sample programs

The MELERensemble curates performances that go beyond entertainment—each program is designed to spark dialogue, celebrate diversity, and promote social change through music. From reimagining cultural narratives to amplifying underrepresented voices, our concerts are crafted with purpose. Whether addressing themes of migration, resilience, mental health, or identity, these programs blend musical excellence with meaningful context, inviting audiences into shared spaces of reflection, empathy, and transformation.

echoes of the mind

Echoes of the Mind invites listeners on an emotional and deeply human journey through music shaped by inner struggle and unwavering creativity. Featuring works by composers who faced significant mental health challenges, this program is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and a reminder that everyone—regardless of their personal circumstances—can make enduring contributions to the world.

Rachmaninoff’s Trio élégiaque No. 1, written at just 19, foreshadows a career marked by both soaring musical expression and lifelong depression. Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2, composed during World War II, reflects the weight of grief, fear, and oppression, with haunting themes that capture both personal and collective suffering. Smetana’s Piano Trio in G minor, an elegy for his daughter, channels raw, Romantic emotion and was written before his descent into deafness and madness.

These works are more than masterful compositions—they are acts of courage, vulnerability, and humanity. Through them, we are reminded that even in times of great pain, beauty and meaning can emerge—and that every voice, no matter the struggle, has the power to resonate.

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)

Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor (1892)

Lento lugubre – Moderato – Allegro – Lento

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)

Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67

I. Andante – Moderato

II. Allegro con brio

III. Largo

IV. Allegretto

Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884)

Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15

I. Moderato assai

II. Allegro, ma non agitato

III. Finale – Presto

Kian Ravaei (b. 1999)

Variations on “This Land is Your Land” (2023)

Béla Bartók (1881–1945)

Bartók’s Contrasts, Sz. 111

I. Verbunkos

II. Pihenő

III. Sebes

Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)

Prelude, Allegro, and Pastorale

Paul Schoenfield (b. 1947)

Trio for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano (1990)

I. Freylakh

II. March

III. Nigun

IV. Kozatske

sounds of passage

Sounds of Passage explores how immigration, heritage, and cultural fusion have shaped American music. Each work on this program reflects a journey across borders—whether geographic or cultural—and the creativity that emerges from those experiences.

Kian Ravaei’s Variations on "This Land Is Your Land" offers a vivid tone painting that weaves together American folk themes with the rich musical heritage of his Iranian ancestry. Béla Bartók, who immigrated to the United States fleeing fascist Europe, blends Eastern European folk traditions with modernist innovation in Contrasts.

Rebecca Clarke, an English émigré, expresses introspection and resilience in her Prelude, Allegro, and Pastorale for clarinet and viola, while Paul Schoenfield, born to immigrant families, infuses klezmer and folk idioms into his spirited Trio, celebrating the vibrant cultural mosaic of America.

Together, these works illustrate how immigration and heritage shape not only individual identities but also the evolving soundscape of American music.

resiliance and renewal

This program traces the journey of resilience and artistic rebirth through three works by composers shaped by cultural transition, personal adversity, and the search for belonging.

Jessie Montgomery’s Strum opens the concert with infectious energy and rhythmic drive. Drawing from jazz, spirituals, and American folk traditions, it captures the optimism and creative momentum of building community from diverse voices.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Suite for Piano (Left Hand) and Strings, composed in exile after fleeing Nazi-occupied Austria, is a deeply expressive and virtuosic work. Written for Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in World War I, it is a testament to artistic endurance in the face of loss and dislocation. The program closes with Antonín Dvořák’s Piano Quintet in A Major, a radiant affirmation of national identity and cultural memory. Written after his return from the United States, the quintet is infused with Czech folk rhythms and melodies—an homage to home and heritage.

Together, these works explore how music can carry the weight of history, express longing, and ultimately celebrate renewal.

Jesse Montgomery (b. 1981)

Strum (2006)

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957)

Suite for Piano (Left Hand) and Strings, Op. 23

I. Präludium

II. Waltz (Walzer)

III. Groteske

IV. Lied

V. Rondo – Finale

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)

Piano Quintet No. 2. in A Major, Op. 81

I. Allegro, ma non tanto

II. Dumka: Andante con moto

III. Scherzo (Furiant): Molto vivace

IV. Finale: Allegro