Kingston Chamber Music Festival

Event Overview

This recital proudly showcases cellist Megan Koch, a member of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, alongside talented young local musicians, creating a meaningful exchange between seasoned professional artistry and emerging voices. Together, they bring fresh perspective and shared musical passion to an evening that celebrates mentorship, collaboration, and the enduring power of chamber music.

Held at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, located at 383 Old North Road, Kingston, RI, the Spring Concert offers an intimate setting perfectly suited to this expressive chamber program.

The concert opens with Nadia Boulanger’s Three Pieces for Cello and Piano—intimate, refined works that reveal her distinctive elegance. These colorful miniatures set a contemplative and atmospheric tone. Gian Carlo Menotti’s Suite for Two Cellos and Piano follows, a playful, dramatic, and irresistibly lyrical dialogue between the two cellos. The program culminates in one of the great pillars of the cello repertoire: Johannes Brahms’s Cello Sonata in E minor, Op. 38.

Pre-concert South Kingstown High School honors quartet 6pm. Reception in church hall following the concert.

Nadia Boulanger 3 pieces for cello and piano (approx 8 min)

1. Modéré
2. Sans vitesse et à l’aise
3. Vite et nerveusement rythmé

Menotti Suite for two cellos and piano (approx 17 mins) with young artist Alejandro Quintero Cashore

1. Introduction
2. Scherzo
3. Arioso

Finale Brahms e minor cello sonata op. 38 (approx 25 min)

1. Allegro non troppo
2. Allegretto quasi Menuetto
3. Allegro

Featured Artists

Megan Koch

Cello

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Cellist Megan Koch is an avid chamber musician, educator, and advocate for music as a vehicle for cultural exchange. She has performed and taught internationally, including in Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Singapore, and Peru, often collaborating with local musicians and mentoring young conservatory students. Koch is a founding member of the Rivendell String Quartet and has performed with artists such as Robert Mann, Michael Kannen, Steven Dann, and Ian Swenson.

Locally, she performs with ensembles including the Nth Degree Chamber Ensemble, Verdant Vibes, and the Meeting House Chamber Music Festival, and frequently collaborates with pianist Andrew Welch. Her socially conscious projects include the premiere of Water is Life by Kirsten Volness, addressing climate change, and the creation of the Bay Area Cello Collective, bringing music to outdoor venues for public enjoyment.

Koch holds a Master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Music from the Peabody Institute. She is a member of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and performs on a 1768 German cello by Leopold Wildhalm.

Location

383, Old North Road, South Kingstown, Rhode Island, 02881, United States.