SPRINGFIELD — MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra) will present two chamber-music concerts this summer, one at the prestigious Sevenars Music Festival in Worthington on Sunday, July 23, and the second at the Longmeadow Adult Center on Thursday, Aug. 3.

At Sevenars, the MOSSO Horn Trio (Beth Welty, violin; Sarah Sutherland, horn; and Elizabeth Skavish, piano) will perform the world premiere of “Triptych” for Piano, Violin, and Horn, a commissioned work by Max Mueller, in a program that also includes: Frédéric Duvernoy’s Trio No. 1 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; Trygve Madsen’s Trio, Op. 110 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; and Johannes Brahms’ Trio in Eb Major for Violin, Horn, and Piano.

The Sevenars concert begins at 4 p.m. and is free, with donations requested at the door. For details, visit www.sevenars.org.

The Keep It Fresh Quartet, an ensemble including MOSSO musicians Beth Welty, violin; Dani Rimoni, viola; Joel Wolfe, cello; and Jill Dreeben, flute, will perform on the lawn at the Longmeadow Adult Center, 211 Maple Road, Longmeadow, on Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. The program includes Gordon Jacob’s Four Fancies for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello; Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola in G, K. 423; Reger’s Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Viola, Op 141a; selected movements from Mozart’s Divertimento for Violin, Viola, and Cello, K. 563; Mozart’s Quartet in D for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello; and additional pieces to be announced from the stage.

The concert will be performed rain or shine, and will be moved indoors at the Adult Center if there is inclement weather. Tickets are free, but advance reservations are required. For details, call (413) 565-4150 (option 1), or visit www.longmeadowma.gov/149/adult-center.

WESTFIELD — The Westfield Athenaeum and MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra) will present the third of a three-concert chamber music series, with Harmonia V performing on Thursday, April 20 at 7 p.m. This is the second year of MOSSO’s partnership with the Westfield Athenaeum. Guy McLain, executive director of the Westfield Athenaeum, will offer a pre-performance talk at 6 p.m., which is free to ticket holders.

The Connecticut-based Harmonia V, an innovative woodwind quintet, performs standard literature, seldom-heard treasures, and dynamic contemporary music. Members of the quintet include Springfield Symphony Orchestra and MOSSO horn player Robert Hoyle; Jennifer Berman, flute; Janet Rosen, oboe; Jim Forgey, clarinet; and Jackie Sifford Joyner, bassoon. The Harmonia V program, “April in Paris,” includes music by Fauré, Ravel, and Debussy. For information on Harmonia V, visit www.harmoniav.com.

Tickets for the concert cost $25 and must be purchased in advance at the Westfield Athenaeum during business hours, or online at www.westath.org.

SPRINGFIELD — MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra) will make its Sevenars Concerts debut in Worthington on Sunday, July 23 at 4 p.m. MOSSO and Friends, which opened the Westfield Athenaeum series, features violinist Beth Welty, horn player Sarah Sutherland, and pianist Elizabeth Skavish. They will perform Frédéric Duvernoy’s Trio No. 1 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; Trygve Madsen’s Trio, Op. 110 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; and Johannes Brahms’ Trio in E-flat Major for Violin, Horn, and Piano.

Sevenars performances are held at the Academy, South Ireland Street and Route 112, South Worthington. There is no charge for admission to the performance, and no tickets are needed, although donations at the door are welcome ($20 or more per person is suggested to help defray expenses). For program details and information on Sevenars, visit www.sevenars.org.

WESTFIELD — The Westfield Athenaeum will present a three-concert chamber-music series beginning Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 at 7 p.m. with MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra) performing. This is the second year of this partnership. Guy McLain, executive director of the Westfield Athenaeum, will offer a pre-performance talk at 6 p.m., which is free to ticket holders.

The Westfield Athenaeum series opens with MOSSO and Friends on Feb. 23. Violinist Beth Welty, horn player Sarah Sutherland, and pianist Elizabeth Skavish will perform horn trios of Frédéric Duvernoy, Trygve Madsen, and Johannes Brahms. Welty, chair of MOSSO, is acting principal second violin of MOSSO and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO). Sutherland, MOSSO and SSO horn player, is also MOSSO’s finance director.

The series continues on Thursday, March 23 with a performance by the Vermont-based Champlain Trio, which includes MOSSO and SSO principal cello Emily Taubl. The Champlain Trio will perform “Brilliant Colors,” a program that features music by Tchaikovsky, Erik Neilsen (“Trio No. 2” written for the ensemble), Jennifer Higdon, Amy Beach, and Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite.”

The series concludes on Thursday, April 20 with MOSSO and SSO horn player Robert Hoyle’s quintet, the Connecticut-based Harmonia V. The quintet will celebrate April in Paris with an all-French program, featuring pieces by Barthe, Fauré, Ravel, Poulenc, Debussy, Pierné, and Lefebvre.

“We’re thrilled to bring classical music back to downtown Westfield for the second consecutive year, and we look forward to working with MOSSO, the Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, to make that happen,” McLain said.

Welty noted that the members of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra have fond memories of their many summer performances at Stanley Park. “We’re glad to return to Westfield and the Westfield Athenaeum for a second year. We’re thrilled that our MOSSO members are introducing their chamber-music ensembles to the area.”

Tickets for the concerts, $25 per person, must be purchased in advance at the Westfield Athenaeum during business hours, or online at www.westath.org.

MOSSO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that is not a subsidiary of, nor affiliated with, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Inc.

SPRINGFIELD — MOSSO, the Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, will present “MOSSO and Friends: A Holiday Musicale” on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. at First Church of Christ, 763 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow.

The family-friendly concert showcases the talents of violinist Marsha Harbison, cellist Boris Kogan, pianist Sofya Shainskaya, and baritone John Thomas. The program features selections from Bach, Beethoven, Beach, Broadway, and holiday favorites.The full program will be announced from the stage.

Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased in advance through EventBrite by clicking here. Tickets may also be available at the door one hour prior to the performance.

MOSSO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which is not a subsidiary of nor affiliated with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Inc. MOSSO was organized by the musicians in 2021 to produce and perform concerts in Greater Springfield and Western Mass.

SPRINGFIELD — Bing Productions will present MOSSO’s “Mix and Match: A Chamber Music Medley” on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. in Asbury Hall at Trinity United Methodist Church, 361 Sumner Ave., Springfield.

This performance by the MOSSO Chamber Players features violinists Robert Lawrence and Miho Matsuno, violist Masako Yanagita, cellist Patricia Edens, double bassist Boots Maleson, clarinetist Christopher Cullen, horn player Robert Hoyle, and bassoonist Shotaro Mori. According to Lawrence, the program — including the music of Mozart, Brahms, Dvořák, and Schubert — will be family-friendly and last approximately 75 minutes.

General-admission tickets, $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and students, are available at www.eventbrite.com/e/mosso-chamber-ensemble-tickets-408920240447.

SPRINGFIELD — Bing Productions will present the Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MOSSO) Brass Quintet in a free concert on Saturday, Aug. 20 (rain date: Sunday, Aug. 21) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Camp STAR Angelina, 300 Trafton Road, in Springfield’s Forest Park.

The MOSSO Brass Quintet features Gerald Serfass and John Charles Thomas on trumpet, Lauren Winter on horn, Scott Cranston on trombone, and Stephen Perry on tuba. According to Perry, the family-friendly program, which will be announced from the stage, will include classics by Bach, Brahms, and Copland; pops and jazz by Ellington, Strayhorn, and Lennon/McCartney, and marches by John Philip Sousa.

The Amphitheater at Camp STAR Angelina is outdoors, and people should either bring blankets and cushions or lawn chairs. Tickets are free, but advance reservations are requested by clicking here.

SPRINGFIELD — MOSSO (the Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra) has named Maestro Kevin Rhodes, former music director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO), the ensemble’s artistic advisor. Rhodes’ contract was not renewed by the SSO in 2021, ending his tenure as music director at 20 years. He returned to Springfield last October to conduct the full MOSSO ensemble in its first Symphony Hall performance, and will return again on July 21 to celebrate the film music of John Williams in a program that also features violinist Yevgeny Kutik.

According to Beth Welty, MOSSO chair, “MOSSO is thrilled to formalize its ongoing artistic collaboration with Maestro Rhodes. He will assist MOSSO in building its repertoire for performances in Symphony Hall and in its chamber-music performances in communities throughout Western Massachusetts. When his schedule permits, he may conduct and perform with his MOSSO. Kevin’s vision put the Springfield Symphony Orchestra on the map for 20 years. Now he will help us make MOSSO an artistically innovative organization in the years ahead.”

Rhodes was recently appointed chief conductor of the Slovak National Opera and Ballet in Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, giving him an artistic leadership role in a European city noted for its cultural diversity. He will continue to serve as music director for the Traverse City Symphony Orchestra in Michigan and as principal conductor of Boston’s Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. He has been a presence in the major musical capitals of Europe for more than 25 years, with credits including the Paris Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Berlin State Opera, La Scala of Milan, the Dutch National Ballet, the Verona Ballet, the Stuttgart Ballet, and many others.

“I am very happy to be able to continue the relationship with my dear friends and colleagues, with whom I have such an incredible history onstage,” Rhodes said. “It is also a true joy that this position will afford me opportunities to reconnect with all of the wonderful audience members I’ve come to know over the years. The concert I led back in October of 2021 was an almost overwhelming experience for me, I must say. Certainly a big part of what made the experience so meaningful was that the musicians themselves had organized and made it happen. To accomplish such a feat without a staff or other support is truly Herculean … which coincidentally describes their work every time they go into that house. When they asked me to help them pursue their goals via this volunteer position, I replied with an immediate and enthusiastic ‘yes.’”

At the July 21 concert at 7:30 p.m. in Springfield Symphony Hall, Rhodes will direct MOSSO in performing excerpts from Williams’ scores to ET, Schindler’s List, Superman, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and more. Some popular classics, including Rossini’s “Overture to The Barber of Seville,” Massenet’s “Meditation from Thaïs,” and Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite” will open the program.

Tickets for the concert, a MOSSO benefit, are priced at $60, $45, $25, and $10, and are on sale at springfieldsymphonymusicians.com. MOSSO sponsors include BusinessWest and the Healthcare News, the Republican/MassLive, WWLP-22News and the CW Springfield, the Sheraton Springfield at Monarch Place, New England Public Media, and the Bolduc Schuster Foundation.

SPRINGFIELD — MOSSO, the Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, have announced a summer concert series of three programs, two in Springfield Symphony Hall and the third, an outdoor brass quintet program, in Forest Park in Springfield.

According to MOSSO Chair Beth Welty, “our musicians are performing concerts in April and May in Symphony Hall because the Springfield Symphony Orchestra was mandated to produce those concerts by the NLRB. But, although the musicians have been in negotiation with the SSO since late 2019, our community has not yet had a steady series of professional-quality, live orchestra programs. MOSSO is here to provide that music.

She added that “there has not been an ongoing summer pops series since the SSO performed in Westfield’s Stanley Park some 20 years ago.”

On Thursday, June 23, MOSSO will celebrate the music of the late, legendary Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who penned the words and music to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and others. Broadway conductor Tim Stella (of The Phantom of the Opera and Hello, Dolly!) will lead the program, joined by some major Broadway stars. The program will be announced later this month.

On Thursday, July 21, Maestro Kevin Rhodes will return to Springfield to conduct a program of light classics and music of renowned composer John Williams, whose works include Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Schindler’s List. Rhodes will be joined by a guest soloist. This will be a benefit concert for MOSSO, so that the nonprofit organization can continue to deliver professional symphonic music to Greater Springfield and Western Mass. The program will be announced later this month.

Tickets for both Symphony Hall concerts will go on sale on May 9. To get on the mailing list for information on these programs, visit springfieldsymphonymusicians.com.

On Saturday, Aug. 13 (rain date: Sunday, Aug. 14), a MOSSO brass quintet will perform a free concert at Camp Star Angelina on Trafton Road in Forest Park. This concert will be produced for MOSSO by Bing Productions. No tickets are required.

MOSSO thanks the office of Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Amanda Spear-Purchase and the staff of Springfield Symphony Hall, and the following sponsors (to date) of the Symphony Hall performances: the Republican/MassLive, BusinessWest and the Healthcare News, WWLP-22News & the CW Springfield, the Sheraton Springfield at Monarch Place, and the Bolduc Schuster Foundation (which is underwriting tickets for music students). In addition, the Musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra donated funds to their MOSSO colleagues, which will be used for these concerts.

SPRINGFIELD — Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the not-for-profit organization also known as MOSSO, has engaged a management team to assist in producing live classical-music concerts for Greater Springfield and Western Mass.

MOSSO Chair Beth Welty (who will also serve as MOSSO’s interim librarian) announced that Douglas Evans, former CEO at the Bushnell in Hartford, Conn., will serve as management consultant. Mark Auerbach, an area public-relations consultant who was the Marketing director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra from 1982 to 1985, will serve as public-relations and marketing consultant. Northampton- and Hartford-based development specialist Nancy Wheeler of WheelerConnect will work with MOSSO as a major-gifts consultant. And Gregory Jones, who has worked in concert production with artists including Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan, will coordinate productions.

Welty added that Sarah Sutherland, a MOSSO horn player with a mathematics and statistics degree, will be MOSSO’s finance director, and Lauren Winter, MOSSO’s principal horn player, will coordinate box-office operations and personnel. Matthew Anderson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in composition from the Hartt School and an MBA from the University of Hartford, will work in production.

“With a successful concert last fall in Symphony Hall, chamber-music performances in Westfield and Longmeadow, and the upcoming MOSSO’s Virtuosos concert in Symphony Hall on March 26, we are building our performance schedule,” said Welty, adding that MOSSO will return to Symphony Hall in June with a tribute to the late Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. “We are planning to announce a robust season for the summer and 2022-23. With a management team in place, a strategic plan, and development efforts, we are now poised to bring live classical music to our audiences.”

SPRINGFIELD — The Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MOSSO) are the recipients of a $1,000 Partner-In-Spirit grant from Music for Life International, according to the foundation’s artistic director, George Mathew. The grant, according to MOSSO chair Beth Welty, was used to subsidize a series of three outreach concerts in Longmeadow during the holiday season.

According to Mathew, who was familiar with musical activity in Springfield from his student days at Amherst College and subsequent academic roles at Amherst and Mount Holyoke College, “we hope this initial grant will, in some small way, help with the holiday concerts that you are all so inspiringly presenting to your community in Springfield and Western Massachusetts during this period of difficulty.” Mathew added that Music for Life International is committed to human rights and social impact through music. For details on its innovative programs and initiatives, visit music4lifeinternational.org.

“We are overwhelmed by the public support and generosity of music lovers in Greater Springfield and Western Massachusetts,” Welty said, “and we appreciate Music for Life International’s commitment to delivering professional music to communities who benefit from live performances during these challenging times.”