Heading into the winter holiday season with the marvelous Quartet Integra at the Salon de Musiques in beautiful La Jolla, California. Artistic Director and founder François Chouchan has put together an evocative program anchored by Schubert’s beloved “Rosamund” Quartet. The other two works are and early string quartet by Max Bruch and the melancholy Molto Adagio Sempre Cantante Doloroso (Very slowly and always sung, painfully) by Guillaume Lekeu, a bright rising star in 19th century Paris who died after an illness when he was only 24.

As always, the magic of this series is the combination of intimate musical performance, interactive education, and great food and drink! As musicological “co-host,” I offer some introductory remarks on the program and moderate the post-concert Q&A with the artists, champagne glass in hand!