Old First Concerts Festival Gala 2026
Just like last year, we will have three sets of amazing music, two intermissions filled with food and beverages, and admission is free! This year, we are excited to welcome the 2025 Opera America Composer of the Year Jake Heggie, who debuted his work at Old First Concerts nearly 30 years ago! The program also includes performances by pianists Przemek Winnicki, Thomas Schultz, Robert Schwartz, Jeffrey LaDeur, Keisuke Nakagoshi, Sarah Cahill, and Monica Chew, as well as chamber ensembles Sixth Station Trio and Strobe, and a special performance by composer Sahba Aminikia who has had numerous works of his premiered on our series over the years, with guest musical saw player and multi-instrumentalist David Coulter.
Admission to this event is FREE! However, if you would like to sponsor the event, please make a donation in any amount. All donations made before November 1 will be included in our program acknowledgements! Donations help keep Old First Concerts going!
Works to be performed include:
Cellist Federico Strand Ramirez and pianist Katelyn Tan from Sixth Station Trio perform Nadia Boulanger’s Trois Pièces for Cello and Piano
Pianist Przemek Winnicki performs Frédéric Chopin’s Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op. 22
Hyo-shin Na’s Autumn Study (2023) and an excerpt from Ninety Days Study (2026, work-in-progress), performed by pianist Thomas Schultz
Frédéric Chopin’s Impromptu in A-flat major, Op. 29 & Ballade in G minor, Op. 23, performed by pianist Robert Schwartz
Jake Heggie’s Songs & Sonnets to Ophelia, performed by Jake Heggie, piano and Morgan Wolfe, soprano
Pianist Jeffrey LaDeur performs a movement from César Franck’s Prélude, Aria et Final and Franz Liszt’s Legende No. 2: Saint Francis de Paola walking on the waves
Samuel Adams’ Études (2023) performed by pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi
Philip Glass’ Etude No. 12 and selected works by Kaharik Gazarossian performed by pianist Sarah Cahill
Robert Helps’ 3 Hommages and Monica Chew’s Cleave performed by pianist Monica Chew
Jean-Baptiste Lully’s Trio de la Chambre du Roi, LWV 35 and excerpts from W. A. Mozart’s Divertimento and Oboe Quartet performed by members of the oboe quartet Strobe (Laura Griffiths, oboe, Beni Shinohara, violin, Elizabeth Prior, viola & Krisanthy Desby, cello)
Composer Sahba Aminikia performs an improvisation on the piano with musical saw player and multi-instrumentalist David Coulter.
