The Grammy Award-winning Attacca Quartet performs at Ryan Recital Hall at St. Christopher’s School June 13 as part of The Belvedere Series. The show starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are $40. (Photo by David Goddard)
Attending a Belvedere Series concert feels like being invited into an Old World salon, but with all the sensibilities of modern elegance. Classical music isn’t known for being accessible, but Ingrid Keller, artistic director of The Belvedere Series, hopes to change that.
Keller has implemented her vision over the past three seasons by creating a graceful balance among hosting talented musicians, carefully curating the program and educating the audience about the experience. “Our mission is to facilitate discussion, curiosity and connection between performing artists and audience while presenting musicians of the highest caliber,” Keller says.
Each performance feels unique, thanks to thoughtfully selected pieces that blend the classical canon with new works by living composers. A reception follows each concert, the musicians mingling and talking with attendees and further bridging the musical space between old and new. Eclectic themes such as “For the End of Time,” “Illumination,” “The Roaring Twenties,” “Prague Panorama” and “La Vie en Rose” allow the music and musicians to tell diverse stories that resonate in today’s world.
The first season of The Belvedere Series comprised 11 performances between May 2022 and May 2023 at the historical and intimate Marburg House in Richmond’s Byrd Park neighborhood. Due to growing interest, four of this season’s concerts have been held at larger venues, including the Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall at St. Christopher’s School, the Perkinson Recital Hall at the University of Richmond and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The season opener at Ryan Recital Hall drew The Belvedere Series’ biggest-ever audience with 350 attendees; a free student ticket initiative led to a 25% increase in student attendance from the previous season.
The current season will come to a close on June 13 with a performance by the two-time Grammy Award-winning Attacca Quartet. The group plays a range of works that include traditional classical pieces, electronica, soundtracks, video game music and contemporary collaborations. For their June appearance, they will perform “Three Essays” from their widely lauded album “Evergreen,” a collection of original works by contemporary composer Caroline Shaw. The music is inspired by language, particularly the lilting prose style of novelist Marilynne Robinson. The program also includes string quartets by Haydn and Mendelssohn, which round out the evening with the blend of classical and modern that characterizes this special concert series.
Keller is already setting her sights on the 2025-26 season. The Belvedere Series will host the modern string quartet Owls, a world premiere by Guggenheim Fellow Kati Agócs and a performance by Olli Mustonen in a nine-person ensemble, the largest group to date. The upcoming season will also continue the series’ salon concerts at Marburg House, including a special recital by Grammy Award-winning tenor Karim Sulayman. For more information, visit belvedereseries.org.
