The Sarasa Chamber Music Ensemble performs music from the early baroque through the romantic eras, drawing on a diverse pool of world-class musicians from the USA and Europe.

Sarasa is a collective group of international instrumentalists and vocalists who perform classical music of outstanding quality, and bring this music to diverse communities. Through the ensemble's outreach program in adolescent detention facilities, it is dedicated to bridging cultural, aesthetic, and economic barriers and providing incarcerated teenagers with opportunities for growth and enrichment through music.

For the past several years, First Parish in Concord has hosted the Sarasa ensemble for Sunday evening performances. 

Sunday, November 6, 2011: The Opus 33's: String Quartets of Boccherini and Haydn

The Sarasa Ensemble’s second program in their concert series is devoted to the Opus 33 string quartets of Haydn and Boccherini. Haydn wrote his Opus 33 string quartets in 1781 while in the royal court of Esterhazy. Coincidentally, during the same year Boccherini wrote his Opus 33 string quartets in the royal court in Madrid. This is a wonderful opportunity to discover the similarities of elegance and grace in these string quartets and, of course, their differences. More...

The Sarasa string quartet group made up of leading period instrument performers will be sure to entertain and inform with two quartets from each composer. Led by Elizabeth Blumenstock, considered to be “among the finest Baroque violinists of our time”, the quartet includes Christina Day Martinson, violin; Jenny Stirling, viola; and Timothy Merton, cello.

The Boston Musical Intelligencer had this to say about the Sarasa Ensemble, “… they bring conviction to their roles as entertainers and festive bringers-to-life of repertoire of all periods. It is not uncommon for members of the audience to considerably rethink how they rank the music they have just heard the group perform in fresh, no-holds-barred ways.”

Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin
Christina Day Martinson, violin
Jenny Stirling, viola
Timothy Merton, cello

 
7pm Sunday, November 6, 2011 Parish Hall, First Parish Church (Concord, MA) - ample free parking and wheelchair accessible.

Please visit the SARASA website at www.sarasamusic.org for more information about the Sarasa Chamber Orchestra, its social action work, and its concert performances. From their website, you can become a member of Sarasa and support their activities.