Leah Yetter
Chamber Music Charleston (CMC) celebrates the launch of its 21st season with "Tango Meets Classical" on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, at 3 p.m. at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 405 King St. The concert marks the return of violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti and the debut of cellist Brannon Cho, performing alongside the musicians of Chamber Music Charleston.
The program opens with Astor Piazzolla's "Tango Ballet." Piazzolla, the foremost composer and ambassador of tango music who carried the signature sound of Argentina to clubs and concert halls around the world, composed the work for string quartet to evoke the emotional and physical geography of Buenos Aires through a sequence of six vivid, interconnected scenes.
The tango-inspired piece is paired with Schubert's iconic String Quintet in C Major, nicknamed the Cello Quintet due to the additional cello added to the standard string quartet setting. Its unique two-cello instrumentation, the deeply contrasting emotional journey it provides and its reputation as an intimate, final musical testament from the composer have earned it a place as one of the great masterworks of the chamber music repertoire.
With a distinguished career of broad versatility, violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti is equally accomplished as a chamber musician, concertmaster, soloist and educator. Recognized as a deeply expressive artist, she appears as a soloist and chamber music artist at music festivals and concert series internationally.
Cellist Brannon Cho has appeared as a soloist with many of the top orchestras around the world, including the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He is the first-prize winner of the prestigious 6th International Paulo Cello Competition and is also a top prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth, Naumburg and Cassadó international cello competitions.
As a lover of chamber music, Cho performs regularly as a member of a string trio with Chamber Music Charleston guest violinist Stella Chen, who will appear in a November Ovation Concert, and violist Matthew Lipman, who appeared in CMC's 2024-25 concert season.
Moretti and Cho will be joined by Chamber Music Charleston violinist Frances Hsieh, violist Ben Weiss and cellist Timothy O'Malley.
Tickets are $45-$65, with group, senior and student discounts available. Student tickets are $10.
CHAMBER MUSIC CHARLESTON: TANGO MEETS CLASSICAL
- Program: Piazzolla's "Tango Ballet" and Schubert's String Quintet in C Major
- When: Sunday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m.
- Where: St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 405 King St.
- Tickets: $10 for students; $45 and $65 for general admission; group and senior rates available
- More information: ChamberMusicCharleston.org