String Theory at the Hunter, in partnership with Lee University and the Hunter Museum of American Art, will reunite clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Gloria Chien to bring Brahms’ “late-style” sonatas to life. The concert, titled “Brahms Clarinet Sonatas,” will take place Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga. 
 
The performance will include Brahms’ Clarinet Sonatas No. 1 in F Minor and No. 2 in E-flat Major.  
 
“Brahms’ Clarinet Sonatas No. 1 and No. 2 are among the most monumental works in the repertoire,” said Chien, founder and artistic director of String Theory. “Written after Brahms was inspired by the clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, these sonatas reveal his sublime lyricism, profound humanity, and extraordinary sense of musical dialogue. Bringing these works to life together makes this performance a truly momentous artistic event.” 
 

McGill, praised for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” by The New York Times, serves as principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic and enjoys a dynamic solo and chamber music career. McGill is the 2024 Musical America Instrumentalist of the Year and recipient of the 2020 Avery Fisher Prize. He appears regularly as a soloist with leading orchestras including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics and the Chicago and Detroit symphonies. He has also released acclaimed recordings with the Pacifica Quartet, pianist Chien, and performed at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.  
 
McGill is a faculty member at Juilliard and Curtis, where he directs the Music Advancement Program (MAP) focused on young musicians from underrepresented communities. McGill is a graduate of the Curtis Institute, a board member of Cedille Records and the Harmony Program, and an advisor to several youth initiatives.  
 

Chien is a noted performer, concert presenter, and educator. She made her orchestral debut at the age of 16 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Thomas Dausgaard. She was subsequently selected by The Boston Globe as one of its superior pianists of the year, “who appears to excel in everything.” In recent seasons, she has performed as a recitalist and chamber musician at Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Phillips Collection, the Dresden Chamber Music Festival, and the National Concert Hall in Taiwan. She performs frequently with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.  
 
In 2010, Chien was appointed director of the Chamber Music Institute at Music@Menlo, a position she held for the next decade. In 2017, she joined her husband, violinist Soovin Kim, as artistic director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont. The duo became artistic directors at Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon, in 2020. Most recently, she released two albums – her “Gloria Chien LIVE from the Music@Menlo” and “Here With You” with McGill on Cedille Records. 
 
Chien also studied extensively at the New England Conservatory of Music with Wha Kyung Byun and Russell Sherman. She is an artist-in-residence at Lee University. 
 
Prior to the concert, “Pregame with Bob” will take place at 5:45 p.m., in which Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Music Director Emeritus Bob Bernhardt will discuss the evening’s program, giving an in-depth look at the featured composers and works, including interviews with the artists.   
   
String Theory was founded in 2009 by Chien to expose new audiences to chamber music, invigorate the local classical scene, and cultivate a future generation of music lovers.   
   
This concert was generously sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission. 
   
Tickets for the Tuesday evening performance are available until January 20 and are $54 for non-members, $42 for Hunter members, and $10 for students and music teachers with ID.   
   
To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit stringtheorymusic.org, contact [email protected], or call (423) 414-2525.