Piano enthusiasts will delight in the lineup for Union’s 36th International Festival of Chamber Music, which opens the season Thursday, Oct. 11, with renowned pianist Richard Goode performing works by Bach, Beethoven and Debussy at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.
Goode is a founding member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and co-artistic director of Marlboro Music Festival who appears regularly at Tanglewood. His Union visit is a Capital Region debut.
Eleven of this season’s chamber concerts feature pianists, including soloists Jeremy Denk on Dec. 11; Emmanuel Ax, Feb. 29; and Dubravka Tomsic, April 16.
Britain’s Florestan Piano Trio returns for a fourth appearance March 15, playing selections from Haydn, Charles Ives and Brahms.
Dec. 16 marks the 20th anniversary performance of the Boston Camerata, with director Joel Cohen, performing “A Renaissance Christmas.” The Musicians from Marlboro chamber ensemble returns Feb. 23 with a concert featuring works of Beethoven, Bartok and Mozart.
The ever-popular Emerson String Quartet will perform Jan. 27 with Paul Neubauer, viola, and Colin Carr, cello, and again on April 27 in an all-Brahms recital.
Additional highlights include the November performances of Trio Cavatina in an all-Beethoven program and the Mendelssohn String Quartet with Benjamin Hochman, piano.
All concerts are free for the Union College community; $25 for general admission and $10 for area students. For tickets, call ext. 6080; for more information, call (518) 372-3651 or visit http://www.union.edu/ConcertSeries/.