The Second City Chamber Series is hosting its second musical event of 2023 with “There Be CELLOS: A Concert for Cello Ensemble” on Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Gig Harbor. Celebrating their 46th season, the SCCS will feature an eclectic array of all that the instrument can handle, anything from solos to quartets, Vivaldi to Coldplay, and so many others in between. The concert will feature cellists Kevin Krentz, Haeyoon Shin, Jesse Krentz, and Eric Schindler.
Cellos Are the New Cool Music
Dr. Svend Rønning, Artistic Director of the Second City Chamber Series since 2007, is calling the cello the “new cool” of both classical music in general and chamber music in particular. “This program is going to explore music as ancient as Bach as well as contemporary classical music, which audiences will experience as a fusion of pop music, folk music, and classical music. Expect some original compositions, as well as this is going to be an ‘all in the family’ event. Three of the four cellists performing, Kevin Krentz, Haeyoon Shin, and Jesse Krentz, all live under the same roof and regularly perform together.”
So why cellos? Why now? Svend has the perfect answer. “You know ‘The Three Tenors,’ right?” he explains. “The cellos are something like that. They’ve got the passion of the violin but a deeper and richer resonance that seems to connect with audiences today. They sound beautiful individually, with piano, and in choirs of cellos, so they’re versatile — in fact, they’re the only instrument in the orchestra that can play any part, be it soprano, alto, tenor, or bass. And they seem to have carved out a niche for themselves in the world of contemporary pop and folk music as well, which is a fascinating new development. Yo-Yo Ma has shown the world that the cello can do almost anything, and I think the music world has caught on to this fact!”
Svend feels programs such as this improve the community in a number of ways. “Music is an incredibly social human activity,” he says. “We know that music education builds not just character and persistence but also intellect. But more importantly than any of that, it’s just plain fun! We love sharing that joy of music with audiences in intimate settings where the audiences and performers are just a few feet from each other and can really interact, including in conversation before and after the concerts. I’ve been involved in the arts in the South Sound for nearly 25 years, and I’ve watched the fortunes of Pierce County get better and better as its cultural life has expanded and improved. It’s one of the main reasons people want to live in our part of the world!”
Second City Chamber Series “There Be CELLOS”
The Second City Chamber Series was founded by pianists Willa and William Doppmann in 1977. Since then, the SCCS has taken it upon itself to be South Sound’s number-one producer of professional chamber music concerts. Initially performing at the Great Hall of Annie Wright School, the SCCS has expanded across Tacoma and Pierce County. This particular concert will take place at the St. John’s Episcopal Church in Gig Harbor, an exciting departure from the usual Tacoma and Lakewood venues. “We’re so excited to be playing in Gig Harbor!” says Svend. “Lots of our audience members cross the bridges to come to hear us in Tacoma and Lakewood, and we want to return the favor by coming out to you! We’re so looking forward to sharing chamber music with all of you and hope it can become a regular thing — if you show us you’re interested!”
Expect the concert to last anywhere between 90 minutes to two hours long, with an intermission in between. Children are welcome. “Very young children with short attention spans might not be totally comfortable in the audience,” explains Rønning, “but truthfully, most young people should find this concert inspiring. They might even find that some of the performers are younger than they are!”
General admission for “There Be CELLOS” is $35 (plus service fee) and can be purchased in advance here. Everyone 21 and under gets in for free. For more information about the Second City Chambers Series, check out their YouTube channel here. Students that are interested in getting involved in the Young Chamber Players program are encouraged to click here. Find St. John Episcopal Church at 7701 Skansie Avenue in Gig Harbor.
