The placement of the different instruments in the listener's ears creates a sense of surrounding space; the bleed of one tone's decay into the attack of the next seems to smooth over the passage of time.

It was clear in this vibey number that the violinist and the band were feeling the spirit of the mariachi rhythms.

Despite the presence of Stravinsky's 'Firebird,' it was a large new work by Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Reid that proved the program's creative centerpiece.

The maestro of the Indian sarod and the Grammy-winning classical guitarist interlocked sound and spirit of East and West in their collaborations' NYC debut.

In this music Liang raises the process of creation to such an esoteric level that the substance thins out almost to the vanishing point.

"Living with this music over time has only deepened my understanding of the country and its people. The project now feels more like an ongoing conversation – something unfinished, and in progress, and very necessary."

It's quite possible to enjoy (or disdain) the music without thinking or knowing anything about music theory. A little bit Charles Ives, a little bit Raymond Scott, a little bit Looney Tunes, it conjures a fusion – really a plurality of fusions – all its own, and all with tongue in cheek.

Kudos to these musicians and the Chamber Music Society for dusting off an extraordinary creation by Joachim Raff and giving it a fair and muscular airing.

There's a lot of pain and grief here, but it has inspired a suite of eclectic and eccentric chamber music that's almost operatic.

This comedy of social commentary delivered laughs for an audience hungry for them, thanks to a pointed story and script, a dazzling single-set production, and a crackerjack cast.