Public Concert: Event Horizon

Ticket info coming soon!

Join us at the Allen Center in Newton for an intimate public performance to close out our 10th season. Event Horizon features Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté's rustic and catchy Tegere Tulon, Valentyn Silvestrov's mesmerizing String Quartet No.1, and Dvořák's monumental "American" String Quintet. In addition, you’ll hear from hosts who have opened their homes to Sheffield over the past decade, and learn how you can share this unique experience with your neighbors, friends and loved ones.

When you host Sheffield Chamber Players, you give your guests the gift of a world-class, intimate concert—right in your living room! We believe chamber music is a powerful tool for connection and community, and our hosts are integral to our unique model of bringing people together.

• “A one-of-a-kind, intimate musical event like no other I’ve experienced.” ~ Joan, guest in Melrose
• “It’s a very moving experience to be so close to such an amazing performance…and to share it with my friends in the community." ~ Mark, host in Winchester
• “You can feel the music as well as hear it.” ~ Geoff and Kathy, guests in Lexington
• "We hold a concert, yes, but we also have a party, and there is nothing that bonds friends closer together than the power of music—and perhaps a few glasses of wine." ~ Robert, host in Brookline
• “We had an amazing night. I was trying to think of the right word to describe it - I'd have to go with magical.” ~ Tonya, host in Melrose

Described by The Boston Globe as “19th-century music salon, minus the aristocratic atmosphere,” Sheffield Chamber Players was founded in 2014 on the belief that chamber music is a powerful tool for connection and community. By performing diverse repertoire in intimate settings, we profoundly change the way listeners gather, respond to the music, and connect through a shared artistic experience. Each season, we play dozens of concerts in a growing network of host homes, as well as historic homes, community spaces, and other intimate venues. We are grateful to have received the Harvard Musical Association’s 2023 George Henschel Community Award for its commitment to building meaningful community through music.

Hosting Sheffield Chamber Players

Hosting a Sheffield concert is just like hosting a party at home, with the addition of an intimate chamber music concert especially for you and your guests, and a reception after the concert for the musicians and audience to meet. Every year we have four expertly curated programs to offer, each of which runs for a set period of time (usually two weeks) during the season (September—June).

I’m interested in hosting—what should I do first?

The first step is to let us know about your interest. Our host relations coordinator, Alex, will visit your home to look at the space and discuss pertinent details.

PROGRAM

With the final program of our 10th anniversary season we celebrate the end of an era and contemplate the beginning of a new one. The works we have selected to mark the occasion explore the magnetic power of horizons and what lies beyond. We'll introduce each half of this program with movements from Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté's Tegere Tulon, which brings us the rustic and catchy beats of children's clapping songs from the remote villages of Mali. Valentyn Silvestrov's mesmerizing String Quartet No.1 has been called one of the most important works of the 20th century. Time seems to stop altogether as we are captivated by the subtle poetry of song and silence in this unearthly masterpiece by one of Ukraine's most celebrated living composers. Dvořák famously expanded his horizons with Native and African American music while visiting the United States towards the end of his life. We cap this program (and our first decade) by expanding our group, adding an extra violist to unleash the festive and monumental "American" String Quintet, written as a direct result of these influences.

Tegere Tulon | Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté (b. 1974)

String Quartet No. 1 | Valentyn Silvestrov (b. 1937)

String Quintet No. 3 | Antonín Dvořák (1841—1904)