The Grammy and Emmy Award winning, genre-defying Time For Three makes its Music Worcester debut  at the Jean McDonough Arts Center’s BrickBox Theater. At 20 Franklin St. in Worcester. Time For Three defies convention and boundaries by showcasing excellence across different genres, including classical music, Americana, and singer-songwriter. Their unique sound captivates audiences, immersing them in a musical experience that merges various eras, styles, and traditions of Western music. Consisting of Charles Yang (violin, vocals), Nicolas “Nick” Kendall (violin, vocals), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals), Time For Three combines their instruments and voices for a remarkable auditory experience, establishing a distinct voice of expression that resonates with listeners worldwide. “Music Worcester has been eagerly looking forward to Time For Three’s area debut to help conclude our 2024-2025 Season,” stated Adrien C. Finlay, Executive Director. “May 14 will certainly serve as a performance to remember, with the trio coaching area high school string students to join them on stage for JOY, Time for Three’s re-imagining of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”. Being able to bring such acclaimed musicians into area schools helps further the organization’s work in inspiring life-long engagement with the performing arts.” The trio’s longstanding history of collaboration with contemporary classical composers continues to thrive. They have worked closely with esteemed artists such as Chris Brubeck and Pulitzer Prize winners William Bolcom and Jennifer Higdon. Their commission, Contact, composed by Pulitzer Prize winner Kevin Puts, premiered with the San Francisco Symphony and The Philadelphia Orchestra in the summer of 2022. This extraordinary piece, alongside Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto 4-3, was released on Deutsche Gramophone under the album title Letters for the Future. Conducted by Xian Zhang, the album’s exceptional quality propelled it onto the Billboard top 10 Classical Recordings charts. Additionally, it received a Grammy win in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category. Renowned for their charismatic and energetic performances, Time for Three has garnered praise from respected outlets including NPR, NBC, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Sun-Times. They have graced illustrious stages such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and The Royal Albert Hall, effortlessly adapting their inimitable and versatile style to intimate venues like Joe’s Pub in New York or Yoshi’s in San Francisco. Time for Three was featured on the acclaimed “Night of the Proms” tour, sharing stages with renowned artists like Chaka Khan and Ronan Keating across several European countries. Their collaborations span a diverse range of artists, including Ben Folds, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Bell, Aoife O’Donovan, Natasha Bedingfield, and Arlo Guthrie. Tickets and information for all Music Worcester events can be found at www.worcester.org

MAY 17 (8pm): WORCESTER CHORUS…SINGING WORKS BY HANDEL AND CHARPENTIER

The Worcester Chorus closes Music Worcester’s 2024-2025 Season singing George Frideric Handel’s Dixit Dominus (conducted by Chris Shepard) and Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum (conducted by Mark Mummert). The performance takes place at Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street in Worcester. Featured soloists for Te Deum includes Louise Fauteux, soprano; Erica Mass, soprano; Megan Roth, mezzo-soprano; Timothy Parsons, countertenor; Travis Benoit, tenor; Michael McAvaney, tenor; Jermaine Woodard, baritone; and John Salvi, bass. “This concert is ‘Bach-adjacent’” said Chris Shepard.  “In it, we explore two styles of music that were hugely influential on the music of J.S. Bach. Charpentier was a leading composer of the French court of Versailles, and Handel, while born near Bach in Germany, wrote his Dixit Dominus as a young man in Italy. It was Bach’s genius to marry the French, Italian and German styles in his own unique way – this concert is a wonderful way to see those important influences in a pure form! “French baroque composer Charpentier’s work for five soloists and chamber ensemble is gorgeous to program, allowing listeners to hear the interaction between voice and ensemble in a very intimate setting,” explained Shepard. “Te Deum references Latin Christian hymns; there are multiple pieces of music each written for celebration. Paired with Handel’s Dixit Dominus – a work that is said to be one of Handel’s finest works – these choral compositions celebrate the expansive sound of choir with instrumental setting.” Tickets for this sure to be outstanding performance can be found at www.musicworcester.org

MAY 22 (7:30pm): BOSTON PUBLIC QUARTET PRESENT A RADICAL WELCOME…SOURCE CODE

The Strand Theatre, located at 543 Columbia Ave. in Boston is hosting this “Pay What You Want” concert by the Boston Public Quartet (BPQ). This outstanding group will present a program celebrating the music of five landmark women composers from the late romantic period to the present. “We are thrilled to present A Radical Welcome again this year,” said Betsy Hinkle, founder of the Boston Public Quartet. “We encourage the audience to be active participants by joining the musicians in conversations about what they’re experiencing through our music- the energy that flows between us as part of that dialogue is extraordinary!” The five women highlighted in the showcased are ​​French composer Melanie Bonis (1858-1937), Boston’s own Amy Beach (1867-1944), along with contemporary composers Peruvian-American Gabriela Lena Frank, Jamaican-British Eleanor Alberga OBE, and Montgomery. The events subtitle of  Source Code, is borrowed from Jessie Montgomery’s composition of the same name which opens the program. In addition to being Musical America’s 2023 Composer of the Year and a Grammy-winning composer, violinist, and educator, Hinkle describes Jessie as “a close friend of the BPQ.” “They have all created pieces that capture both their own voice along with sounds and rhythms influenced by others,” Hinkle continued.  “During the concert, together with the audience, we’ll decode what those influences, or sources are.  For example, in Jessie’s case, those sources include Alvin Ailey, Langston Hughes and Ella Fitzgerald.” Performers for this program are BPQ’s Betsy Hinkle and Grant Houston, violin; violist Jason Amos;  cellist Nicholas Johnson and Joy Cline Phinney, piano. They will be joined by flutist DeShaun Gordon King. This year’s program features performances in collaboration with students (ranging from primary grades through high school) from two local arts education organizations: Boston-based Music Connects, which is a non-profit organization created to foster youth development and community connection through the craft of string playing. They are joined by Brockton’s Rose Conservatory which  provides access to exceptional arts education and performance for the Brockton community, fostering creativity, artistic growth, and well-being for individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. “Utilizing the entire Strand space, the BPQ and guests will delight the ear, eye, and soul,” explained Hinkle. After Montgomery’s Source Code, “the event will flow and the lines between audience and performer will blur, as well as between student and teacher. As audience participation is core to BPQ events, the musicians will moderate conversations with the concertgoers following each piece, exploring where the music comes from and what it means to us.” Founded in 2007, the Boston Public Quartet is dedicated to normalizing the amplification of historically excluded voices in classical music; musicians, composers, students, and audience members. “Pay What You Want” tickets are available at www.bosttonpublicquartet.com