Gershwin. 

4:20pm – Rogue Lemon Collective: Eclectic Music for String Quintet
Rogue Lemon Collective is a dynamic multi-genre ensemble of classically trained string musicians from Los Angeles that will be performing their own original songs and innovative arrangements of pop, rock, and film music. Their bold and unexpected style blends classical training with improvisation and contemporary influences. Expect to hear original compositions ranging in styles from jazz to bluegrass, and unique covers of artists such as Nirvana, Rihanna, and The Rolling Stones.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Rogue Lemon Collective is a dynamic multi-genre ensemble of classically trained string musicians from Los Angeles that will be performing their own original songs and innovative arrangements of pop, rock, and film music. Their bold and unexpected style blends classical training with improvisation and contemporary influences. Expect to hear original compositions ranging in styles from jazz to bluegrass, and unique covers of artists such as Nirvana, Rihanna, and The Rolling Stones.

Jeffrey Krieger’s performances of adventurous repertoire for the electric cello have taken place across the US and internationally including such faraway places as India and Tasmania. He has received numerous awards for his performances among which a prestigious 1993 Solo Recitalist Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts Prior to a move from Hartford, Connecticut to Palm Springs in 2021, Mr. Krieger served as Principal Cellist for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra for over 40 seasons. In that position he performed with classical superstars such as cellist, Yo Yo Ma, violinist, Joshua Bell, and soprano, Renee Fleming, and with pop stars such as Tony Bennett, Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson, to name just a few.

Dr. Vanessa Fountain has performed extensively, including in China, South Korea, Spain, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She has performed for such notables as Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Florence Henderson and Arnold Spielberg and concertized with artists including Barry Manilow, Lucie Arnaz and Il Divo. Dr. Fountain's technical skill and artistic vision allow for interpretations and arrangements of a variety of music spanning classical, pop, jazz, rock, and international genres. Since 2022 she has been the Dean of Arts, Languages, and Communication at Grossmont College. She has been recognized for her dedication to education and harp performance through awards from the California State Assembly and the Valeria Finzi Memorial Harp Scholarship.

Dr. Joshua Phillips is an active freelance clarinetist and professor throughout Southern California and is on faculty at Victor Valley College and Riverside City College, Coil School for the Performing Arts. Joshua recently won the position of Second Clarinet in the San Luis Obispo Symphony, and he has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America with various chamber and orchestral ensembles as well as his award-winning contemporary trio d’anches, Driftwood Trio. Recent performance highlights include the premiering of Isaiah Castro’s Clarinet Concerto with the Synesthesia Sinfonietta and duo recitals with harp in Palm Springs and San Diego, CA. Joshua has been a member of the Orange County Clarinet Consort since 2014 and most recently has taken on the role as Executive and Artistic Director.

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Join Syrinx Quintet in an afternoon of Music Across the Americas, exploring a fusion of classical, jazz, and Latin influences.  From the whimsical William Bolcom and innovative Jeff Scott to the master of tango Astor Piazzolla and vibrant Arturo Marquez, this program offers an exhilarating and rich tapestry of styles and cultures.

An ensemble comprising five prominent artist-educators from Southern California, Syrinx Quintet boasts versatile and diverse programming aiming to expand the reed quintet repertoire in an educational context. Experienced in a wide variety of styles, the ensemble delights audiences with their eclectic repertoire and dynamic performance style. Advocates for education and local engagement, Syrinx’s future projects include commissions and residencies with institutions such as the California School of the Arts, San Gabriel Valley, as well as composers Kincaid Rabb & Kevin Day. Members of Syrinx have performed with the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Most notably, Syrinx was invited to perform at the 2024 International Double Reed Society summer conference in Flagstaff, AZ, and will also be featured artists at the 2025 North American Saxophone Alliance regional conference this upcoming spring at California State University, Fullerton.

www.syrinxquintet.com

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Charles Robert Stephens and Lorenzo Marasso will present a concert featuring Franz Schubert's "Winterreise". This song cycle is renowned for its deeply emotional and evocative melodies, capturing the essence of romanticism with its lush harmonies and unforgettable tunes. The evolving story deals with love lost and remembrance of past love. The individual songs are clear pictures of the emotional winter journey of the traveler and are full of beautiful heart filled expression.

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Charles Robert Stephens has been hailed by The New York Times as “a baritone of smooth distinction.” In his two decades in New York City, he performed with the New York City Opera and on numerous occasions at Carnegie Hall. He has sung leading roles in opera houses throughout the world, including Minneapolis, Honolulu, Palm Springs, Santo Domingo, Montevideo, Uruguay, among many others. Based now in Seattle, Mr. Stephens has sung as soloist with the Seattle Symphony ten times and is very active with orchestras throughout the PNW including the orchestras of Tacoma, Helena, Missoula, Spokane, Bellingham, Walla Walla and Yakima.

Lorenzo Marasso is an impassioned and sympathetic conductor, concert pianist, chamber musician, educator and radio host. Dubbed the “king of repertoire” by pianist Ana Cervantes, Lorenzo’s creative and intrepid programming spans centuries and continents, often revealing lesser-known masterpieces and rarely performed arrangements. In 2021 Lorenzo founded the Seattle Chamber Orchestra and is serving now as the ensemble’s Music and Artistic director. In the same year he also started producing a weekly radio program called Dress Rehearsal on 107.3FM KBFG Seattle. Lorenzo has commissioned and performed world premieres of new works by several international composers who have written and dedicated pieces to him, including Bernhard Lang, Michael Finnissy, Anne Lebaron, Nina C. Young and Jack Van Zandt. Lorenzo was born in Torino, Italy and graduated from the Conservatorio di Milano in 1994. The same year, he enrolled in the postgraduate program at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he also studied orchestral conducting. Lorenzo currently lives in the Seattle area where he continues his activity as solo, chamber musician and educator and enjoys teaching collaborations with the University of Washington. Lorenzo is also an avid explorer of historical keyboards (harpsichords, fortepiano) and since 2024 he is also Artist-in-Residence at theThe Skagit Early Keyboard Museum, in La Conner WA.

www.lorenzomarasso.com

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts founder Danny Holt returns for his first solo concert on the series in many years, in a program tracing the theme of Musical Quotations, Tributes, & Transformations: Godowsky's inventive and virtuosic re-working of Chopin etudes, Thalberg's wild fantasy based on Beethoven symphonies, Heller’s transcription of Schubert’s “Erlkönig”, Crumb’s dream-like meditation on Chopin, Satie’s playful parody of Clementi, and more…

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Called “phenomenal” by the late music critic Alan Rich, and hailed as one of the “local heroes” of the Los Angeles music scene (LAcitybeat.com), pianist Danny Holt performs around the globe in concert halls (Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl), clubs (Joe’s Pub, The Blue Whale, Copenhagen Jazzhouse) art galleries (MASS MoCA, Hammer Museum), churches, living rooms, and wherever else he can find a piano and someone to listen. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Blue Man Group, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the California EAR Unit, and the Calder Quartet. His recorded catalog includes the recent solo album “Piano Music of Mike Garson” and other solo, chamber, and orchestral releases on the Innova Recordings label, pfMENTUM, New World Records, Deutsche Grammophon, Acis Productions, and L’st records. Holt holds degrees from California Institute of the Arts, Hampshire College, Smith College, and Interlochen Arts Academy. The City of Desert Hot Springs honored Holt’s years of cultural enrichment to the community through his leadership of Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts by declaring January 21, 2024 “Danny Holt Day”, which coincided with the inaugural concert of the series’ 10th anniversary season.

www.dannyholt.net

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Two timeless classics of the string trio repertoire (Beethoven and Dohnanyi) joined by a delightfully eclectic new work by Paul Wiancko. Dohnányi and Wiancko both infuse their works with richly evocative folk music influences, weaving melodies that conjure the warmth and spirit of traditional tunes, while Beethoven’s timeless trio adds a touch of classical elegance with a virtuosic flair.

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ensemble132 is an American collective of soloists and chamber musicians of the highest caliber, uniting with a shared mission to reimagine the chamber music landscape. The group continually creates new standards in the chamber music repertoire with its artist-crafted arrangements, ensemble132 excites the imagination of audiences across the country with its uniquely genre-defying programs. Their versatile artistry enables limitless programming possibilities, including chamber ballets, transcriptions of symphonies and jazz standards, orchestrations of solo works, and beloved chamber masterworks. The artists of ensemble132–all with stellar careers and accolades–have collaborated closely at music festivals such as Marlboro, Ravinia, Music@Menlo, Verbier, and Taos. They appear regularly with ensembles such as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Catalyst Quartet, Borromeo String Quartet, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. They are prizewinners at major competitions such as the Paganini, Joseph Joachim, Tibor Varga, Sibelius, Primrose, Beethoven Vienna, Vendome Prize, and American Pianists Awards.

Learn more about ensemble132 HERE.

No tickets or reservations required. Cash donations at the door are greatly appreciated – thank you!

Voice & guitar duo, Deux Saisons, present their new and contemporary program titled Música Camerazation. The program celebrates how music from the 20th century shaped and became the sounds that we hear in music today. Through pieces from iconic composers who had an interest in the guitar, such as Benjamin Britten and Heitor Villa-Lobos, the program highlights transformations of the classical genre as popular styles were taking shape in the 20th century. With influences from Latin rhythms, history, and even advertisements, Deux Saisons showcases the vast capabilities of the voice and six-string guitar in an intimate and dynamic chamber music setting. 

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A modern take on a classic duo, Deux Saisons presents concerts with diverse collections of old and new classical repertoire. Featuring soprano Keri Lee Pierson and classical guitarist Christopher Schoelen, the voice and guitar duo performs works that extend from the Renaissance through to the present day. Deux Saisons (French for “Two Seasons”) brings this extensive repertoire of music to a wide community by performing in diverse venues (such as farms, libraries, breweries, and the concert stage), incorporating audience participation, and applying music as a tool for education and restoration. The duo is currently based in Marquette, Michigan, where they both are music faculty members at Northern Michigan University. 

www.deuxsaisonsduo.com