A chamber music series to acknowledge and perpetuate the legacy of conductor Jens Nygaard, continuing a marvelous journey through the universe of music that includes works from the standard repertoire and the rarely-performed, and featuring outstanding musicians.
Join Us For Our 2025-2026 Season!
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”
Pencil study of Jens Nygaard
by Michael McNamara for an oil painting
♦Greetings ♦
Celebrate our 25 years! Let’s bring on cheers
for another 25 of revelry
in fabulous music brilliantry.
Be curious, not furious,
for musical rarities glorious
and known gems victorious.
Performed at Good Shepherd,
its fine acoustics heralded.
We thank all—big and small—
gifts, fans, newcomers, musicians.
See y’all in 25–26 at the church hall.
Tho’ you may be Rolls Royceless,
Could you spare a gift?
For music making finesse. All gifts are tax deductible. Thanks so much,
You’ll continue to have:
♦ HEPA-filter air purifiers in operation ♦ ♦ Ventilation—as much as possible ♦ ♦ Spaced-apart seating for better sight lines ♦ ♦ Affordable ticket prices at $17 and $25 ♦
Jupiter's name: 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.
Jupiter ~ Summer 2026 2 PM & 7:30 PM
Tickets: $25, $17 ~ Reservations advised
Call (212) 799-1259 or emailadmin@jupitersymphony.com
Pay by check or cash (exact change)
Monday, June 15 ♦2 PM & 7:30 PM Forget Mozart? Never! Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)
Limited Seating
FeiFei piano Winner of the Concert Artists Guild and a top finalist at the 14th Van Cliburn competitions. Praised by the Plain Dealer for her “bountiful gifts and passionate immersion into the music she touches,” she continues to build a reputation for her poetic interpretations, charming audiences with her “passion, piquancy and tenderness” and “winning stage presence” (Dallas Morning News)
Danbi Um violin Top prize in the 2018 Naumburg competitions; Recipient of the 2018 Salon di Virtuosi Career Grant; Winner of the 2015 Astral Artists Auditions; Silver Medalist in the Menuhin and Michael Hill competitions ~ “...utterly dazzling” The Strad ~ “a marvelous show of superb technique” and “mesmerizing grace” New York Classical Review
Josephine Kimviolin Prizewinner and semifinalist in the Coltman Chamber Music Competition, she performs regularly with the Baltimore Symphony, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and Symphony in C ~ cofounder of Illume Duo with percussionist Matt Boyle—a violin and marimba duo based in Baltimore
Ayano Nakamura viola
2nd prizewinner at the 2025 Washington International Strings Competition, she recently performed with A Far Cry Chamber Ensemble and Nobuko Imai’s celebration concert in Japan. As an avid chamber musician, she has participated in many festivals in the U.S. and Europe including NUME, Geneva, Verbier, Gstaad, Perlman Chamber Music Workshop, and Kneisel Hall. A graduate of the New England Conservatory, Ayano is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Yale under the tutelage of Ettore Causa.
Gaeun Kim cello
Among her honors are the 2023 New York Young Artist Award, first prize and Pablo Casals special award at the 2022 Irving Klein competition, first and audience prizes at the 2022 Washington competition, first prize at the 2015 David Popper and 2014 Liezen competitions, and first prize and special award at the 2012 Antonio Janigro Competition
Vadim Landoclarinet Winner of the CMC Canada, Yale and Stonybrook competitions ~ “consistently
distinguished...vibrant, precise, virtuosic playing” The New York Times
MOZART “Kegelstatt” Trio K. 498
~ no skittles here, as its nickname suggests, but a warm and congenial work of intimate friendship and love —for clarinet, viola, and piano—written for his pupil, Franziska von Jacquin, with Mozart most likely playing the viola and Anton Stadler, the clarinet
During his journey to Berlin in 1789, Mozart made a detour to Leipzig twice. He arrived on 20 April and stayed for 3 days. On the 22nd, he visited the Thomaskirche (where Bach had been the most famous cantor from 1723 till his death in 1750) and played the organ for an hour, assisted by Cantor Doles and the organist Karl Görner, both manipulating the stops. In his honor, the choir of the Thomasschule performed “Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied” by Bach. Delighted with the motet, Mozart copied the choir parts after perusing the autographs. He then went to Potsdam and returned to Leipzig on the 8th of May. This time, Mozart presented a concert of his own compositions at the Leipzig Gewandhaus 4 days later on the 12th. The concert, however, had not been widely publicized and was a financial fiasco as it was poorly attended. In a letter to his wife Constanza he reported, “From the point of view of applause and glory this concert was absolutely magnificent, but the profits were wretchedly meager.” He also gave various excuses for lingering in Leipzig, but finally left for Berlin on 17 May.
Johann Wenzel KALLIWODA String Quartet No. 1 in E minor Op. 61
~ an extraordinary work of great imagination, foreshadowing the quartets of later composers
Dedicated to his friend Joseph Graff of Prague, the Quartet is the first of three commissioned by the publisher Carl Gotthelf Böhme of Peters in Leipzig. Böhme stipulated that the scores should be “nonconcertant for the first violin, with the music nicely divided up among the instruments, not heavy for any of them, and in the beautiful style of Mozart.” The music writer Michael Cookson singled out the Scherzo as “remarkably inventive and stunning…played almost entirely pizzicato. …Kalliwoda must surely be one of the first composers to present a pizzicato movement in a string quartet.” Kalliwoda’s quartets are contemporaneous with those by Cherubini, Louis Spohr, and Mendelssohn.
Kalliwoda (1801–1866) was an esteemed Bohemian composer, conductor, and violin soloist during his lifetime. He stood at the cutting edge of his day. At the age of 10, the boy entered the newly founded Prague Conservatory, where he was a member of the first class and graduated five years later in 1816 with distinction, after which he joined the orchestra of the Stavovské Theatre in Prague, under Weber. He was described as a “superb soloist on the violin” and possessed “excellent abilities in composition.” In December 1821 the orchestra gave a farewell concert of his compositions before he departed for a tour of Germany, Switzerland, and Holland. While in Munich, he met Prince Karl Egon II, who offered him the post of conductor in Donaueschingen. For almost 40 years Kalliwoda directed and elevated the standard of the town’s musical life. He was conductor of the court orchestra and opera house, where he presented the operas of Mozart and Cherubini; he coordinated the musical activities at the cathedral; he was considered a “house composer” by the publisher C. F. Peters (its commission of 3 string quartets “were to be in the beautiful style of Mozart”); and he taught the Prince’s children. Leading virtuosos, including Liszt and Robert and Clara Schumann, appeared at his symphony concerts. Schumann, among others, held a high opinion of his work. In the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, co-founded by Schumann, he praised Kalliwoda for the tenderness and sweep of his compositions, even though he was critical of some of his work. Highly respected, he was offered posts in the most famous musical institutions of Leipzig, Cologne, Mannheim, Dessau, and Prague, and was made an honorary member of music societies in Prague, Germany, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, and Sweden. His style is said to represent a link between Beethoven and Schumann.
Antonín DVOŘÁK Piano Trio No. 1 in Bb Major Op. 21 ▪ 1875
~ undeservedly neglected, the sparkling gem by Mozart’s admirer reveals an emerging voice forging his own style, brimming with energy and ideas ~ fresh, natural, and original ~
Written at age 34, the Trio was well-received at its premiere, which helped solidify Dvořák’s growing reputation before he achieved international fame in the late 1870s. The lyrical masterpiece—a youthful, spontaneous spirit in Classical form with distinct Czech folk elements like the polka in the third movement—displays melodic invention and varied rhythms.
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, ConcertoNetmore...
“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 Timesmore...
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, ConcertoNetmore...
“...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 Timesmore...
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
Oliver Neubauer violin, Mihai Marica cello, Zoe Martin-Doike viola
Sooyun Kim flute, Zoe Martin-Doike viola
Oliver Neubauer violin, Janice Carissa piano
Mihai Marica cello, Zoe Martin-Doike viola
Sooyun Kim flute, Vadim Lando clarinet, Janice Carissa piano
Mihai Marica cello, Zoe Martin-Doike viola
Video Viewing ~ Classical Treats
February 8, 2021 Jupiter Concert
Greetings! Three months ago, our musicians brought warmth and joy with their wonderful music making on a cold, winter’s day with Classical Treats. The viewing is offered for $25, and we hope to cover the costs of production. Thanks so much for viewing the video of this concert, and for supporting Jupiter with gifts as well! MeiYing
View the video for $25
You will be automatically directed to the video page once payment is made. If not, click on the “return to merchant” link after checkout. Please go through the checkout process only once and do not use the back button or reload the page while making the purchase. If there are any problems, contact jupiternews@jupitersymphony.com.
Viewers comments of previous videos:
“Oh I thoroughly enjoyed the concert. Good to see Maxim and his dad. Familiar faces to me. I enjoyed the notes about the players. Till the next time...”
“Great playing and really nice camera work. Probably better than being there!”
“We so enjoyed the concert. The pianist was outstanding as was the musical selection.”
“It was wonderful. Thank you.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Musicians
Janice Carissa piano Young Scholar of the Lang Lang Foundation, recipient of the 2018 Salon de Virtuosi Grant, winner of the 2014 piano competition at the Aspen Festival, and a top prizewinner of the IBLA Foundation’s 2006 piano competition (at age 8)
Oliver Neubauer violin Recipient of the Gold Award at the 2018 National YoungArts Competition and winner of the 2017 Young Musicians Competition at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Zoë Martin-Doike viola Member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, top prizewinner of the Primrose and Lenox competitions on viola and violin, respectively and founding violinist of the Aizuri Quartet
Mihai Marica cello Winner of the Irving Klein, Viña del Mar, Salon de Virtuosi and Dotzauer competitions ~ “Mihai is a brilliant cellist and interpreter of music. His playing is spellbinding.” Mitchell Sardou Klein
Sooyun Kim flute
Winner of the Georg Solti Foundation Career Grant and a top prize at the ARD flute competition, she has been praised for her “vivid tone colors” by the Oregonian and as a “rare virtuoso of the flute” by Libération
Vadim Landoclarinet Winner of the CMC Canada, Yale and Stonybrook competitions ~ “consistently
distinguished...vibrant, precise, virtuosic playing” The New York Times
♦ ♦ ♦
Program
HAYDN Sonata No. 1 in G Major Hob XVI:40 ▪ 1784
~ sophisticated and subtly wrought, the Sonata is from a set of 3, arranged for string trio from the original for keyboard and published by Johann André in 1790
The sonatas were written for Princess Marie, the new bride of Prince Nicholas Esterházy, grandson of Haydn’s employer, Prince Nicholas I. Cramer’s Magazin der Musik, in its review in 1785, observed that they were “more difficult to perform than one initially believes. They demand the utmost precision, and much delicacy in performance.” In 2 contrasting movements, the pastoral Allegretto innocente is followed by a gleeful zany romp.
Conradin KREUTZER Quintet in A Major ▪ between 1810 and 1820
~ in the late Classical–early Romantic style, the charming Quintet is written for the unusual combination of piano, flute, clarinet, viola, and cello with the piano as primus inter pares, first among equals—each movement a winner bearing a variety of melodic gifts and revealing a lively feeling for rhythm and color
Born in Messkirch to a respected Swabian burgher, Kreutzer (1780–1849) is considered a minor master of the Biedermeier epoch. He studied law in Freiburg before turning entirely to music after his father died in 1800. In 1804 he went to Vienna, where he met Haydn and probably studied with Albrechtsberger, one of Beethoven’s teachers. His active career included tours in Europe and several posts in Vienna, Stuttgart, Cologne, and other German cities, all the while composing numerous operas. Some of his music is not entirely forgotten—his settings for male chorus to Ludwig Uhland’s poems long remained popular with German and Austrian choirs; Das Nachtlager in Granada used to be revived occasionally in Germany; and his score for Der Verschwender continues to be performed in Austria.
Franz Anton HOFFMEISTER Duo Concertante No. 1 in G Major ▪ [1790] flute and viola
1st movement ~ Allegro
~ by Mozart’s friend and his principal publisher
MOZART Piano Quartet No. 2 in Eb Major K. 493 ▪ 1786
~ a flawless masterpiece of utmost lightness and charm, with heavenly melodies
Mozart was under contract with the publisher Franz Anton Hoffmeister to write 3 piano quartets, a virtually new genre of his own invention. When the first (K. 478 in G minor) did not sell because of its difficulty for amateurs, Mozart was released from his obligation. Nine months later, which was two months after the completion of Le Nozze di Figaro, the second piano quartet (K. 493 in Eb Major) was published by Artaria. A little easier than the first, Alfred Einstein viewed it as “bright in color, but iridescent, with hints of darker shades.”
American program opener on March 18, with grateful thanks to Michael Shaffer of OurNetNews.com for recording the matinee concert, and making available the Horatio Parker Suite video for our viewing pleasure.
Horatio Parker Suite in A Major, Op. 35, composed in 1893
Prelude
Stephen Beus piano
Stefan Milenkovich violin
David Requiro cello
Jupiter on YouTube featured in a short documentary on artist Michael McNamara
NEW YORK CANVAS : The Art of Michael McNamara is a video
portrait of the artist who has painted iconic images of New York City
for more than a decade, capturing the changing urban landscape of his
adopted city. Our Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players provide the music
from Brahms’s Piano Quartet in G Minor, underscoring the inspiration
the artist has drawn from Jens Nygaard and the musicians. Michael was
also our Jupiter volunteer from 2002 to 2010.
Here is a video of the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players performance of
the Rondo alla Zingarese movement:
Emmy
Award-winning “LIFE ON JUPITER - The Story of Jens Nygaard, Musician”
available on DVD with bonus music. More
Info...
If you wish to
purchase your own copy to remember Jens by or for more information visit
www.lifeonjupiter.com
The
New York Sun Review
by Adam Baer
--The Jupiters Play On--
“Some great musicians get a statue when they pass
away. Some get their name imprinted on the roof of a well-known concert
hall. But the late conductor Jens Nygaard has a living tribute: an entire
ensemble of musicians and a concert series to go along with it...
It is one of the city’s cultural jewels...
In the end, if Mr.
Nygaard was known for anything, it was unmitigated verve. That’s what the
audience regularly returned for, and that’s what they got Monday
afternoon. To have a grassroots community of musicians continue to
celebrate Mr. Nygaard with indomitable performances like these week after
week, even without the power of world-famous guest soloists, is proper
tribute. And with more large orchestras and ensembles needing more
corporate sponsorship year after year, I, for one, hope the Jupiter’s
individual subscriber-base remains strong.
New York’s musical
life needs the spirit of Jens Nygaard, and Mei Ying should be proud she’s
keeping it alive.”
office address:
JUPITER SYMPHONY
155 West 68th Street, Suite 319, New York, NY 10023
admin@jupitersymphony.com
For information or to order
tickets,
please call:
(212)
799-1259
MeiYingManager Michael VolpertArtistic Director
All
performances, except where otherwise noted, are held at: Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway) New York, NY 10023 The Box Office at the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
will be open 20 minutes prior to each concert.
