August 8: DUELING STRINGS – Chamber Music Festival 2026

August 8 | 5 pm | Orcas Center | 917 Mt Baker Rd

The Orcas Chamber Music Festival opens with two special performances featuring the Miró Quartet on Friday, August 7, at 7 pm and Saturday, August 8, at 5 pm.

Before each performance, guests are invited to attend a special pre-concert talk featuring luthier Athulya Monica Gehrig for a rare discussion on instrument making.

The talks will take place at 6 pm on Friday, August 7 and 4 pm on Saturday, August 8.

The evening will culminate with the Miró Quartet performing Puccini’s Crisantemi on Gehrig’s matched Redwood Quartet instruments.

Frédéric Chopin – Introduction and Polonaise Brillante for cello and piano, Op. 3d

Maurice Ravel – Pièce en forme de Habanera for harp and double bass

Astor Piazzolla – Suite from María de Buenos Aires for harp and double bass (arr. K. Dvorak)

York Bowen – Phantasy for viola and piano

Frank Bridge – Lament for two violas

Antonin Dvorak – American Quartet in F Major, Op. 96

Matthew Cohen viola, Aloysia Friedmann viola, Robin Kesselman double bass, Lachezar Kostov cello, Zhenni Li-Cohen piano, Allegra Lilly harp, Jon Kimura Parker piano, Miró Quartet: Daniel Ching violin, William Fedkenheuer violin, John Largessviola, Joshua Gindele cello