Clara & Johannes

About this Performance

Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms shared a deep and enduring friendship that greatly influenced their music. Clara, a brilliant pianist and composer, was a close confidante and mentor for Brahms. Their relationship, rooted in mutual respect and admiration, inspired some of the most beautiful and heartfelt compositions in classical music. This concert celebrates their unique bond and the timeless music born from it.

The program will also feature Connecticut’s official composer, Charles Ives, in honor of his 125th Birthday Anniversary! Born in Danbury in 1874, Ives attended Yale University and worked in the insurance industry, while also becoming one of the most influential composers in American history. Three Places in New England aims to paint a picture of American ideals, lifestyle and patriotism at the turn of the 20th century by musically visiting Boston Commons; Redding, Connecticut; and Stockbridge, Mass.

From Music Director Perry So:

“Symphonic music came to New Haven through immigrants over a century ago, and central European musicians have played a major part of the history of the NHSO, the fourth oldest symphony orchestra in the country. While technically European at its source, the works of composers such as Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak almost immediately crossed the Atlantic and flourished on the music stands of the NHSO and our peers. Brahms’ fourth and final symphony is such a work — thoroughly central European at its birth but almost immediately finding a home on these shores. In this program we explore Clara Schumann’s piano concerto, a foundational work of the history of the piano that has been unjustly forgotten until recently. We will also celebrate the 150th birthday of Connecticut’s state composer, Charles Ives, the great maverick innovator of American music, who walked the streets of New Haven as a young man, and attended countless NHSO concerts in those formative years.”

Concert Sponsors

• Ticket Information

  Buy Tickets

  Tickets to this concert start at $15 for adults.
  Kids under 18 go free with the purchase of an adult ticket.

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  Our box office is standing by and happy to assist you! Purchase tickets to this concert or a subscription over the phone by calling (203) 693-1486 Monday-Friday from 12-5pm.

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  Additional Discounts Available for This Performance:

  College Students are $10 with ID. College student tickets are available in price sections B, C, and D.
  Tickets for active military are free with ID.
  Groups of 10 or more receive a 20% discount. Call us at (203) 693-1486 or email BoxOffice@LongWharf.org to book your group.

  All artists, programs, and venues are subject to change. No refunds.

• Explore the Music

  Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts the Frankfurt Symphony Orchestra in a performances of Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 (2017)

  
  Isata Kanneh-Mason plays the first movement of Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (2019)

  Learn about Clara Schumann’s mentorship of Johannes Brahms.

• Pre-Concert Activities

  Prelude: Pre-Concert Talk

  Join us for a free 30-minute lecture before the performance. Our engaging pre-concert conversations cover the repertoire, composer insights, and secrets from soloists. Please join us for this FREE learning opportunity!

  This Prelude will be led by SCSU Music Professor Jonathan Irving from 2-2:30pm in the rear section of Woolsey Hall’s main floor. Ticket holders can proceed into the hall and sit in any of the back rows, and then move to their assigned seats once the Prelude is over.

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  Student Showcase

  We welcome student musicians from ACES Educational Center for the Arts to this concert! They will perform in the Woolsey Hall lobby beginning at 2:15pm.

• Accessibility

  Ramp & Door Access

  There is a ramp on the Grove Street side entrance to the Schwarzman Center, equipped with push-button access for the door. There is also a wheelchair accessible entrance at the back of the building if entering from Hewitt Triangle, which also has push-button access. The doors to Woolsey Hall are kept open until showtime.

  Seating Options

  Wheelchair accessible seating is available on the first floor of Woolsey Hall. These seats have space considerations for wheelchairs or service animals. There is also companion seating available. If you are in need of mobility considerations with regard to seating, inquire about these options when contacting the box office or email access@newhavensymphony.org.

  Street Parking

  Woolsey Hall is surrounded by metered street parking. Paid street parking in the Woolsey Hall area is available on Grove, College, and Wall Streets, and is free after 9:00 pm. We recommend that you download the GoNewHaven parking app for easy meter pay – no quarters necessary! Directly outside of Woolsey, there is one (1) ADA spot on Grove Street, three (3) ADA spots on College Street, and one (1) space on Wall Street.

  Garage Parking

  Information about Garage Parking is available in a separate section on this event page. The NHSO provides a free shuttle with a wheelchair lift for the Grove Street Garage (65 Grove Street) and a discount for pre-purchased reservations to that garage.

  Public Transportation

  There are several bus lines that service the Schwarzman Center and the downtown New Haven area. The 224, 234, and 278 have a stop on College Street right outside of the Schwarzman Center. The 212, 213, 215, 224, 228, 229, and 234 service the stop at Temple Street and Grove Street, one block from the venue. Riders on lines 237, 238, 241, 243, 246, 254, 255, and 261 can deboard at the top of the New Haven Green at Temple Street and Elm Street. The 204, 206, 223, and 274 stop at Elm Street and Church Street.

  Click here to see a comprehensive map of the bus lines that service downtown New Haven.

  Restrooms

  There are bathrooms in the basement of the Schwarzman Center as well as on Floor and 3. Each floor that has a bathroom has two multi-stall restrooms and a single-user restroom. Each multi-stall restroom has an ADA compliant stall, and each single–user restroom is also ADA compliant. The multi-stall restrooms are labeled according to gender. We invite patrons to use whichever restroom best corresponds with their gender identity.

  Sensory Related Accommodations

  Sensory kits and earplugs are available at all of our concerts. Patrons can also request to borrow ear defenders for the duration of the concert. To obtain a pair, see a staff member or visit the welcome table.

  Large Print Programs

  Large print programs are available at all of our concerts and can be acquired from a staff member or visit the welcome table.

  Elevators

  Elevators are located on the outer rotunda on the first floor of the Schwarzman Center. You can use the elevator to reach any floor of Woolsey Hall; however, please note that only the first floor offers wheelchair accessible seating.

  Social Story

• Parking at Woolsey Hall

  Grove Street Garage
  Located at 65 Grove Street, the Grove Street Garage is the recommended parking option for NHSO concerts at Woolsey Hall. It is located 2 blocks southeast of Woolsey Hall.

  • Advance spot reservation online: $10
    –> Click Here to Book Your Parking in Advance. <–
  • Parking cost at the concert without advance reservation: $4 per hour
  • Members who donate $300 or more annually receive complimentary parking at the Grove Street Garage for NHSO concerts and can pick up their parking validation at the Member Table at the concert. Qualifying Members will receive an email with more information. Click here to become a member. 
  • The NHSO provides a FREE, wheelchair accessible shuttle bus that runs on a continuous loop between Woolsey Hall and the Garage beginning 90 minutes before the performance.

  Street Parking
  Street parking can be found in the downtown area surrounding Woolsey Hall. Parking rates and rules apply. Visit our friends at Park New Haven to learn more. 

  Drop-Off
  Passengers can be dropped off directly in front of the entrance to Woolsey Hall but parking is prohibited in this area.

  Public Transportation
  Woolsey Hall is accessible from bus lines 224, 234, and 278. Click here to plan your trip with CT Transit. 

  Do you have questions about parking and accessibility? Please call the box office at (203) 693-1486 or email our box office partners at  BoxOffice@LongWharf.org.