Musicians from the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel

Chamber Ensemble

Sunday Concert

April 27, 2025, 4-5:30 PM

Program

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847)
String Quintet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 18
Allegro con moto
Intermezzo: Andante sostenuto
Scherzo: Allegro di molto
Allegro vivace

String Quintet No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 87
Allegro vivace
Andante scherzando
Adagio e lento
Allegro molto vivace

In continuation of our long-standing partnership with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, the Phillips welcomes back violist Miguel da Silva who leads a stellar group of young stars on the rise. Founded in 1939, the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel provides training, performance opportunities, and career guidance to young talents from around the globe. A rarity among training institutions, masters-in-residence at the QEMC such as da Silva do not just teach and mentor young artists, they perform with them in professional engagements around the world. They will perform both of Felix Mendelssohn’s string quintets, which follow the mold of Mozart’s quintets that feature a pair of violins and violas and cello. Mendelssohn’s quintets form an intriguing portrait: the Op. 18 quintet is a youthful expression of the composer at age 17 while the Op. 87 quintet, one of the composer’s last works, reflects a maturity of style and polished technique of the composer in his prime.

Presented in partnership with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel.

Inaugurated on 12 July 1939, the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel provides high-level training to exceptional young talents. A training center of excellence with an international scope and reputation, its program is reserved for outstanding musicians in the disciplines of piano, violin, cello, viola, chamber music and voice. At the time of its creation already, the renowned critic Emile Vuillermoz described the Music Chapel as a sort of “modern Villa Medici”.

The customized training of each musician is structured around six main lines. The presence of the masters, who pursue intense professional careers in the music world, is the cornerstone of the curriculum. The master transmits knowledge by informally transmitting his or her professional experience, but also by accompanying and supporting the young talents as they take their first steps in the professional world. Joint performances on stage by the master and the young talents also make up an essential component of this knowledge transmission.

The Music Chapel offers the Artists in Residence the opportunity to perform on stage thanks to a complete program of concerts and recitals in collaboration with various orchestras, festivals and concert halls, as well as thanks to its productions and coproductions. This enables young artists to grow in the presence of different audiences and to then enter the professional world more smoothly. The Music Chapel supports the artists in the early steps of their careers and helps them to establish a name for themselves. The Music Chapel wants to take into account the artistic personality of each artist, but also assist them in their personal development, both mental and physical.

All these activities take place in a space and environment that stimulates concentration, work, meditation, conviviality and interaction. The quality of this exceptional place, the proximity between the Music Chapel team, the faculty and the young musical talents are an integral part of the pedagogical project.