Kingston Chamber Music Festival

One of the many nerdy adventures I went on in high school was the Academic Decathlon, this annual competitive event where you basically have to memorize extensive amounts of trivia about subjects you may or may not otherwise know about. We had a whole year to learn about twentieth century composers, and so when I see the name Amy Beach I immediately remember that her middle name is Marcy and her maiden name is Cheney and that she came from New Hampshire and roughly the dates of her birth and death. The music itself is hazier. Known as America’s first really successful female composer, Beach’s Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor will be performed this weekend at the Kingston Chamber Music Festival, in addition to pieces from Klughardt (Trio for Oboe, Viola and Piano) and Schoenfield (Café Music for Violin, Cello and Piano.)