Chamber music aficionados will enjoy a jam-packed week of performances as the MSU College of Music welcomes the long-awaited return to the stage of the Ken and Sandy Beall Cello Plus Chamber Music Festival. On a two-year hiatus since the pandemic shutdown in 2020, the beloved annual series will mark its 20th year of bringing innovative chamber music performances by MSU artists and international guests to the community. Click here for tickets to this series. 

This year’s Cello Plus series consists of three concerts at Fairchild Theatre the evenings of April 5 at 7:30 p.m., April 7 at 7:30 p.m., and April 9 at 8:00 p.m. Highlights of the special anniversary concerts include chamber works for piano and strings, vocal arts of the Romantic era, a “festival of keys” featuring solo piano, and performances synced with silent movie scenes. Joining MSU Professor of Cello and Cello Plus artistic director Suren Bagratuni are guest artists and fellow MSU string instrumentalists. Featured guest artists include composer and pianist Stephen Prutsman, New York City tenor Nils Neubert accompanied by strings and piano, and renowned guest pianist Sergei Babayan.

“We are thrilled to mark the 20th anniversary of the Ken and Sandy Beall Cello Plus Chamber Music Festival with such inspired performances, supported by all our generous sponsors,” Bagratuni said. “Although we’ve been on a hiatus since 2019 because of the pandemic, this anniversary couldn’t come at a better time as we all look for ways to share and spread hope in the face of so many global challenges.” 

The Cello Plus Chamber Music Festival is generously sponsored by Ken and Sandy Beall, with support from concert sponsors Nancy and Charlie Seebeck, Andrea L. Wulf, Jonathan Toben, and the Stanley and Selma Hollander Endowment for Chamber Music. 

Reserved seating tickets for individual events are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors (age 60 and older), and $7 for students and those under 18. Find information on other concerts, recitals and performances on the MSU College of Music events pages. 

Please note: As of March 6, the university no longer requires patrons to wear masks and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to attend events hosted by the College of Music.