Steeple Concerts at St. Paul's was thrilled to present five incredible performances this season: the Lincoln Trio, saxophonist Jonathan Wintringham, the Quey Percussion Duo, the Thalea String Quartet, and a triumphant performance of Antonín Dvorák's "Stabat Mater" with a full choir and orchestra!

Did you miss any of these great concerts? You can watch them on our YouTube channel via this link

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6iVp-GLGiv0xqGo4Wp-YgDcAfZi26rGU

Just click on the image of the concert you'd like to watch or see the whole playlist via the button above. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel so you can get quick access to all of our events.

Be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming announcements, as we are currently making plans for our next exciting season. We anticipate releasing our full schedule and lineup later this summer.

In the meantime, consider making a donation as a way to show your support of Steeple Concerts as we strive to maintain the highest level of performance while still being both accessible and affordable for our audiences.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is proud to present its annual Masterworks Concert at 5:00 PM on Sunday, May 21, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, in Westfield, NJ. The program will feature Antonin Dvorak’s epic "Stabat Mater" with full chorus and orchestra. The concert will be followed by a reception with an opportunity to meet the artists.

Dvorak began composition of the "Stabat Mater", a traditional text on the grief of the Virgin Mary at the crucifixion of her son, in 1875 shortly after the death of his infant son. He completed the work in 1877, but not before he and his wife had lost their two other children. Although he was not widely known before he began composition of the "Stabat Mater," it did not receive a public performance until 1880, after the widespread popularity of his now-famous Slavonic Dances. The work moves from the sorrow of Mary to an optimistic expression of hope and was a resounding success throughout Europe and the United States.

The Masterworks Concert is always a highlight of the Steeple Concert series, with soloists, full chorus featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church and the community, and professional orchestra. The conductor is Mark Hyczko, Director of Music at St. Paul’s. Join us for this exciting opportunity to experience live music in a beautiful setting.

The concert will take place on Sunday, May 21, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, in Westfield, NJ. Tickets to the concert are priced at $35 for adults and $15 for students, and are available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org. Parking for the concert is available in the St. Paul’s parking lot off Euclid Avenue or on St. Paul’s Street next to the church.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is excited to present the Thalea String Quartet in downtown Westfield at 5pm on Sunday, March 19th. The concert will be at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ.

The Thalea String Quartet brings their signature vibrancy and emotional commitment to dynamic performances that reflect the past, present, and the future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. Fueled by the belief that chamber music is a powerful force for building community and human connection, the Thalea String Quartet has performed across North America, Europe, and China, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center, Massey Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. They have shared the stage with luminaries of the chamber music world, including members of the Emerson, Borromeo and St Lawrence String Quartets, and they have performed alongside celebrated artists including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, violist Lawrence Power, acclaimed Canadian band BADBADNOTGOOD, and visionary hip hop artist Jay Electronica.

Committed to shaping and contributing to the future of the string quartet repertoire, the Thalea String Quartet has premiered dozens of new works and have collaborated on new commissions with composers including Paola Prestini, Anthony R. Green, Akshaya Avril Tucker, and Tanner Porter.

Winners of the 2021 Ann Divine Educator Award from the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the members of the Thalea String Quartet have been celebrated for their innovative approach to education and community engagement. Pioneers of virtual educational programming, TSQ has developed a variety of digital content, including two digital video series for students of all ages and the CHAMPS Virtual Chamber Music Seminar, which brought together students from across North America for an eight-week intensive study of the music of Florence B. Price, Joseph Haydn, and Antonín Dvořák. The members of the TSQ have presented masterclasses and workshops at institutions across North America, including the Berkelee College of Music, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and San Francisco State University. They have presented lectures and led discussions at institutions including the University of Maryland, Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, and Wayne State Medical School in Detroit, where they presented a workshop on non-verbal communication to first year medical students alongside the Emerson String Quartet.

The Thalea String Quartet is the Doctoral Fellowship String Quartet at the University of Maryland. The quartet has also held fellowship positions at the University of Texas at Austin and the San Francisco Conservatory. They served as Associated Artists at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium for the 2019-20 season and were the 2019-20 Ernst Stiefel Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. They were top prize winners at the 2018 Fischoff Competition and 2018 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition.

The season concludes on Sunday, May 21, 2023 with the annual Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church and community with a professional orchestra. This year we will be presenting Antonin Dvorák's epic "Stabat Mater". The choir is open to interested community members - please contact Mark Hyczko if you're interested. Rehearsals begin on Monday March 27th and run for ten weeks leading to the concert date. This concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is excited to present the Quey Percussion Duo to Westfield at 5pm on Sunday, January 22. Quey Percussion Duo will present a varied program of works exploring the wide range of sounds and textures possible within the world of percussion instruments. The concert will be at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ.

For more than 18 years, Quey Percussion Duo has dazzled audiences worldwide with their unmistakable style that blends traditions of Western and non-Western percussion, contemporary, classical, and popular music to create colorful sound worlds that often place focus on interlocking counterpoint and musical multi-tasking. Their presentations elevate the basic acts of striking, shaking, and scraping into a blast of energy, a splash of curiosity, with a pinch of whimsy.

The program will include original works by Gene Koshinski along with compositions written for the duo by other renowned contemporary composers. The concert promises to be an exciting, new, and unique musical experience.

Comprised of members Gene Koshinski and Tim Broscious, QPD has performed extensively throughout the US as well as in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Jordan, and the UK. As new music advocates, QPD has generated nearly 200 new works written for the duo (or by the duo), many of which become instant “earworms” for audiences and staples in the repertoire for percussionists worldwide. QPD holds the only full-time residency by a percussion duo in the US at the University of Delaware where they co-direct the percussion program, deliver various chamber ensembles, coordinate applied lessons, and present joint studio classes.

The Thalea String Quartet will bring their signature vibrancy to Steeple Concerts on Sunday March 19, 2023. Their dynamic performances reflect the past, present, and the future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. David Harrigton of the revered Kronos Quartet states: "Hearing the Thalea Quartet makes me feel very happy and gives me hope for the future. They are great ambassadors for music."

The season concludes on Sunday, May 21, 2023 with the annual Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church and community with a professional orchestra. The concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is excited to present virtuoso saxophonist Jonathan Wintringham at 5pm on Sunday, November 13. Mr. Wintringham will be joined by pianist Michael Djupstrom and cellist Clancy Newman. The concert will be at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ.

The American Record Guide has hailed Mr. Wintringham as “a major force in the saxophone world” and as a musician who “phrases with an artistic awareness well beyond his years.” The Philadelphia Inquirer described him as “a saxophonist of unusual sophistication...changing his color in ways so sensitive that he bordered on alchemist.”

Mr. Wintringham is a co-founder and the Executive Director of the International Saxophone Academy. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, a Master of Music degree, and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. A leading performer of his generation, he has won first-place awards in more than twenty competitions. He was the first Artist in Residence at the Zennor Music Series in Cornwall, England, and the first classical saxophonist to be featured on American Public Media's Performance Today: Young Artists in Residence.

Composer and pianist Michael Djupstrom has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and distinguished chamber music organizations around the US. His compositions have captured first prizes in international composition competitions. Cellist Clancy Newman is also an accomplished composer and has performed as soloist throughout the US.

The season continues on Sunday January 22, 2023 when the Quey Percussion Duo will bring their unique style of performance to downtown Westfield. Quey (pronounced "Kway") has dazzled audiences worldwide with their unmistakable style that blends traditions of Western and non-Western percussion, contemporary, classical, and popular music to create colorful sound worlds that often place focus on interlocking counterpoint and musical multi-tasking.

The Thalea String Quartet will bring their signature vibrancy to Steeple Concerts on Sunday March 19, 2023. Their dynamic performances reflect the past, present, and the future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. David Harrigton of the revered Kronos Quartet states: "Hearing the Thalea Quartet makes me feel very happy and gives me hope for the future. They are great ambassadors for music."

The season concludes on Sunday, May 21, 2023 with the annual Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church and community with a professional orchestra. The concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting.

The season kicks off on Sunday, September 18th with the Lincoln Trio, described as “sensational,” “bewitching,” and “models of vibrancy and control” by GRAMOPHONE Magazine. The celebrated GRAMMY nominated Chicago-based Lincoln Trio—made up of Desirée Ruhstrat, violin, David Cunliffe, cello, and Marta Aznavoorian, piano—takes its name from their home, the heartland of the United States, the land of Lincoln. As part of Lincoln Trio's commitment to new music as well as under-represented composers, this program will highlight trios by women:

Soliloquy -Shalumit Ran
...a circle around the sun... -Augusta Read Thomas
Sanctuary -Stacy Garrop
from The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires -Astor Piazzolla
Silver Dagger -Stacy Garrop
Piano Trio -Rebecca Clarke

The trio, formed in 2003, has been praised for its polished presentations of well-known chamber works and its ability to forge new paths with contemporary repertoire. The group's reputation as a first-rate ensemble draws an eclectic audience of sophisticated music lovers, young admirers of contemporary programs and students discovering chamber music for the first time.

Bringing together performing experience spanning the globe, each member is an artist of international renown. Violinist Desirée Ruhstrat has performed throughout the US and Europe, appearing at the White House and performing on live radio broadcast heard around the world with the Berlin Radio Orchestra; cellist David Cunliffe has performed with the BBC and Royal Scottish orchestras as well as touring as a member of the Balanescu Quartet; pianist Marta Aznavoorian has garnered critical acclaim for her engagements with orchestras and concert halls worldwide including Chicago Symphony Center, John F, Kennedy Center and the Sydney Opera House.

The trio has performed throughout the United States, including appearances at Carnegie's Weil Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Bryant Park Festival, Ravinia Festival, Green Center, Barge Music, Poisson Rouge, the Indianapolis Symphony Beethoven Chamber Music Series, University of Chicago, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series and in Springfield, Illinois, where the trio was chosen to celebrate the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial celebration with President Barack Obama.

International engagements include performances throughout Europe, Asia and South America.

Valuing the importance of cultural diversity in music, the trio are strong supporters of the Chinese Fine Arts Society and the Korean Sejong Cultural Society which has commissioned three works based on Korean themes to be premiered at the University of Chicago and recorded by the Lincoln Trio in 2013.

The Trios extensive discography for the Cedille label includes the entire works for Strings and Piano by Joaquin Turina and their debut album "Notable Women”, which features Grammy and Pulitzer prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon, Joan Tower, Lera Auerbach, Stacy Garrop, Augusta Read Thomas and Laura Schwendinger. Their CD's have received numerous accolades including NAXOS CD of the Month, Baker and Taylor CD Hotlist, Byzantion Recording of the month, TPR Classical Spotlighted album, WQXR/Q2 Music Album of the week, UK Observer Hidden Gems and was listed on Alex Ross of the New Yorker Magazine “Nightafternight playlist for summer's end” and Fanfare magazine “Want List” Other releases on the Cedille label include "Composers In the Loft", "In Eleanors Words: Music of Stacy Garrop" and "The Billy Collins Suite". August 2016 saw the release of their latest CD “Trio’s From Our Homelands” featuring the works of Rebecca Clarke, Arno Babajanian and Frank Martin. The CD was nominated for a 2017 Grammy in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance Category.

2013 saw the critically acclaimed and GRAMMY nominated release on the NAXOS label of "Annelies" based on the Diary of Anne Frank with Westminster Williamson Voices, Clarinetist Bharat Chandra and soprano Arianna Zukerman. The Midwest premiere was given at the Ravinia Festival in February 2013 with the Chicago Children's Choir and was the featured concluding event of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's 20th Anniversary Tour of the United States in Chicago at the Harris Theatre. In 2017 the trio performed throughout the US and Canada and travelled to Germany and South America where they toured throughout Colombia and Ecuador performing Beethoven's Triple Concerto.

The season continues on Sunday, November 13th with saxophonist Jonathan Wintringham, cellist Clancy Newman, and pianist/composer Michael Djupstrom in an eclectic presentation of familiar names arranged for this unique ensemble as well as world premieres of newly-written works. Wintringham has been described as "a major force in the saxophone world... absolutely stunning...nothing short of a virtuoso" by the American Record Guide.

On Sunday January 22, 2023 the Quey Percussion Duo will bring their unique style of performance to downtown Westfield. Quey (pronounced "Kway") has dazzled audiences worldwide with their unmistakable style that blends traditions of Western and non-Western percussion, contemporary, classical, and popular music to create colorful sound worlds that often place focus on interlocking counterpoint and musical multi-tasking.

The Thalea String Quartet will bring their signature vibrancy to Steeple Concerts on Sunday March 19, 2023. Their dynamic performances reflect the past, present, and the future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. David Harrigton of the revered Kronos Quartet states: "Hearing the Thalea Quartet makes me feel very happy and gives me hope for the future. They are great ambassadors for music."

The season concludes on Sunday, May 21, 2023 with the annual Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church and community with a professional orchestra. The concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting.

Depending on current state recommendations, we may offer a streaming video performance in lieu of a concert with audience present. More information about our COVID safety protocol is available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org.

Season subscriptions, as well as tickets to individual concerts, are also available on the Steeple Concerts website. Adult subscriptions to the full season are priced at $110 (a savings of $25 off the individual ticket prices), with student subscriptions at $50. Individual tickets to the first four concerts are $25 for adults and $10 for students, with tickets for the Masterworks Concert priced at $35 for adults and $15 for students.

Steeple Concerts is proud to announce our next season of world-class music coming to downtown Westfield. This year's lineup features a piano trio, a saxophone trio, a percussion duo, a string quartet, and the annual Masterworks finale. All concerts are scheduled at 5:00 on Sunday afternoons at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ.

The season kicks off on Sunday, September 18th with the Lincoln Trio, described as “sensational,” “bewitching,” and “models of vibrancy and control” by GRAMOPHONE Magazine. The trio has been praised for its polished presentations of well-known chamber works and its ability to forge new paths with contemporary repertoire. The group's reputation as a first-rate ensemble draws an eclectic audience of sophisticated music lovers, young admirers of contemporary programs, and students discovering chamber music for the first time.

The season continues on Sunday, November 13th with saxophonist Jonathan Wintringham, cellist Clancy Newman, and pianist/composer Michael Djupstrom in an eclectic presentation of familiar names arranged for this unique ensemble as well as world premieres of newly-written works. Wintringham has been described as "a major force in the saxophone world... absolutely stunning...nothing short of a virtuoso" by the American Record Guide.

On Sunday January 22, 2023 the Quey Percussion Duo will bring their unique style of performance to downtown Westfield. Quey (pronounced "Kway") has dazzled audiences worldwide with their unmistakable style that blends traditions of Western and non-Western percussion, contemporary, classical, and popular music to create colorful sound worlds that often place focus on interlocking counterpoint and musical multi-tasking.

The Thalea String Quartet will bring their signature vibrancy to Steeple Concerts on Sunday March 19, 2023. Their dynamic performances reflect the past, present, and the future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. David Harrigton of the revered Kronos Quartet states: "Hearing the Thalea Quartet makes me feel very happy and gives me hope for the future. They are great ambassadors for music."

The season concludes on Sunday, May 21, 2023 with the annual Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church and community with a professional orchestra. The concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting.

Depending on current state recommendations, we may offer a streaming video performance in lieu of a concert with audience present. More information about our COVID safety protocol is available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org.

Season subscriptions, as well as tickets to individual concerts, are also available on the Steeple Concerts website. Adult subscriptions to the full season are priced at $110 (a savings of $25 off the individual ticket prices), with student subscriptions at $50. Individual tickets to the first four concerts are $25 for adults and $10 for students, with tickets for the Masterworks Concert priced at $35 for adults and $15 for students.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is excited to present Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 “Lobgesang” at 5pm on Sunday May 15. The concert will be at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ.

The 2021-22 Steeple Concerts at St. Paul's season concludes with the annual Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church and community with full orchestra and soloists. The concert is always a highlight of the year and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and professional orchestra in a live setting. This year we will be presenting Felix Mendelssohn's thrilling Symphony No. 2 "Lobgesang". The “song of praise” was originally penned by Mendelssohn in 1840 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the invention of the printing press. The music and text are uplifting throughout and speak extensively of coming out of darkness and into light. Given the uncertainty of the past two years, it seemed a fitting way to return to presenting live choral music!

Following State of NJ and Diocesan guidelines this past year, we are limiting our concert to approximately 60 minutes in length with no intermission. Concertgoers may opt to wear a mask while in the building and audience members will be asked to remain seated in their assigned pew for the duration of the concert. The guidelines and concert programs are subject to revision, and concerts may be streamed online in lieu of in-person attendance depending on updated state guidelines.

Tickets and information are available at SteepleConcerts.org or at the door. Tickets for the Masterworks Concert are priced at $35 for adults and $15 for students. Parking for the concert is available in the St. Paul’s parking lot off Euclid Avenue or on St. Paul’s Street next to the church.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is excited to present a concert by the New York-based brass quartet, The Westerlies, at 5pm on Sunday, March 27. The concert will be at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ.

Hailed by The New York Times as “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk,” the quartet is composed of Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet, and Andy Clausen and Willem de Koch on trombone. The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along. They explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both "folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music).

The Westerlies are the first small ensemble-in-residence at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School. Childhood friends from Seattle, The Westerlies return there annually to produce a music festival called Westerlies Fest, which combines evening performances featuring numerous guest artists, an all-day open-to-the-public creative music jamboree, and workshops in local public schools.

Following State of NJ and Diocesan guidelines, we are limiting our concerts to approximately 60 minutes in length with no intermission. All concertgoers may wear a mask while in the building and audience members will be asked to remain seated in their assigned pew for the duration of the concert. The guidelines and concert programs are subject to revision, and concerts may be streamed online in lieu of in-person attendance depending on updated state guidelines.

Tickets to the concert are priced at $25 for adults and $10 for students, and are available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org. More information about the Masterworks Concert in May is also available on the Steeple Concerts website. Parking for the concert is available in the St. Paul’s parking lot off Euclid Avenue or on St. Paul’s Street next to the church.

Internationally respected baroque cellist and violist da gamba Shirley Hunt brings fierce imagination and integrity to the music of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Contemporary eras. Praised by The Strad as “stylish and accomplished,” she embraces an eclectic musical life as a multi-instrumental soloist and collaborator. Ms. Hunt recently released her third album, which is part of an ambitious recording project featuring Bach’s complete Cello Suites and Sonatas for Viola da gamba and harpsichord performed on an array of period instruments. In high demand as viola da gamba soloist and continuo cellist for the Passions, Cantatas, and Concertos of J.S. Bach, Ms. Hunt performs and records extensively with the nation's leading period instrument ensembles. She is a founding member of the Cramer Quartet, a period instrument string quartet performing classical and early romantic repertoire. As a chamber musician, she has performed at the Morgan Library & Museum, the Library of Congress, Caramoor, La Jolla Music Society SummerFest, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Philadelphia native Sylvia Berry has performed extensively at home and abroad as a soloist and chamber musician. Hailed by Early Music America as "a complete master of rhetoric, whether in driving passagework or [in] cantabile adagios,” she is known not only for her exciting performances, but for her engaging commentary about the music and the instruments she plays. Her disc of Haydn's London Sonatas - recorded for Acis on an 1806 Broadwood - garnered critical acclaim. A review in Fanfare enthused, “To say that Berry plays these works with vim, vigor, verve, and vitality, is actually a bit of an understatement.”

Ms. Berry is one of North America's leading exponents of the fortepiano, as well as other historical keyboard instruments, including the harpsichord, virginal, and clavichord. She dedicates herself to the performance practices of the 18th and early 19th centuries, with an avid interest in the sociological phenomena surrounding the music of that period. In addition to her performing activities, Ms. Berry is a respected scholar and has written and lectured widely on these topics.

The Steeple Concert season continues on Sunday, March 27, with a concert that showcases The Westerlies, a brass quartet based in New York with a program that will explore jazz, roots and chamber music influences.

The season concludes on Sunday, May 15, with the traditional Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church with orchestra. The concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting.

Tickets and information for all individual concerts are available on the Steeple Concerts website. Individual tickets to the first four concerts are $25 for adults and $10 for students, with tickets for the Masterworks Concert priced at $35 for adults and $15 for students.

Min Kwon has been praised in Piano magazine for her “captivating enthusiasm, superb technique, warm emotional lyricism, and explosive energy”. She has performed as soloist with the Philadelphia, Atlanta, and New Jersey orchestras, as well as others in the US, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. As a solo and chamber music recitalist, she has performed at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall and in other cities around the globe.

This summer Min Kwon premiered America/Beautiful, a project in which she commissioned a diverse group of more than 70 of today’s leading American composers to each compose a variation on “America the Beautiful.” The goal of the project was to paint a sonic picture of her adopted country in all of its sprawling complexity, and ultimately try to find the beauty at the core of the American experiment and its credo of 'e pluribus unum' (out of many, one). The series of concerts were streamed online beginning on July 4 of this year.

Min Kwon holds Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, and has completed post-doctoral studies in Salzburg. Dr. Kwon is Professor of Piano at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, since 2002 and is also the founder and director of the Center for Musical Excellence (CME), a non-profit dedicated to mentoring and supporting gifted young musicians. Dr. Kwon is a Steinway Artist.

The Steeple Concert season continues on Sunday, January 23, which brings the internationally respected baroque cellist and violist da gamba Shirley Hunt and one of North America's leading exponents of historical keyboard instruments, Sylvia Berry, to downtown Westfield.

Sunday, March 27, showcases The Westerlies, a brass quartet based in New York with a program that will explore jazz, roots and chamber music influences.

The season concludes on Sunday, May 15, with the traditional Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church with orchestra. The concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting.

Tickets and information for all individual concerts are available on the Steeple Concerts website. Individual tickets to the first four concerts are $25 for adults and $10 for students, with tickets for the Masterworks Concert priced at $35 for adults and $15 for students.

Steeple Concerts will launch the 2021-22 season with a performance by the prestigious Tesla Quartet. Tesla is praised for their “superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless of era, style, or technical demand” (The International Review of Music). Now in their second decade, the quartet performs regularly across North America, Europe, as well as touring in Asia and Brazil. Recent highlights include their debut at New York’s Lincoln Center, a return to London’s Wigmore Hall, and performances at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall as winners of the prestigious John Lad Prize.

This “technically superb” string quartet “brings refinement and prowess to both new and established repertoire” (The Strad). Formed at The Juilliard School in 2008, Tesla quickly established itself as one of the most promising young ensembles in New York, and has quickly proven to be one of the most in-demand American string quartets on today's concert scene.

The program will includes works by Franz Schubert (String Quartet No. 15 in G major) and Caroline Shaw (Plan & Elevation: The Grounds of Dumbarton Oaks). In 2013, Ms. Shaw (b. 1981) became the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her composition Partita for 8 Voices.

The season continues on Sunday, November 14, when Steeple Concerts will present pianist Min Kwon in a solo recital. Dr. Kwon has appeared as soloist with distinguished orchestras across the US and around the world.

The concert on Sunday, January 23 brings the internationally respected baroque cellist and violist da gamba Shirley Hunt and one of North America's leading exponents of historical keyboard instruments, Sylvia Berry, to downtown Westfield.

Sunday, March 27, showcases The Westerlies, a brass quartet based in New York with a program that will explore jazz, roots and chamber music influences.

The season concludes on Sunday, May 15, with the traditional Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church with orchestra. The concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting.

Season subscriptions, as well as tickets to individual concerts, are also available on the Steeple Concerts website. Adult subscriptions to the full season are priced at $100 (a savings of $35 off the individual ticket prices), with student subscriptions at $40. Individual tickets to the first four concerts are $25 for adults and $10 for students, with tickets for the Masterworks Concert priced at $35 for adults and $15 for students.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is proud to announce its program for the 2021-2022 season. We are excited to return to providing in-person concert experiences in Westfield and to welcome our audience to share the joy of live music in a beautiful setting. The season includes five concerts featuring a varied mix of instrumental and vocal music. During these unusual times, we are planning to offer the season in the safest possible way for our audience and musicians. All concerts are scheduled at 5:00 on Sunday afternoons at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ.

The season opens on Sunday, September 26, with the Tesla Quartet, a string quartet praised for their “superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless of era, style, or technical demand” (The International Review of Music). Now entering its second decade, the quartet performs regularly across North America and Europe, with recent highlights including their debut at New York’s Lincoln Center, a return to London’s Wigmore Hall, and performances at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall as winners of the prestigious John Lad Prize. Formed at The Juilliard School in 2008, the quartet quickly established itself as one of the most promising young ensembles in New York and has released two albums on the Orchid Classics label.

On Sunday, November 14, Steeple Concerts will present Korean-born American pianist Min Kwon in a solo recital. Dr. Kwon is Professor of Piano at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and has appeared as soloist with distinguished orchestras across the US and around the world. In addition, she has been acclaimed for her solo recital and chamber music performances, with The New York Concert Review praising her “impassioned performance, in full technical command.”

The concert on January 23 brings the duo of Shirley Hunt, cellist, and Sylvia Berry, keyboardist, to Westfield. Internationally respected baroque cellist and violist da gamba Shirley Hunt brings fierce imagination and integrity to the music of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Contemporary eras. Praised by The Strad as “stylish and accomplished,” she embraces an eclectic musical life as a multi-instrumental soloist and collaborator. Ms. Berry is one of North America's leading exponents of the fortepiano (a late 18th-century and early 19th-century predecessor of the modern concert grand piano), as well as other historical keyboard instruments, including the harpsichord, virginal, and clavichord. The concert will feature Ms. Berry on music performed on both harpsichord and fortepiano.

Sunday, March 27, showcases The Westerlies, a brass quartet. Based in New York, the group is made up of four childhood friends from Seattle and features music for two trumpets and two trombones. Their programs explore jazz, roots and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both "folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music). The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along. Starting in Fall 2021, The Westerlies will be the first small ensemble-in-residence at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School.

The season concludes on Sunday, May 15, with the traditional Masterworks Concert featuring the choir of St. Paul’s Church with orchestra. The concert is always a highlight of the season and offers an opportunity to hear major works for chorus and orchestra in a live setting. 

Following State of NJ and Diocesan guidelines, we are currently shortening our concerts to approximately 60 minutes in length with no intermission. According to current guidelines, all concertgoers must wear a mask at all times while in the building and audience members will be asked to remain seated in their assigned pew for the duration of the concert. These guidelines and concert programs are subject to revision, and concerts may be streamed online in lieu of in-person attendance depending on updated state guidelines. More information about the season is available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org.

Season subscriptions, as well as tickets to individual concerts, are also available on the Steeple Concerts website. Adult subscriptions to the full season are priced at $100 (a savings of $35 off the individual ticket prices), with student subscriptions at $40. Individual tickets to the first four concerts are $25 for adults and $10 for students, with tickets for the Masterworks Concert priced at $35 for adults and $15 for students.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s will present a live streaming solo recital by cellist Oliver Herbert at 6pm on Sunday, March 21. This program is the fourth in the “Season of Soloist” at Steeple Concerts. The concert may be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEuEtvjy3kTyNDEm-18e11A. Details about links to this concert and upcoming programs are available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org.

Mr. Herbert hails from San Francisco. His performances have been acclaimed for the “very vocal approach to his playing” with praise that “regardless of the technical demands he makes his cello sing”. Oliver’s recent solo and recital appearances include debuts with the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, among others. Oliver has worked with renowned conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Juanjo Mena, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Among his recordings is a performance of Haydn’s Cello Concert in D with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony.

liver’s most recent competition awards include a top prize and special prize in the XI Witold Lutoslawski International Cello Competition in 2018 and first prize and Pablo Casals prize in the 2015 Irving M. Klein International String Competition. Oliver is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Carter Brey and Peter Wiley. He currently plays on a 1769 Guadagnini cello that belonged to the great Italian cellist Antonio Janigro, on generous loan from the Janigro family.

Following current guidelines, this program will be offered as a streaming video performance in lieu of an in-person concert. While tickets are not required, donations are encouraged to help cover the cost of presenting this professional live music event as part of the Steeple Concert series. Donations may be made online at https://www.steepleconcerts.org/donate.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is presented by the Friends of Music, a 501(c)3 organization devoted to presenting the arts in Westfield.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s will present a live online solo recital by harpist Bridget Kibbey at 6pm on Sunday, January 24, as part of its 2020-2021 season. Ms. Kibbey will perform an eclectic program ranging from music of the 18th century to contemporary compositions for solo harp from St. Paul’s Church in Westfield, NJ. The concert may be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEuEtvjy3kTyNDEm-18e11A.

You may be familiar with J. S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, one of the most familiar pieces in the organ repertoire and well-known from film and recordings, but you probably have never heard it performed on the harp! Ms. Kibbey’s performance will open the concert with a different take on an often-performed composition. The first part of the program continues with two selections from Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier, performed on the solo harp rather than the more familiar harpsichord or piano. The second part of the program moves to the 20th and 21st centuries, with works by Albéniz, D’Rivera, and Grandjany, as well as a new work by Manuel Valera. 

Called “a Yo-Yo Ma of the harp” by Vogue magazine, Ms. Kibbey has fast gained a reputation for her diverse, energetic programming that spans the baroque, French masterworks, and rhythmic migration in South America. She has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and is a winner of a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Premiere Prix at the Journées de les Harpes Competition in Arles, France. Her debut album, Love is Come Again, was named one of the Top Ten Releases by Time Out New York.

Following current NJ state and church guidelines, this program will be offered as a streaming video performance in lieu of an in-person concert with audience. While tickets are not required to view the online concert, donations are encouraged to help cover the cost of presenting this professional live music event as part of the Steeple Concert series. Donations may be made online at https://www.steepleconcerts.org/donate.

The recital is the third concert in the Steeple Concerts 2020-2021 season. The next program will feature a performance by solo cellist Oliver Herbert on March 21. Depending upon conditions at the time of the March concert, we hope to be able to offer in-person attendance for the performance again. 

Details about this concert and the upcoming season program are available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org. Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is presented by the Friends of Music, a 501(c)3 organization devoted to presenting the arts in Westfield.

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is proud to present renowned pianist Daniel Epstein in recital on Sunday, November 8. In anticipation of Beethoven’s 250th birthday on December 16, the concert will include his Piano Sonata #31 in A-flat major, Op. 110, together with music by Bach and Liszt. The Beethoven sonata is one of his last three piano sonatas, which were composed between 1820 and 1822 and which are considered some of the greatest works in the piano literature. Together with the Ninth Symphony, Missa Solemnis, and final string quartets, these sonatas comprise some of Beethoven’s final compositions.

The same program will be presented twice, at 3pm and 6pm. Following NJ state guidelines, we are restricting our audience size to fifty members per concert and shortening each concert to approximately 45 minutes in length. All concertgoers must wear a mask at all times while in the building and audience members will be asked to remain seated in their assigned pew for the duration of the concert.

Daniel Epstein is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where he studied with Adele Marcus. Mr. Epstein gained international attention in 1973 as the first American to perform the Yellow River Concerto with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, just before their historic tour of China. He has appeared as guest soloist with major symphony orchestras including those of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Detroit, and Rochester. As the pianist and founding member of the famed Raphael Trio, Daniel Epstein has performed virtually the entire piano trio repertoire. He has also collaborated with many renowned string quartets, as well as with many other distinguished chamber musicians and soloists. Mr. Epstein is a member of the piano faculties of Manhattan School of Music and Rutgers University.

The recital is the second of four concerts in the Steeple Concerts 2020-2021 season. The final two programs will feature solo performances by harpist Bridget Kibbey and cellist Oliver Herbert. Advance purchase of tickets is required due to capacity limitations and the collection of necessary information for contact tracing for the 3pm and 6pm performances on each date. Depending on current state recommendations, we may offer a streaming video performance in lieu of a concert with audience present.

Tickets to the concert are $25 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets and details about this concert and upcoming programs for the season are available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org.

St. Paul’s Church is located at 414 East Broad Street in downtown Westfield, NJ. Free parking is available in the parking lot adjacent to the church or on St. Paul’s Street on the south side of the church. Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is presented by the Friends of Music, a 501(c)3 organization devoted to presenting the arts in Westfield.

Join us to experience the thrilling experience of live music and celebrate Beethoven’s 250th on Sunday, November 8!

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is excited to announce the first concert of its 2020-21 “Season of Soloists.” On Sunday, September 27, acclaimed organist Joshua Stafford will perform on the 2004 Cornel Zimmer organ at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Westfield, NJ. The same program will be presented twice, at 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

Mr. Stafford is the 2016 Pierre S. du Pont First Prize winner of the prestigious Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and his Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music as a student of Thomas Murray. His performances have been hailed as “technically flawless yet exceptionally nuanced and spontaneous.” His concert programs almost always include a major organ transcription in addition to the standard organ repertoire. Mr. Stafford is the Director of Music at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown, New Jersey.

Future programs in the season will feature solo performances by pianist Daniel Epstein, harpist Bridget Kibbey, and cellist Oliver Herbert. Steeple Concerts will follow all of the safety measures required by the mandates of the Governor of New Jersey and the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey in staging these concerts. More information about our COVID precautions can be found on our website.

Advance purchase of tickets is encouraged due to capacity limitations for the 3pm and 6pm performances on each date. Tickets to the concert are $25 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets and details about this concert and upcoming programs for the season are available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org.

Season subscriptions are also available on the website. 

In light of the ongoing emergency surrounding the COVID-19, we have carefully considered the health and safety of our patrons, musicians, and staff; therefore, with deep regret, we must postpone the remaining two concerts of our 2019-20 season. The good news is that The Westerlies, originally scheduled to perform for us this coming Sunday, will perform in November as part of our 2020-2021 season! We also expect to present our 2020 Masterworks at St. Paul’s program, “Beethoven & Dvorák,” in May 2021. Watch www.steepleconcerts.org for details.

If you have already purchased tickets to either of the postponed concerts, you have the option to turn your payment into a 100% tax-deductible contribution to the Friends of Music at St. Paul’s, primary sponsor of our Steeple Concert series, or you may use your tickets at the corresponding concert in our next season. To inform us of your choice, please email us at info@steepleconcerts.org or reply to this email.

While we are deeply saddened that we must postpone the remainder of our 2019-2020 season, you can be sure that we are already hard at work developing our 2020-2021 season! Thank you for all that you do to support the Steeple Concerts series, and we wish you health and peace in these challenging times. 

The Westerlies postponed

Following the actions of many organizations, Steeple Concerts at St. Paul's has made the decision to postpone our upcoming March 29th concert featuring The Westerlies.  We feel this decision, while difficult, is in the best interest of our audience members, our guest artists, and our wider community.

We are in the process of working with the artists to reschedule for our upcoming 2020-21 season. If you have already purchased a concert ticket, please be assured your ticket will be honored for the new date. In the event you are unable to attend on the new date, your ticket will be honored at a similar concert during the 2020-21 season. If you prefer to receive a refund, please contact us at info@steepleconcerts.org
 

Rehearsals for Masterworks Concert to be delayed

The Masterworks choir was scheduled to begin rehearsals for the annual Masterworks concert "Beethoven & Dvorak" this coming Monday evening. Due to the COVID outbreak and for the safety of our singers, we will postpone the beginning of rehearsals until Monday April 6th.  We hope to have more clarity by then and ask for your cooperation and understanding as we all navigate these unprecedented times together. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Artistic Director Mark Hyczko at mhyczko@stpaulswestfield.org

Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s will present violinist Lara St. John and jazz pianist Matt Herskowitz at 5:00 pm on Sunday, November 17 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ. Free parking is available in the parking lot adjacent to the church or on St. Paul’s Street on the south side of the church.

Lara St. John has long been a collector of music from Eastern Europe, beginning with her first trip to Hungary at 11 years old. She met jazz pianist Matt Herskowitz several years ago, and he proved a catalyst to her idea that some of these tunes might be well heard anew. The program includes songs from Armenia, Palestine, the Jewish Diaspora, Russia, Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, Romania, and Hungary. Some are fully written, some are partly improvised, but they all come from tunes that she has known and loved for years.

Ms. St. John began playing the violin when she was two years old. She made her first appearance as soloist with orchestra at age four and began studying at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia at 13. She has performed around the world as a soloist with the orchestras of Cleveland, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, and with the Boston Pops, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, among many others. The Los Angeles Times wrote “Lara St. John happens to be a volcanic violinist with a huge, fabulous tone that pours out of her like molten lava. She has technique to burn and plays at a constant high heat.” Her album, Bach: The Six Sonatas and Partitas, of music for solo violin was the best-selling double album on iTunes in 2007. 

Pianist, composer, and arranger Matt Herskowitz is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. His work combines the superlative technique of a classical virtuoso with prowess in jazz, world music and free improvisation.

Tickets to the concert are $25 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets and details about upcoming programs are available on the Steeple Concerts website at www.steepleconcerts.org and at the door. Steeple Concerts at St. Paul’s is presented by the Friends of Music, a 501(c)3 organization devoted to presenting the arts in Westfield.

Steeple Concerts is thrilled to present Lara St. John at St. Paul’s for the second program of the 2019-20 season. Join us on November 17 in Westfield!