Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players

“This was music-making of a very high order”
“at the Jupiter concerts, there is always so much about which to be enthusiastic.”
“the rarities glittered like jewels”

Fred Kirshnit, The New York Sun
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Dear Friends and Music Lovers,    During this coronavirus pandemic, our concerts this fall may be as rare as the music of the forgotten composers we often perform. While this horrid beast prevails we hope to lessen the risk of indoor gatherings. Also, please check the status of every concert on our website or by phone. If there is a cancellation, the program will be video recorded and made available for viewing on our website.    By now you know the danger of gathering indoors with people outside your bubble. If you come, it’s at your own risk. If you are in the least bit fearful, please do not come. We can, however, offer: ♦ Limited seating spaced 6 feet apart ♦ Hand sanitizer from dispensers ♦ Required wearing of masks by audience & staff ♦ Doors to open 20 minutes before concert starts ♦ Request 6 feet distancing when entering & exiting ♦ And suggest minimal, quiet talking    This season there are no subscriptions. Tickets are by reservation only. Please visit our ticket page for details. As these are indeed challenging times, please consider of gift of $100 or more and become a “Friend,” or please give as much as you can to help keep Jupiter alive and thriving. Your financial support is truly needed.    All gifts are tax deductible.    Thank you so much,

Caricature of Jens Nygaard on iPad by Elizabeth "Lizzi" Volpert, age 12

Why the name Jupiter: When Jens Nygaard named his orchestra Jupiter, he had the beautiful, gaseous planet in mind—unattainable but worth the effort, like reaching musical perfection. Many, indeed, were privileged and fortunate to hear his music making that was truly Out of This World. Our Players today seek to attain that stellar quality.

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Take a look at our guest artists for this season.
Find out more about the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players.

Join us for our next concerts...

Monday, March 8 ♦ 2 PM & 7:30 PM
Polish Polish
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)
Limited Seating

Avery Gagliano piano
Winner of the First Prize and Best Concerto Prize at the 2020 National Chopin Piano Competition, other winnings include the Audience Prize at the 2019 Cliburn Junior Piano Competition, and First Prize at both the Aspen Concerto and MostArts Piano competitions ~ “...a compelling presence at the piano. She immediately draws you in… She has the technique and the musicianship, which is the ultimate combination of a young artist.” National Public Radio ~ From the Top

Stefan Milenkovich violin
Winner of the Indianapolis, Paganini, Tibor Varga, Queen Elisabeth, Yehudi Menuhin, and Young Concert Artists competitions ~ “a stunning virtuoso.” Strings ~ “Milenkovich’s recital at the Kennedy Center was so disarmingly magical that it is not easy to describe its glories. This is not so much a matter of a dazzling virtuosity (though he has it all) as of searching musicianship.” The Washington Post

Njioma Grevious violin
Won a Keston-Max Fellowship to study and perform with the London Symphony Orchestra in April 2020, a Silver Medal with the Abeo Quartet at the 2019 Fischoff competition, and First Prizes for Performance and Interpretation at the 2018 Prix Ravel chamber music competition in France ~ described by the Boston Musical Intelligencer as a “thoroughly confident and mature violinist”

Cong Wu viola
Assistant Principal Violist of the New York Philharmonc, won 3rd Prize in the 14th Primrose Viola Competition and a Special Prize in the 12th Lionel Tertis Competition

Connor Kim cello
Prizewinner at the Menuhin-Dowling and American Fine Arts Festival competitions ~ founding member of the Kila Quartet (formerly Lauder)

Vadim Lando clarinet
Winner of the CMC Canada, Yale and Stonybrook competitions ~ “consistently distinguished...vibrant, precise, virtuosic playing” The New York Times

Karl Kramer horn
Winner of the 1997 and 1999 American Horn competitions ~ “a prominent, perilously chromatic horn line, which Karl Kramer played beautifully.” The New York Times

Karol SZYMANOWSKI  Paganini Caprice No. 24 Op. 40
  ~ a reimagination of the Italian virtuoso’s Caprice No. 24—oozing with prewar Viennese harmonic lacquer, it was written for violin and piano in Elisavetgrad in the Ukraine

In the view of Francis Pott, a music scholar, “Szymanowski had rented an apartment in Vienna before the War, but had found Viennese cultural life enclosed and stifling.... The...Caprice here proves to be none other than ‘that’ tune yet again, subjected to grandly ironic display.”

Szymanowski (1882–1937) was the most celebrated composer of the early 20th century. He began to compose and play the piano at an early age. In 1901 he went to Warsaw for 3 years to study harmony, counterpoint, and composition privately. But finding the musical life in Warsaw limiting, he went to Berlin, where he organized the Young Polish Composers’ Publishing Co. (1905–1912) to issue new works by Poles. World War I then triggered his return to Poland. From 1914 to 1917, isolated from the European musical community, he composed profusely and studied Islamic culture and ancient Greek drama and philosophy. With the establishment of an independent Polish state in 1918, Szymanowski dug into the Polish folk idiom and tried to create a Polish national style, a task ignored since Chopin. And he became more conservative, abandoning atonalism. He also traveled widely, promoting his works in London, Paris, and the United States. In 1927 he settled back in Warsaw to assume the directorship of the Warsaw Conservatory for 5 years, aiming to improve music education in Poland. During the 1930s Szymanowski retreated from using folk music directly in his compositions although he continued to use folk music material; his forms and orchestration of this period recall those of his earlier works.

Stanisław MONIUSZKO  String Quartet No. 1 in D minor
  ~ attractive work reminiscent of Schubert and Mendelssohn, with an original Scherzo and Finale led by a Hajduk or traditional Polish dance

Born into a family of Polish landowners in Ubiel, in today’s Belarus, Moniuszko (1819–1872) began piano lessons at age 9 when the family moved to Warsaw, and continued his studies at the Gymnasium in Minsk in 1830. He was then sent to the Sing-Akademie in Berlin in the fall of 1837 for further formal studies, including composition and choral conducting. In 1840 he returned to Poland and, after his marriage, obtained a post as organist at St John’s in Vilnius, taught piano, conducted the theater orchestra, and presented many concerts, introducing audiences to works of Mozart, Haydn, and Mendelssohn. Moniuszko was the soul of 19th century musical life in Vilnius and as his career flourished, he became known as the foremost 19th century composer of Polish song and was revered as the “Father of Polish National Opera.” Halka and The Haunted Manor are considered his best operas.

Franciszek LESSEL  Grand Trio for Clarinet, Horn, & Piano Op. 4
  ~ influenced by Haydn, his teacher, the splendid piece is also notable for its unusual instrumentation

Born in Warsaw, Lessel (1780–1838) was first taught by his father, Wincenty Ferdynand Lessel, a composer, pianist, and pedagogue of Czech descent. In December 1799 he left for Vienna to study composition under Joseph Haydn until Haydn’s death in 1809. Before leaving Vienna to return to Poland, Lessel performed as a pianist and in a string ensemble in Lwów with, among others, Karol Lipiński. Back in Poland, he gave piano recitals of his own works in Kraków and at the Warsaw National Theatre. He also played the glass harmonica, which was hugely popular at the time, taught music and, for some time, was director of the Warsaw Amateur Music Society. However, his musical activities ended in 1822 after a personal tragedy, although he continued to compose. In 1823 he was an agent of Duchess Maria of Württemberg’s estate in Pilica, and in the 1830s he managed the Poplawski estate in Pȩcice. In 1836 he was Inspector of the Marymont Institute of Farming, and the following year he was appointed Inspector of the regional Gymnasium in Piotrków Trybunalski, a tenure he held until his death. The New Grove Dictionary maintains that “His music displays mastery of the technical means of the Classics and the principles of polyphony, combined with a feeling for the new Romantic trends in music.”

Władysław ŻELEŃSKI Piano Quartet in C Major Op. 61
  ~ virtually an enormous etude brimming with drama, yearning lyricism, and passionate momentum; and with an Intermezzo spun from the mazurka

Żeleński (1837–1921) is regarded as the most influential post-Romantic Polish composer. His early lessons were on the violin, but from 1854 he studied the piano and composition at Kraków’s Nowodworski School. By the age of 20, he had composed 2 string quartets, trios, and an overture, which he conducted at its premiere on 29 July 1857. In 1859 he entered the renowned Jagiellonian University of Prague, where he continued his studies in philosophy and music (piano, organ, and counterpoint), graduating with a doctorate in philosophy in 1862. His piano teacher there was Alexander Dreyschock, famous for his facile execution of double thirds, double sixths, octaves, and other fingerbusters (he played the left-hand arpeggios of Chopin’s “Revolutionary Etude” in octaves). Żeleński then studied at the Paris Conservatoire from 1866 until 1871, when he returned to Poland. In 1872 he taught harmony and composition for 5 years at the Warsaw Music Institute, and in 1878 assumed the directorship of the city’s Musical Society. In 1881 he settled in Kraków and became director of the Kraków Music School, which he helped develop into a full-fledged conservatory, all the while teaching. Among his pupils was Zygmunt Stojowski, who headed the music department at New York’s Institute of Musical Art (later merged with Juilliard). Żeleński also is one of the important composers of songs that were popular in Polish salons. The New Grove Dictionary further asserts that he was “the foremost representative of dramatic music after Moniuszko.” Żeleński was buried in the family tomb at Rakowice Cemetery in Kraków.

Tickets: $25, $17, $10 ~ By Reservation Only
Call (212) 799-1259 or email admin@jupitersymphony.com
Pay by check or cash (exact change)​​​

By now you know the danger of gathering indoors with people outside your bubble. If you come, it’s at your own risk. If you are in the least bit fearful of CoVid-19, please do not come. We can, however, offer:

♦ Required wearing of masks
♦ Limited seating spaced 6 feet apart
♦ Hand sanitizers
♦ Doors to open 20 minutes before the concert
♦ A short pause in place of an intermission
♦ No refreshments
♦ Request 6 feet distancing when entering and exiting
♦ Suggest minimal, quiet talking
♦ Windows and/or doors will be open

Please use the restrooms before or after the concert.
Thank you for accommodating the new format at this time.

In addition to the above guidelines, New York State Covid-19 Travel Advisory requires visitors from certain states to quarantine for 14 days. If you are traveling to NYC from any of these states, visitors are required to complete the online Travel Health Form.

Jupiter 2020 - 2021 Season
20 Mondays at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM

View Our NEW Season Calendar

To reserve Tickets ~ $25, $17, $10 
please call (212) 799-1259
or e-mail admin@jupitersymphony.com

Please visit our Media Page to hear Audio Recordings from the Jens Nygaard and Jupiter Symphony Archive

Concert Venue:
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway), New York

“one of the most refined and intelligent church spaces in New York” ~ The New York Times Built in 1893 by Josiah Cleveland Cady, architect of the old Metropolitan Opera House and the American Museum of Natural History

Office Address:
JUPITER SYMPHONY
155 West 68th Street, Suite 319
New York, NY 10023
admin@jupitersymphony.com
(212) 799-1259

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Jupiter in the News

ConcertoNet
“knocked the socks off this listener...It was wondrous chamber music. And the three artists gave it the deserving excitement, volition and imagination.” 
Harry Rolnick, ConcertoNet   more...

“the performers were top notch”
“The homey church where these concerts take place, nestled on West 66th Street in the shadow of Lincoln Center, is an intimate and acoustically vibrant place for chamber music.”
Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times   more...

Strad Magazine
“A finely forthright, fluent and expressive account of Haydn's Divertimento in E-flat major opened this programme of miscellaneous chamber music in a series known for adventurous programming.”
Dennis Rooney, Strad Magazine   more...

ConcertoNet
“Mr. Nygaard’s cadenza flowed down Mozart lanes and paths, each with beautiful backgrounds. And at the very end, Mr. Nygaard brought forth that martial major theme, like an unexpected gift.” 
Harry Rolnick, ConcertoNet   more...

“...the group’s efforts proved illuminating ...Brown played a lovely, subtly virtuosic cadenza for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 by Jens Nygaard, the ensemble’s founder, who died in 2001, but whose fascination with rarities continues to drive its programming”
Allan Kozinn, The New York Times   more...

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As promised, here are the videos of John Field’s Divertissement No. 1 and Sir Hamilton Harty’s Piano Quintet. Fortuitously, our Jupiter musicians had the good sense to record the rehearsal in an impromptu decision, literally minutes before pressing the record button. Pianist Mackenzie Melemed (replacing Roman Rabinovich at the last minute) learned the music in 2 days! Bravo to him.

Both works are Irish rarities that were scheduled for the March 16 performances which had to be canceled because of the coronavirus epidemic. Even though the entire program could not be recorded because of technical issues, we are pleased to be able to share with you the 2 musical gems. Enjoy.

John FIELD  Divertissement No. 1 H. 13
  ~ simply delicious piano quintet, alternately titled Rondeau Pastoral and better known in its version for solo piano, Twelve O’clock Rondo, on account of the 12 “chimes” at the end ~ by the creator of the Nocturne, which had a major influence on Chopin

We thank the University of Illinois (Champaign) for a copy of the Divertissement music.

Mackenzie Melemed piano
Abigel Kralik violin
Dechopol Kowintaweewat violin
Sarah Sung viola
Christine Lamprea cello

Sir Hamilton HARTY  Piano Quintet in F Major Op. 12
  ~ in a lyrical Romantic idiom, with a distinct, breezy Irish-salted voice

Andrew Clements of the Guardian proclaimed the beautiful Quintet “a real discovery: a big, bold statement full of striking melodic ideas and intriguing harmonic shifts, which adds Brahms and Dvořák into Harty’s stylistic mix, together with Tchaikovsky in some passages.” There’s folk music charm as well, reminiscent of Percy Grainger—notably in the Scherzo (Vivace) with its folksy quirks and nonchalance, and the winding, pentatonic melody in the Lento.

Our gratitude to the Queen’s University Library in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for a copy of the autograph manuscript of the music. Much thanks, too, to Connor Brown for speedily creating a printed score and parts from Harty’s manuscript.

Mackenzie Melemed piano
Abigel Kralik violin
Dechopol Kowintaweewat violin
Sarah Sun viola
Christine Lamprea cello

I Allegro 0:00
II Vivace 10:43
III Lento 14:44
IV Allegro con brio 23:59