MCMA opened its second season with ‘Crossroads’
LEXINGTON, Mass. — Massachusetts Chamber Music Artists (MCMA) opened its second season Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Follen Church with Crossroads, a concert that brought together three composers, three musical traditions and three very different musical worlds.
Violinist and MCMA founder and artistic director Haig Hovsepian was joined by cellist Ismael Guerrero and pianist Matias Cuevas for an ambitious program featuring Gayane Chebotaryan’s Piano Trio, Astor Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires arranged by José Bragato, and Johannes Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8.
The evening opened with Chebotaryan’s rarely performed Piano Trio, giving the audience an opportunity to encounter a distinctive work that deserves renewed attention. The musicians brought its Armenian character vividly to the forefront, using finely judged timing, expressive character and rhythmic vitality to illuminate the many nuances of Chebotaryan’s writing. Their interpretation gave the work a compelling presence from the outset and made a strong case for its place in the chamber repertoire.
The transition to Piazzolla could hardly have been more dramatic. The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires filled the church with the energy, sensuality and intensity of tango. Hovsepian, Guerrero and Cuevas moved effortlessly between explosive passages and quieter, more atmospheric moments, embracing the work’s sharp contrasts with both virtuosity and spontaneity. Throughout, the three voices responded to one another with an immediacy that made the performance feel constantly alive.
Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8 brought the evening to its expansive conclusion. The musicians gave the work space to unfold with warmth and breadth, balancing its sweeping melodies with the close interplay between violin, cello and piano. Building toward an exhilarating finale, the last movement brought the evening to a thrilling close.
Taken together, the three works revealed the remarkable range of the piano trio, moving from Chebotaryan’s lush Armenian soundworld through Piazzolla’s tango-infused Buenos Aires to Brahms’s German Romanticism. The contrasts were striking, yet the musicians’ chemistry and close musical communication gave the program a strong sense of continuity.
The performance drew an enthusiastic response from the audience, culminating in a standing ovation and a second return to the stage for bows. The evening continued with a reception following the concert, giving audience members an opportunity to meet the artists.
With ‘Crossroads,’ MCMA launched its 2026-27 season with a program that reflected the organization’s commitment to presenting chamber music that connects musical traditions and brings audiences closer to works they might not otherwise encounter.
The season continues Dec. 5 with Tradition Unbound, featuring Hovsepian, cellist Sterling Elliott and pianist Janice Lu in a program exploring the intersection of classical music and jazz.
For tickets and additional information, please visit https://www.mcmartists.org/concert-season/tradition-unbound or https://www.haighovsepian.com/.
