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ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:
Karen Kevra BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Gibson, chair Judy Cyprian Jessica Della Pepa-Clayton Nat Frothingham Mary Gibson David Gram Tina Muncy Nancy Reid Lawrence Webster 
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About UsIn 1996, Karen Kevra was in her early thirties, and a new young resident of Montpelier living in a circa 1900 two-story house, high up on a hill over-looking downtown. From her porch she could see Hunger Mountain, the Winooski River, and the Vermont Statehouse, and every hour delighted in the ringing of the bells from the City Hall clock-tower. Karen was thrilled to be part of Montpelier's budding arts community which at the time included such gems as The Savory Theater, and Lost Nation Theater. She believed that a Classical chamber music series would be another jewel in the crown of Montpelier, and so in 2000, with the help of some dear friends, and guidance from her mentor Louis Moyse, she founded Capital City Concerts. Built on the "Marlboro" tradition, the late Louis Moyse—a founder of the Marlboro Music Festival—was the inspiration and driving force behind the formation of the Capital City Concerts.
Capital City Concerts is unique among concert series. Unlike many classical concerts series in Vermont, Capital City Concerts is not a presenting organization. One-time concerts are created intended for the CCC audience, which makes for a special bond between the audience and the performers. Among the many outstanding artists whose work Capital City Concerts has presented or commissioned are violinists Jaime Laredo, Laurie Smukler, and Eugene Drucker, the Paris Piano Trio, the Borromeo Quartet, the Formosa Quartet, the Talich Quartet, the Whiffenpoofs of Yale, soprano Hyunah Yu, mezzo-sopranos Julie Boulliane and Sophie Michaux, pianists Jeffrey Chappell, Paul Orgel, and Jeewon Park, cellist Edward Arron, and composers Mohammed Fairouz, Jorge Martin, and Evan Premo. Capital City Concerts has provided outreach opportunities to the community in the form of open rehearsals, workshops, student internships, free interactive performances, as well as performance opportunities for aspiring student musicians.
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Our Mission |
Capital City Concerts contributes to the cultural richness of the Vermont community by organizing and presenting excellent chamber music concerts featuring local and world-renowned musicians, fostering the appreciation of and expanding the audience for music in the classical tradition.
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Our History
Photo by Caleb Kenna
Life in Vermont has brought me incalculable blessings, among them my connection to my dear teacher and mentor Louis Moyse, the guiding inspiration for Capital City Concerts. |
Capital City Concerts was founded in 2000 by Vermont's Grammy-nominated flutist Karen Kevra who tells the story in her own words:
"When I was nine years old my beloved elementary school music teacher drove me and my twin sister to Avery Fisher Hall in New York City to hear the young Michael Tilson Thomas conduct the New York Philharmonic in a matinee children's concert. This was my first experience hearing live classical music. We sat perched in the front row of a balcony taking it all in: The exciting sense of anticipation in the cavernous hall as the musicians warmed up, the sudden and thunderous applause when the conductor wove his way through the string players and on to the podium and then the glorious sounds! When the swirling opening strains of "Morning Mood" from Greig's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 reached my ears, I knew I wanted to become a musician! Fast-forward to 1996, the year I moved to Montpelier. I was committed to raising my son in the Green Mountain State, but it was not easy or practical to make a living as a full-time musician. When I complained to my mentor Louis Moyse (a founder of the Marlboro Music Festival who was by then living in Montpelier and would later help shape Capital City Concerts) about the paucity of performing opportunities in Vermont, he said, "Invite your friends to come and play in Montpelier. Start your own series." And so in 2000, Capital City Concerts was born. Paul Orgel opened the fledgling season with a brilliant solo piano recital, while pianist Jeffrey Chappell closed it by bringing down the house with his performance of "Rhapsody in Blue." Over the years the Capital City Concerts stage has included memorable performances by outstanding string quartets, including the Borromeo, Talich, and Formosa quartets. Notable violinists include Jaime Laredo, Régis Pasquier, Eugene Drucker, Theodore Arm, and Nick Kitchen. Extraordinary pianists have come from across the globe including Jean-Claude Pennetier, Robert McDonald, Jeffrey Chappell, and Jeewon Park. We've served up plenty of sublime Bach over the years (including a recent wildly well-received Magnificat performance) often with the spotlight on exquisite singers like Hyunah Yu, David Arnold, and Julie Boulianne. The core of our work for over two decades has been to bring some of the best classical music on the planet to Montpelier and surrounding towns to the most receptive and appreciative audience anywhere. It's been an honor and my heart's delight to share these musical experiences with you. ~Karen Kevra, Artistic Director |
