Press Release: Springfield Chamber Players Perform in Westfield on April 18

DATELINE: March 14, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Becky Blackburn, Westfield Athenaeum, 413-568--7833 ext 111 or bblackburn@westath.org Robert Lawrence, Springfield Chamber Players (formerly MOSSO) 917-841-3307 or bobdlaw@hotmail.com SPRINGFIELD CHAMBER PLAYERS STRING QUARTET PERFORMS AT WESTFIELD ATHENAEUM ON THURSDAY, APRIL 18 Westfield, MA: The Springfield Chamber Players (formerly MOSSO) bring their String Quartet to The Westfield Athenaeum, as the final concert of their 2023-24 Westfield series on Thursday, April 18, at 7PM. The Athenaeum’s Guy McLain will offer a pre-concert informance (free to ticket holders) at 6PM. The Springfield Chamber Players String Quartet, comprised of violinists Miho Matsuno and Robert Lawrence, violist Martha McAdams, and cellist Patricia Edens, will perform Mozart’s String Quartet No. 4, K. 157; Rachmaninoff’s String Quartet No. 1; the slow movement of Elgar’s String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 83; and Britten’s Simple Symphony Op. 4. Miho Matsuno, a violinist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra since 1992, has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has performed at major concert venues in and around New York City, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Town Hall, and Broadway theaters. Ms. Matsuno was a violin instructor and chamber music coach for 20 years at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City. Ms. Matsuno received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Christine Dethier and Joseph Fuchs. She also attended Mount Holyoke College with a focus on English Literature. A native of Yokohama, Japan, Ms. Matsuno resides in the Riverdale section of New York City. Robert Lawrence, violinist, has had a varied performing career, ranging from Karl Munchinger’s Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra to the acclaimed Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls, starring Nathan Lane and Faith Prince. He studied at Yale University and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy. Bob is currently the director of programming as well as violinist for the All Seasons Chamber Players (NJ), concertmaster of the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, and a longtime member of the first violin section of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. He has frequently served as concertmaster of Opera Saratoga (formerly Lake George Opera Festival) in Saratoga Springs, NY. Bob has also appeared at the Grand Teton, Colorado, and Spoleto Festivals. He has taught privately through the RiverArts program in Westchester, NY since 2005. Martha “Peggy” McAdams received a Bachelor of Music from Hartt College of Music and a Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Raphael Bronstein and Arianna Bronne. She had additional violin studies with Itzhak Perlman and viola studies with William Lincer. Ms. McAdams has performed throughout the East Coast as an ensemble member of the New York Five, Bar Harbor Festival Ensemble, Moments Musical, Seraphim Trio, and Satin Dolls String Quartet. She has appeared as a guest artist with the Kosciuszko Foundation Chamber Music Series, Craftsbury Players and Bronx Arts Ensemble, and recorded on Cottage Records. Ms. McAdams is a longtime member of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and has played with many orchestral ensembles, including the American Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Westchester Philharmonic, Long Island Philharmonic, and Queens Symphony. She has performed in numerous Broadway shows and has toured with various ensembles to Europe, Asia, and South America. Patricia Edens, cellist, toured throughout the U.S. as principal cellist with the New York City Opera National Company. She has performed with such Broadway shows as Annie Get Your Gun, Annie, and West Side Story, as well as on tour with Andrea Bocelli. She was a featured cellist in performances with the Israeli folk singer Debbie Friedman at Carnegie Hall. She has also appeared with the School of American Ballet Orchestra, Queens Symphony, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and as principal cellist of the Bar Harbor Festival Orchestra and the Jackson Heights (Queens, NY) Orchestra. She is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and the Juilliard School, where she studied with Richard Kapuscinski and Harvey Shapiro. Tickets for the concert, $25.00/person, must be purchased in advance at the Westfield Athenaeum during business hours, or online at https://www.westath.org/ The Springfield Chamber Players (SCP), formerly known as MOSSO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which is not a subsidiary of nor affiliated with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Inc. SCP was organized by the musicians in 2021 to produce and perform concerts in Greater Springfield and Western Massachusetts. To date, they have presented their musicians in pop-up concerts throughout the area; performances with local ensembles, including the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival; two full orchestral performances with Maestro Kevin Rhodes in Springfield’s Symphony Hall; a Sondheim tribute with full orchestra and singers at Symphony Hall; and a recent series of chamber ensemble concerts in Longmeadow, Springfield, and Blandford. The SCP’s Horn Trio, which opened the current season at The Westfield Athenaeum, will perform on the Sevenars series in Worthington, MA this summer. For further information about SCP’s programs, visit SCP at: www.SpringfieldSymphonyMusicians.com or find SCP on Facebook at:Facebook.com/mossomusicians The Westfield Athenaeum, located in downtown Westfield, serves as the cultural center for the city. In addition to an active public library which provides a range of information services, the Athenaeum features an art museum with regular exhibits of regional artists, and a history museum, documenting the history of Westfield and the surrounding region from 1669 to the present day. For information on the Westfield Athenaeum: www.westath.org -30-