The Linton Music Series presented two inspiring concerts this month in memory of founding artistic director Dick Waller. I want to share some terrific photos taken by Tina Gutierrez for Linton, along with a few thoughts about the programs.

Yesterday, Linton welcomed back an old friend, clarinetist Anthony McGill. The principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic started his career as a 21-year-old associate clarinetist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. McGill spoke a bit about Dick Waller, former CSO principal clarinetist, who “showed him the ropes” and shared many dinners with him.

McGill opened the program with a wonderful work by his friend, James Lee III, “Principal Brothers” No. 3. Each of Lee’s “Principal Brothers” series is dedicated to a symphony music who is Black and a principal player. No. 1 is a flute solo for Anthony’s brother, Demarre McGill, principal flute of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra; No. 2 is for Titus Underwood, principal oboe of the Nashville Symphony; and No. 4 is for Bryan Young, principal bassoon of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Lee’s three-movement piece for Anthony McGill was a ideal vehicle for the clarinetist’s beauty of line and expressive phrasing.

The remainder of the program consisted of two of the great clarinet quintets in music: Mozart’s Quintet in A Major, K. 581, and Brahms Quintet in B Minor. McGill was joined by Linton co-artistic directors Jaime Laredo, violinist, and Sharon Robinson, cellist, as well as violinist James Thompson and violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt.

The Mozart sparkled with affection and offered many moments of profound beauty. McGill’s runs and flourishes were seamless. The Brahms had an autumnal quality that was quite moving. You could tell, especially in that intimate venue, that each musician felt its emotion. McGill’s tone color ranged from darkly romantic to wistful. For me, the depth and eloquence of this performance lingered long after the final notes died away.

I didn’t know until later that I had been sitting right in front of the CCM clarinet class!

Earlier this month, Linton presented chamber music with violinist Augustin Hadelich, the day after his appearance in the Benjamin Britten Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Cincinnati Symphony. Hadelich was joined by the CSO’s principal cellist Ilya Finkelshteyn and pianist Ran Dank, a faculty member at CCM.

That, too, was an extraordinary performance. Hadelich wowed in a solo blues piece by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson. The ensemble opened the program with a galvanizing reading of Beethoven’s Piano Trio No. 2 in G Major, Op. 1. The Ravel Piano Trio in A Minor, which concluded, was breathtaking. Besides the artistry of both string players, I especially enjoyed the touch and tone color of Ran Dank at the piano.

That concert was standing room only.

Thank you to Tina Gutierrez for providing these photos.