Who: Chamber Music Amici
What: Echoes of Heritage: Jewish Melodies in Classical Music
When: Monday, October 27, 2025 • 3:00 PM (one night only)
Where: Wildish Community Theater, 630 Main Street, Springfield, Oregon
Tickets: General Admission – $35-47 | Students & their Parents – $5
More Info: chambermusicamici.org
SPRINGFIELD — Chamber Music Amici invites audiences to uncover hidden gems of the chamber music repertoire at Echoes of Heritage: Jewish Melodies in Classical Music on Monday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. This one-night-only performance explores how Jewish heritage and melody have inspired some of classical music’s most soulful works.
Several of these compositions are seldom performed despite their beauty and significance. “These are extraordinary pieces that don’t appear often on concert programs but deserve to be heard and cherished,” says Artistic Director Eunhye Grace Choi. “This concert offers a rare chance to experience music that is both historically rich and emotionally powerful.”
Performing these hidden treasures is a distinguished group of Chamber Music Amici Core and guest artists:
• Eunhye Grace Choi, piano
• Tomás Cotik, violin
• Arnaud Ghillebaert, viola
• Wonkak Kim, clarinet
• Lillie Manis, violin
• Steven Pologe, cello
Program Highlights
• Sergei Prokofiev – Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34
Written for a Russian-Jewish ensemble in New York in 1919, this lively overture sparkles with a clarinet line that “imitates the klezmer sound and keeps the listener fully engaged,” Choi notes.
• Max Bruch – Kol Nidrei, Op. 47
Though not Jewish, Bruch created a deeply moving meditation on the Yom Kippur prayer “Kol Nidrei,” weaving solemn D minor melodies with a radiant D major hymn.
• Alexander von Zemlinsky – Trio in D Minor for Clarinet, Cello & Piano, Op. 3
A young Zemlinsky impressed Brahms so much that he recommended its publication. “It’s a joy to hear—not only as a reminder of Brahms’ influence, but also as a testament to Zemlinsky’s own gift for creating sublime melody and harmony,” says Choi.
• Simon Laks – Piano Quintet on Popular Polish Themes
Perhaps the evening’s rarest discovery, this vibrant quintet blends Polish folk dances with a poignant personal history. “Both the composer and this piece are underrated,” Choi explains. “It is very likely the Oregon or Northwest premiere, making it a rare opportunity to hear this quintet.” Laks, a Holocaust survivor, transformed his earlier string quartet into this colorful, life-affirming work.
