Chamber music may not be your thing.
Maybe you prefer rolling down the mountain roads with Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Strait, Eminem or any other musical genre turned all the way up.
Maybe you hit the classical station and immediately change the channel.
But if chamber music is your thing, there is no place like the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau for the next six weeks.
The Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival kicked off its 40th season on Monday with a performance by The Pinchas Zukerman Trio. The group performed Shostakovish’s “Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor” and Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Trio in A Minor” to a full house of chamber music lovers in Cashiers.
The chamber music will continue this week with the first performance in Highlands. On Friday, Chao Ling and Friends will take the stage at 6 p.m. at the Highlands Performing Arts Center to perform Mendelssohn’s “Octet for Strings.” A follow up performance will happen in Cashiers at 5 p.m. on Saturday at The Village Green.
The Rasa Quartet will showcase its talent at 5 p.m. on Sunday at the PAC. The group will travel to Cashiers for a second performance at 5 p.m. on Monday at the Village Green.
Having world class musicians, who expertly handle instruments ranging from flutes to grand pianos, make stops in Highlands and Cashiers is no small undertaking. Each year, Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival Executive Director Nancy Gould-Aaron, her staff and the festival board outdo themselves by booking the very best performers available.
The festival has come a long way in 40 years, from a small gathering in three area churches to packing two renowned performing arts venues. That tradition is almost certain to continue building with such a star-studded lineup in place for 2021.
Chamber music may not be everyone’s favorite, but for those who love it the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival continues to be a must-see event each year.