This sumptuous program celebrates the French musical voice, with its distinctively dazzling variety of tonal effects. First up, a sextet for winds, strings, and piano by Guillaume Connesson—one of today’s most widely performed French composers—whose music has been called “a celebration of life, filled with joyous melodies, rhythmic vitality, and a sense of wonder" (American Record Guide). An elegiac oboe sonata by Poulenc, dedicated to the memory of his close friend (and bridge partner) Prokofiev, is followed by the gorgeous opulence and exuberance of Faure’s first Piano Quartet. C’est magnifique!

Guillaume Connesson Sextet (1998)
Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, violin; Melissa Reardon, viola; Nathan Farrington, bass; Todd Palmer, clarinet; James Austin Smith, oboe; Henry Kramer, piano

Francis Poulenc Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1962)
James Austin Smith, oboe; Henry Kramer, piano

Claude Debussy (arr. Nathan Farrington) Beau Soir (1880)
Kathleen O’Mara, soprano; Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, violin; Todd Palmer, clarinet; Brant Taylor, cello; Nathan Farrington, bass

Gabriel Fauré Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 15 (1876-1879)
David McCarroll, violin; Melissa Reardon, viola; Angela Park, cello; Henry Kramer, piano

More info + tickets at pcmf.org.