National Endowment for the Arts awards grant to Chamber Music Charleston for semiquincentennial project, “Echoes of the Saint Cecilia Society”
February 12, 2026
Chamber Music Charleston (CMC) has been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of a major new initiative, Echoes of the Saint Cecilia Society. This ambitious project commemorates America’s 250th anniversary through two landmark chamber music concerts and two educational lecture concerts that illuminate Charleston’s pivotal role in the nation’s early musical life and honor the enduring legacy of the historic Saint Cecilia Society.
The project begins on Monday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Old Exchange Building (122 East Bay Street) with a lecture concert exploring the early years of the Saint Cecilia Society, from its founding in 1766 through the Revolutionary War. CMC President and Artistic Director Sandra Nikolajevs will be joined by historian Dr. Nicholas Butler, one of Charleston’s foremost scholars, for a discussion of the society’s origins and cultural significance. Musical selections will be performed by a string quartet and include movements from Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet, Op. 74, No. 3 (“Rider”) and Gaetano Franceschini’s Trio Sonata No. 6, offering a glimpse into the repertoire heard in Charleston during the late 18th century.
On Sunday, March 8, at 3pm at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church (405 King Street) CMC presents “Glorious String Sextets.” Guest violinist Daniel Ching, founding member of the internationally celebrated Miró Quartet, and guest cellist Alan Rafferty of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra join musicians of Chamber Music Charleston for an afternoon of richly textured, exuberant chamber music. The concert opens with Mozart’s Grande Sestetto Concertante, an exquisite and rarely heard arrangement of the composer’s beloved Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364. This elegant reimagining preserves the glowing dialogue and luminous charm of the original while offering a captivating new sound world for string sextet, and reflects the type of music that was performed during the height of the Saint Cecilia Society.
The program continues with Dvořák’s String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48, a masterpiece that overflows with folk-inspired melodies, vibrant rhythmic energy, and the warm lyricism for which the composer is cherished. Brimming with both intimacy and brilliance, the sextet highlights Dvořák’s gift for weaving heartfelt expressivity into spirited, dance-like movements.
The lecture series continues on Friday, May 1, at 7pm at Circular Congregational Church (150 Meeting Street) with a focus on the Saint Cecilia Society’s “Golden Age” of the 1790s, when the organization reached its artistic zenith. Ms. Nikolajevs and Dr. Butler will examine this flourishing period alongside live performances of selections from Mozart’s String Quartet in F Major, K. 590.
The project culminates on Sunday, May 3 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, as the award-winning Isidore Quartet headlines Chamber Music Charleston’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. The program features Haydn’s “Sunrise” Quartet and Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, followed by a celebratory reception at the Francis Marion Hotel.
Through these NEA-funded performances and educational programs, Echoes of the Saint Cecilia Society draws a direct connection between America’s early musical foundations and the profound influence of European composers on its artistic development. Founded in Charleston in 1766, the Saint Cecilia Society—one of the earliest musical organizations in the United States—presented concerts until 1820 and played a crucial role in cultivating a vibrant cultural life in a young nation. By revisiting this repertoire in historically resonant spaces, Chamber Music Charleston honors the society’s lasting contributions to America’s musical identity while celebrating a defining chapter in the nation’s cultural history.
For tickets and more information, please visit www.chambermusiccharleston.org.
