Friends of Chamber Music, Inc., Troy, NY

10/15/2026

"One of the Best Classical Performances of the Year" - The New York Times.

Experience the Poiesis Quartet LIVE in Albany!

Called a “vibrant young ensemble mid-liftoff” by The New York Times, the Poiesis Quartet is one of classical music’s most exciting rising ensembles. Don’t miss their Albany debut!
🎶 Featuring music by Beethoven, Prokofiev, Wiancko & more!

📆 Saturday, October 17 | 3:00 PM
📍 University at Albany Performing Arts Center
🎟️ $40 | Children & Students free

10/13/2026

Thankful for our friends at The Daily Gazette of Schenectady! 💙 Read our 2026-27 season announcement article and hear from FoCM Executive Director Michael Kirsty about the incredible music we have in store this season! 🎶

Explore chamber music performances by Friends of Chamber Music and Capital Region Classical in the Capital Region.

10/13/2026

Experience chamber music up close and in the moment! Join us as our Capital Region's talented youth musicians delve into the collaboration and practice that bring chamber music to life with the award-winning Poiesis Quartet!

Whether you're looking to refine your performance skills or gain insight into the art of chamber music, this masterclass offers unique opportunities to learn directly from the artists and support the next generation of musicians.
Attendance is free and open to all ages and skill levels.
📅 Friday, October 16, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
📍 Performing Arts Center, University at Albany

10/08/2026

✨ Artist Spotlight: Poiesis Quartet

Called a “vibrant young ensemble mid-liftoff” by The New York Times, the Poiesis Quartet has emerged as one of the most distinctive young string quartets of its generation.

Formed at Oberlin Conservatory in 2022, Poiesis is the recipient of the 2026 Cleveland Quartet Award and the Grand Prize and Canadian Commission Prize at the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition. A 2025 performance at Caramoor was named one of The New York Times’ Best Classical Performances of the year, with the ensemble praised for its “multifaceted artistry.”

The Quartet’s name comes from the ancient Greek concept of poiesis: the act of making or bringing something new into being. For Poiesis, that idea extends beyond commissioning music. It encompasses building lasting relationships with composers, creating new contexts for familiar repertoire, and making space for stories and identities historically underrepresented in chamber music.

Poiesis is currently the Nina von Maltzahn String Quartet at the Curtis Institute of Music. The Quartet formerly served as Graduate Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where it studied with the Ariel Quartet. Poiesis was also the 2025–26 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at Caramoor and the 2025 St. Lawrence Emerging String Quartet at Stanford University.

Join us on Saturday, October 17 and witness the vitality of the Poiesis Quartet in a program shaped by contrast and connection, featuring works by Beethoven, Prokofiev, Sky Macklay, and more!

📆 Saturday, October 17 | 3:00 PM
📍University at Albany Performing Arts Center
Single tickets $40, Children and students attend free

09/28/2026

🎶 Experience the brilliance of over 20 world-renowned musicians in the Friends of Chamber Music’s 78th concert season, “Origins.”

We’re so excited to welcome you back to the hall in just a few short weeks for another unforgettable season of chamber music! From beloved masterpieces to compelling works that explore where music comes from and where it’s going, “Origins” invites us to discover the connections between composers, performers, and audiences.

✨ Become a subscriber today and save more than 15% on season subscription tickets through October 17!

🎟️ Single tickets: $40
🎓 Children and students from kindergarten through college attend FREE

Together, our audience and donors help make great chamber music accessible to the next generation. We can’t wait to share this season with you!

Subscribe today and join us for “Origins”!

04/20/2026

🎶 We couldn’t have imagined a better way to close our 2025-26 season than our residency with the Katarina String Quartet 💙

The concert day began with a chamber music masterclass where the Katarina worked with students from ESYO and Skidmore College, sharing their insight, artistry, and thoughtful guidance.

Then, the Katarina’s concert brought works by Haydn, Vivian Fung, and Beethoven to life. We cannot wait to follow the Katarina as they continue their skyward trajectory!

We extend special thanks to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall for generously co-sponsoring this concert, the Howard and Bush Foundation for their support of this residency, and the Fischoff National Chamber Music for their valued partnership.

To our incredible 2025–26 season audience, donors, subscribers, and friends: your presence and support make this work possible. It is our joy to share this music with you. Thank you! We can’t wait for what’s ahead- stay tuned! 🎶

04/17/2026

Tomorrow at 3 PM, Join us for our season finale!

Hear the Katarina String Quartet, Grand Prize winners of the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, live at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall’s new Music Hub, with music by Haydn, Vivian Fung, and Beethoven.

📆 Saturday, April 18 | 3:00 PM
📍 Troy Savings Bank Music Hall | Music Hub
🎟️ $35 | Students & children free

04/17/2026

🎶 The Katarina String Quartet has officially arrived, and they are already inspiring the next generation of musicians across the Capital Region! 🎻

They kicked off their FoCM residency with a workshop alongside the Orchestra and Chamber Strings students at Columbia High School in East Greenbush, NY. Students received a sneak preview of the Katarina’s concert program, guidance on healthy practice strategies, and a look at how they communicate, share ideas, take creative risks, and dig into the score. Check out these photos from the day!

We are proud to present programs that connect students and classical music lovers with the artists, stories, and ideas behind the music. As Mr. Greico shared from class today, “I was swarmed with students wanting to start a string quartet after interacting with the Katarina!”

04/16/2026

As we count down to the Katarina String Quartet’s performance this Saturday, we’re still thinking about our Performance in Context conversation 🎻

From building strong group dynamics, to reflecting on the role of the arts in our communities, to those early sparks of inspiration 😉, it was a heartfelt discussion all around 💙

Missed it live? You can watch the full conversation anytime here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTEynarD68E&t=2008s

04/15/2026

🎻 Meet the Artist: Maya Enstad, cellist of the Katarina String Quartet

Hailing from Bellingham, Washington, cellist Maya Enstad is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Schulich School of Music where she studied with Amir Eldan and Elizabeth Dolin. Maya has appeared as a soloist at the Bellingham Festival of Music’s “Welcome Home” concert series, as well as with the BayShore Symphony.

A passionate chamber musician, Maya is the cellist of the Katarina String Quartet, Grand Prize winner of the 2025 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and currently the Graduate Resident String Quartet at The Juilliard School, where they explore all chamber music, from contemporary and canonized works to folk tunes.

Ms. Enstad has held fellowship positions at the Marrowstone Music Festival and at Bamfield’s Music by the Sea. An avid teacher, Maya has taught privately for 8 years, as well as at the Asociación Nacional de Conciertos in Panama City, Panama. Maya plays on an 1898 Carl Zach cello, generously on loan to her from the Carlsen Cello Foundation.

Join us for our season finale this Saturday, April 18 at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall's new Music Hub and hear Maya and the Katarina String Quartet in a program that spans elegance and innovation. Haydn’s Op. 50, No. 2 opens with charm and clarity, followed by Vivian Fung’s bold and evocative String Quartet No. 5, “Spiraling.” The evening concludes with Beethoven’s powerful “Razumovsky” Quartet, Op. 59, No. 2.
📆 Saturday, April 18 | 3:00 PM
📍Troy Savings Bank Music Hall | Music Hub
Single tickets $35, Students and Children attend free