SCMS’s Artistic Director James Ehnes and KUOW Dave Beck talk about invited performers clarinet Ricardo Morales and trumpeter Jens Lindemann, and discuss Antonín Dvorák’s “American” String Quartet and Samuel Barber’s String Quartet, Op. 11, Aaron Copland’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Paul Schoenfield’s Four Souvenirs, John Adams’ Road Movies and Lawrence Dillon’s Sanctuary (World Premiere) – Works performed during the 2013 Summer Festival, June 29 – July 26 at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital in Benaroya Hall, Seattle.

SCMS’s Violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti and KUOW Dave Beck discuss Amy’s career including her solo recording, Kaleidoscope, the performance of Chamber Music and her experience in the Ehnes Quartet, and her role as Director of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, GA - All musical example from her recording and archive recordings of the Ehnes Quartet at SCMS’s Festivals.

SCMS’s Artistic Director James Ehnes and KUOW Dave Beck discuss Steve Reich’s Different Trains for string quartet and tape, Béla Bartók’s Sonata for two pianos and percussion, Sz. 110, and J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg concertos. - Works performed during the 2013 Winter Festival, Jan. 18 – 26 at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital in Benaroya Hall, Seattle.

SCMS’s Pianist Andrew Armstrong and KUOW Dave Beck provide in-depth commentary and musical conversation about Sergei Rachmaninov’s Trio No. 1 for Violin, Cello, and Piano in G minor “Élégiaque”, Claude Debussy’s Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano in G Major, William Walton’s Quartet for Piano and Strings, and Béla Bartók’s Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano, Sz. 111 – Works performed during the 2012 Summer Festival, July 2-29 at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall in Benaroya Hall, Seattle.

SCMS’s Pianist Jeremy Denk and KUOW Dave Beck provide in-depth commentary and musical conversation circling around the Johannes Brahms’ Variations on a theme by Paganini, Op. 35, and Béla Bartók’s Mikrokosmos for Two Pianos, Sz. 108 – performed during the 2012 Summer Festival, July 2-29 at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall in Benaroya Hall, Seattle – and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111 and György Ligeti’s Etudes for piano (1985-2001) – all musical examples are performed by Jeremy Denk.

SCMS’s Artistic Director James Ehnes and KUOW Dave Beck provide in-depth commentary and musical conversation about Sergei Prokofiev’s Trapeze, Op. 39, John Adams’ Hallelujah Junction for two Pianos, Béla Bartók’s Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano, Sz. 111 and Mikrokosmos for two pianos, Sz. 108 (1940), and Gary Kulesha, SCMS 2012 Summer Festival Commissioned Composer – Works performed during the 2012 Summer Festival, July 2-29 at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall in Benaroya Hall, Seattle.

SCMS’s Artistic Director James Ehnes and KUOW Dave Beck provide in-depth commentary and musical conversation about the three Brahms String Quartets, Bartok’s fourth String Quartet, and Dvorak’s Bagatelles for Two Violins, Cello and Harmonium, Op. 47 – Works performed during the 2012 Winter Festival, Feb. 2-5 at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall in Benaroya Hall, Seattle.