During difficult times in my life, I have often poured myself a glass of wine and listened to Beethoven’s Cavatina movement from his string quartet work, Op. 130, late into the night. The middle section gives away to the most gut-wrenching sorrow, ever searching for meaning in a desolate landscape, and led by plaintive contemplation by the first violin while the other instruments listen on like heartbeats. And slowly, the other instruments begin to swell in with chords, at first full of vulnerability but giving way to all four instruments expressing tenderness and hope.
Time and again over the last two years, the thing I have heard most is how much people miss the sense of joy, community, and inspiration that comes from our intimate concert experience. Our online “comMITMent” programming — full of exclusive performances, live Zoom calls with deep dives on musical topics, and conversations with our founder June Goldsmith and some of MITM’s favourite artists — buoyed our hopes that we would be together again. Last season, we were able to open to limited capacity (though not without Covid disruption!) and share meaningfully the core experiences of the Music In The Morning ethos.
I am delighted to welcome you to the 2022-23 season which was forged with a spirit of optimism and hope, contemplated when the possibility of live music seemed far-fetched. This year, your subscription includes nine (yes, 9!) concerts instead of eight. This is driven by the launch of a new two-week ensemble residency with the Canadian-American Viano String Quartet. The residency rhymes with the legacy set by our founder, who herself forged a deep relationship with the St Lawrence String Quartet, our Honourary Artist Patrons. Read on to learn more about the inaugural June Goldsmith String Quartet-in-Residence in March!
And, of course, I had to have the intrepid Viano play Beethoven’s Cavatina!
Adrian Fung
Executive and Artist Director
