This summer the University of Chicago’s Department of Music launches its second annual Chamber Music Intensive at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. This immersive, four-day workshop offers collegiate and adult amateur musicians a unique opportunity to study and perform chamber music in a stimulating and supportive environment, with expert direction provided by the Department’s ensemble-in-residence Spektral Quartet and Steinway artist Amy Briggs.

Entitled The Essential Beethoven, the 2015 Chamber Music Intensive centers on one of music history’s most crucial and extraordinary figures: Ludwig van Beethoven. Surveying the composer’s writings for strings and piano, Chamber Music Intensive participants will work closely with Briggs and members of Spektral Quartet in rehearsal, lecture, and master class settings to unpack, explore, and polish performances of these vibrant pieces. Indispensable rehearsal techniques, effective interpersonal dynamics, and expert performance skills will be unlocked, offering Chamber Music Intensive participants the opportunity to improve individual musicianship and collaborative abilities in an animated and enjoyable atmosphere.

The 2015 Chamber Music Intensive is pleased to welcome the Lincoln Trio as this year’s featured guest ensemble. As recording artists on the esteemed Cedille Records label, the Lincoln Trio has performed at Carnegie's Weill Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Ravinia Festival. The group is highly regarded for its captivating deliveries from the stage.

With the handsome architecture of the Logan Center as its backdrop, the 2015 Chamber Music Intensive: The Essential Beethoven will leave its musicians artistically emboldened and creatively inspired for their future musical pursuits.