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The Chamber Music Society returns for its first concert since the start of the pandemic.
With a devotion to the power of live performance, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center navigates a post-pandemic shutdown landscape. Artists return to a stage full of surprises culminating in a story of resilience and hope.
With a devotion to the power of live performance, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center navigates a post-pandemic shutdown landscape. Artists return to a stage full of surprises culminating in a story of resilience and hope.
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Photos from Chamber Music Society Returns
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Cellist David Finckel, co-artistic director of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, practices a Bach Solo Cello Suite at his home.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center artist Arnaud Sussmann waits for a subway to arrive.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center pianists Wu Qian and Wu Han perform Schubert’s Rondo in A major at CMS’s Opening Night.
Cherylynn Tsushima
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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center clarinetist Anthony McGill prepares backstage prior to a performance at Alice Tully Hall, New York City.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center artist Joseph Conyers packs his double bass in a custom case prior to CMS’s nationwide tour.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center cellist Dmitri Atapine in rehearsal for Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos prior to CMS’s nationwide tour.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
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Musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos at Alice Tully Hall, New York City.
Cherlynn Tsushima
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Musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
Cherlynn Tsushima
About the Show
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic left an indelible mark on the world at large, and particularly on the performing arts. Performers worldwide suddenly found themselves on lockdown, and audiences were separated from the inspiring joys of live music. Chamber musicians were prevented from participating in one of the most critical aspects of their artistic identity: in-person collaboration and performance.
More About the Episodes
"Chamber Music Society Returns" captures the exciting yet daunting process of CMS's return to its home, Alice Tully Hall, after a year and a half away. CMS brings us inside the planning and execution of the celebratory first concert back, through all the obstacles involved with mounting a tour in these fraught times, and finally takes us to the culmination of the fall season in the beloved annual tradition of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. The return of live chamber music to Lincoln Center is a story of many trials ultimately overcome through resilience and hope.
Episode 1
Artists and staff of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center band together in preparation for the return to their home venue, proving that the trials of mounting a concert during a pandemic are outweighed by the rewards of live music.
Episode 2
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center continues its new season with a host of pandemic-related challenges, including reuniting wind players, sending a large group of artists on tour, and returning home to New York amidst a COVID resurgence.
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