Momenta Festival Opens October 2!

Momenta Festival XI 
October 2 and 3: Broadway Presbyterian Church
October 7 and 8: Americas Society
Free admission

Photo by Nana Shi: Momenta Quartet at the Andrew Freedman Home

Dear friends,
 
Happy Fall! At least here in NYC, it started right on schedule with strong winds and falling leaves happening exactly on the Autumn Equinox. And just like the Fall, our eleventh annual Momenta Festival is creeping up on us. We've been so busy in rehearsals - it's hard to believe that opening night is just a little over one week away, NEXT Friday, October 2 at 7pm at Broadway Presbyterian Church.

With four entirely different programs in quick succession, the Momenta Festival is always a gargantuan feat. This might be our most ambitious festival to date, however - with five world premieres by Marilyn Shrude, Claude Baker, Matthew Greenbaum, Gordon Beeferman and....Stephanie Griffin (that's me!). Aruán Ortiz's piece is almost a world premiere - it was played back in 2017 by a group of string players visiting the Vermont College of Fine Arts (we know all of those players!). But the performance on October 8 will be the world premiere of the revised version from 2025 - we will just call it a "New York premiere." 

Along with these premieres, we will present works by two other living composers, Elizabeth Brown and Marti Epstein, alongside classics by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Gabriel Fauré, Amy Beach, Julián Carrillo, Claude Vivier, Ursula Mamlok, and 17th- and 18th-century violin solos (on Emilie's program) by Thomas Baltzar, George Frideric Handel, Nicola Matteis the Younger, and Marin Marais.

Joining us on this great adventure are some phenomenal guest performers, in order of appearance: composer Elizabeth Brown on shakuhachi, and FOUR pianists: Steven Beck, Nana Shi and composers Aruán Ortiz and Gordon Beeferman!

Will we make it?
Only one way to find out! ​

Come join us at 7pm on:

October 2 and 3: Broadway Presbyterian Church (601 W. 114th Street, at Broadway)
October 7 and 8: Americas Society (680 Park Ave, at East 68th Street)
FREE ADMISSION

On October 2 and 3 we are taking voluntary donations for the Broadway Community Soup Kitchen, through Music for Food (cash, check or online, before or at the concert).
Donate HERE to Broadway Community, with Momenta Festival in the memo line

We do not take reservations for the concerts at Broadway Presbyterian. The space is huge, though, so there is no risk of not getting in, unless literally everyone seeing this email shows up! As is our tradition, there will be a casual wine reception after each concert.

For October 7 and 8, Americas Society requires reservations. 

Here are links to reserve your place for each of these concerts. The concerts are FREE, but options to reserve and donate $40 or $25 to Americas Society show up first - just scroll down for the free tickets! ​

OCTOBER 7 RESERVATIONS

OCTOBER 8 RESERVATIONS

MOMENTA FESTIVAL XI:

Friday, October 2, "Sound Garden," curated by Alex Shiozaki
With guest performer/composer Elizabeth Brown (shakuhachi)
Music by Elizabeth Brown, Marti Epstein, Ursula Mamlok, Marilyn Shrude (world premiere), and Stephanie Griffin (world premiere)

Saturday, October 3, "Les Voix Humaines," curated by Emilie-Anne Gendron
An assortment of 17th- and 18th-century violin solos, and string quartets by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Claude Vivier, and Claude Baker (world premiere)

Wednesday, October 7, "French Connection," curated by Michael Haas
With guest pianist Steven Beck
Music by Gabriel Fauré, Julián Carrillo and Matthew Greenbaum (world premiere)

Thursday, October 8, "Keys to Creativity," curated by Stephanie Griffin
With guest pianists Nana Shi, Aruán Ortiz, and Gordon Beeferman
Music by Amy Beach, Aruán Ortiz and Gordon Beeferman (world premiere)

FULL PROGRAM DETAILS

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That's all for now - we hope to see you at our festival!

All the best,
Stephanie

The Momenta Quartet's 2026/27 season is made possible, in part, through the support of New Music USA, the Amphion Foundation, and the Alice M. Ditson Fund - and through the generous support of our friends, like you!