04/29/2026
MUSIC REVIEW: KEVRA SWAN SONG CELEBRATES THE IMPORTANCE OF CAPITAL CITY CONCERTS
by Jim Lowe, Times Argus staff writer
Karen Kevra’s final concert as founding artistic director of Capital City Concerts, Saturday at the Unitarian of Montpelier, proved emblematic of what made it one of Vermont’s finest chamber music series. After 26 years at the helm, Kevra passed the baton on to her former student, flutist Jillian Reed, and Reed’s husband, pianist Tyler Emerson.
“Fauré Foray” featured the music of the French composer Gabriel Fauré (1854-24) who straddled the 19th and 20th centuries, resulting in a delicious French post-Romantic style. Capital City Concerts tradition also brought together Vermont artists with top-notch musicians from away.
New York violinist Laurie Smukler, a regular on the series, has an amazing pedigree. The founding first violinist of the Mendelssohn String Quartet, she teaches at Juilliard and is a renowned violinist who plays just about everywhere. She is also artistic director of the Maine summer music festival Kniesel Hall. And, as usual, Smukler brought three excellent young New York musicians to join the three from Vermont.
The major work on the program was the Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 13, with the grandeur of the great Romantic piano quartets but with a French nuance and sensuality. Smukler played with expressive brilliance, as did violist Tal First, while cellist Natasha Broksky offered a deep warmth. The performance was anchored by pianist Qing Jiang, who played with a deep sensitivity and a clarity that cut through the strings, joining in the expressiveness of the others.
Most special was their performance of the slow movement, Adagio, which was played with a tenderness and finesse that went straight to the heart. Their performance of the piano quartet was a deep and moving experience.
Kevra reminded the audience she is one of, if not the finest, flutists in the state with a beautiful performance of the Fantasie, Op. 79. Joined by Jiang, who played with the aforementioned qualities, Kevra employed her Moyse tone, which expresses through vibrato, to deliver the power, virtuosity, and haunting lyricism of this delightful work.
Although stepping down from her position with Capital City Concerts, it is important to note that Kevra is certainly not retiring as a performer. You can expect to hear plenty of her brilliant performances in the future.
After the quartet, the other major work on the program was the delectable Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in A Major, Op. 15. Smukler and Jiang delivered the brilliant lyricism and the grandeur of this work full of Romantic virtuosity.
There was overt passion in the opening Allegro molto; introspective tenderness in the Andante; a fleeting lightness and lyricism in the Scherzo; and rhapsodic passion in the final Allegro quasi presto. This was playing in the grand manner.
The program opener introduced the new artistic directors of Capital City Concerts. Reed and Emerson joined Kevra in the Sicilienne (arr. Trevor Wye) from Incidental Music to “Pelléas et Mélisande,” Op. 78. Reed matched Kevra’s warm sound, complemented by Emerson’s sensitive piano. It looks like the series remains in good hands.
jim.lowe
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