Please join us for six concerts at the Academy
South Worthington, MA
15 Ireland Street, just off Rte. 112
Sundays, July 12- August 16, 2026 at 4PM
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1. Sevenars Opening Concert: Honoring America’s 250th
Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 4PM:
Special guests: pianist Clifton J. Noble, bass-baritone John Henry Thomas, violinist Alexis Walls, join Schrade and James family members
We can’t wait to share with you our “Family and Friends” opener that will mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of the USA! The program will feature a fantastic array of American music, including Gershwin, Copland, Joplin, Blake, Braggiotti, Waller, Schoenfield, Bolcom, Brubeck, and songs of late Sevenars co-founder Rolande Young Schrade. Rorianne Schrade, Lynelle James, and Christopher James will be at the pianos, and violinist Alexis Walls, pianist/composer Clifton J. (“Jerry”) Noble, Jr., and bass-baritone John Henry Thomas will add their tremendous gifts! From riffs on “Yankee Doodle” to more serious fare, there will be lots of fun!
For individual biographies, please visit their websites: alexiswallsmusic.com, cliftonjnoblejr.com, lynellejames.com, rorianne.com
For more information on the program, please visit: https://www.sevenars.org/july12
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2. Mada-Hugh Piano Duo: America at 250
July 19, 2026, at 4pm
Sevenars is proud to present an exceptionally varied “America 250” concert by the the Mada & Hugh Piano Duo – the combined talents of Romanian-born pianist Mădălina-Claudia Dănilă and Korean-American pianist Hugh Sung. Their dynamic and innovative 4-hand performances have captivated audiences worldwide, earning them prestigious accolades, including first prize at the 2024 London International Competition and the 2023 Charleston International Competition, as well as second prize at the 2024 American International Competition. Their exciting Sevenars program will honor America’s 250th with works of Barber, Bernstein, Carollo, Copland, Gershwin, Higdon, Persichetti, Price, Lawnhurst & Pollack, and more – including their own arrangements!
For more info on the artists, please visit: madahugh.com
For more information on the program, please visit: https://www.sevenars.org/july19
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3. The Champlain Trio performs “In Her Voice” ~ Music by Women Composers
July 26, 2026, at 4pm
The Champlain Trio combines the extraordinary gifts of pianist Hiromi Fukuda, violinist Letitia Quante, and cellist Emily Taubl. All three earned degrees from The Juilliard School (among others) and hold positions in the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Amherst College, the University of Vermont, and Middlebury College. Among their many distinctions, they were awarded a Vermont Arts Council Grant to record the Croatian composer Dora Pejačević’s Piano Trio, Op. 29, and that album is now out! Their Sevenars concert will include this stunning work, along with trios by Amy Beach and Charlotte Sohy.
For more information on the artists, please visit: champlaintrio.com
For more information on the program, please visit: https://www.sevenars.org/july26
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4. Pianist Paul-André Bempéchat in All-Beethoven Program
August 2, 2026 at 4pm
Renowned Franco-Canadian pianist Paul-André Bempechat, recognized for interpretations of The First Viennese School, Brahms, Schumann, and Chopin, is a self-styled product of the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School. Decorated as Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, and as Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academic Chapel at Uppsala University, he has toured in widely throughout Europe, including major appearances at the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Barbican Centre London, the Philharmonics in Meiningen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Rotterdam, and Belgrade. Currently recording the complete Beethoven Sonatas, he’ll bring his special insight to Sevenars!
For more info on the artist, please visit: bempechat.com
For more information on the program, please visit: https://www.sevenars.org/august2
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5. Junwen Liang (Sevenars “Young Artist to Watch” 2024) Returns in All-American Program
August 9, 2026, at 4pm
Sevenars is delighted to welcome back virtuoso Junwen Liang in a beautiful American program of rarities and favorites! The past two years have found Junwen in dozens of engagements and residencies, including debuts in France, Canada, and China. He currently prepares his debut album with the Italian label, the Sheva Collection (in collaboration with Naxos), while teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. He’ll bring Sevenars a stunning program, including music of Beach, Price, W. G. Still,
Tan Dun, Massachusetts’s own Stephen Dankner, and the rare and masterful Sonata by Paul Aurandt (sometimes described as a musical successor to Rachmaninoff) – along with other fun surprises!
For more information on the artist, please visit: junwenliangpianist.comFor more information on the program, please visit: https://www.sevenars.org/august9
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6. The Sparky Quintet – a Jazz Finale
August 16, 2026, at 4 pm
Now in its fourth season at Sevenars, the inimitable Sparky Quartet – now Quintet! – formed in tribute to late master clarinetist Bob Sparkman, has long roots at Sevenars starting from Bob’s collaborations with treasured pianist and composer Clifton J. “Jerry” Noble, Jr (“Bob and Jerry”), later joined by the wonderfully versatile Kara Noble for bass and vocals. In 2023, after Bob left this world, they brought on board the inimitable Chris Devine on violin and flute and the extraordinary Jon Van Eps on percussion and became officially the Sparky Quartet. This year, guitarist Bob Ferrier joins to make it the Sparky Quintet, so come hear this newly expanded ensemble! The playing, banter, and camaraderie are amazing – so come enjoy the magic!
For more information on the artists, please visit: www.chrisdevine.com www.cliftonjnoblejr.com
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There is no required admission cost, however donations are welcomed gratefully at the door.
($20 per person is suggested to help defray expenses of maintaining this magnificent historic concert hall and continuing to bring fine music to this idyllic setting).
Complimentary refreshments are offered at intermission.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Call 413-238-5854 or write to Sevenars@aol.com
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Sevenars is made possible by generous donors and the volunteer efforts of its directors. This 2026 season is made possible in part by Local Cultural Councils of Chester, Cummington, Montgomery, Westhampton, West Springfield, and Worthington, local agencies which are funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
We are deeply grateful!
Contributions (checks made out to Sevenars Concerts, Inc.) are gratefully accepted and tax-deductible under IRS Code 509 (A)(1), Section 501 (C)(3), and may be mailed to the address below.
To Reach us by mail, phone, or email:
By Mail: Sevenars Concerts, Inc., 80 East End Avenue, 3G,New York, NY 10028
E-mail: Sevenars@aol.com Tel: 413-238-5854 Website: www.sevenars.org
