The 2022 Fall Chamber Series will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2. The performance, coordinated by pianist Master Sergeant Russell Wilson, will take place in John Philip Sousa Band Hall at the Marine Barracks Annex in southeast Washington, D.C., and will be livestreamed on YouTube. Wilson offered the following on the program:

For my recital on Oct. 2, I thought it would be fun to have a piano-emphasized recital, since in years past the Marine Band has had recitals that showcase brass and percussion, strings, and clarinets. I thought, "Why not showcase the piano?”

I planned my program around Ludwig van Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata for violin and piano, which my neighbor, a violinist, introduced to me during the COVID quarantine. With masks, social distancing, and open windows, we read through the sonata just for fun with no audience except each other. We were starving for a reason to play, since COVID had stopped all public performances. I fell in love with the piece and decided to share it with the Marine Band audiences as soon as I had the opportunity. Also, when I bring a piece to work, I force myself to practice it much more seriously. 

The other pieces are J.S. Bach's Toccata in E minor BWV 914 and Johannes Brahms’ Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118. These are pieces I learned in college and decided to pull off the shelf to revisit as a professional. I plan to play Bach on the harpsichord for authenticity and for variety of sound. The most played movement from the Brahms Op. 118 is the second movement– the Intermezzo in A. This is the first piece to bring tears to my eyes while reading it in a college practice room. I rarely cry; only at my wedding and while chopping onions. I played it a few years ago at a White House event for Gold Star Families where I was requested to play soft background music while the names of fallen military were read.  They requested music that was serious, comforting, hopeful, and not too funereal. I knew that the Brahms Intermezzo in A would be just the right piece. 

The Fall Chamber Series concert is free and no tickets are required. The Marine Barracks Annex is accessible by Metro via the Navy Yard or Eastern Market stations. Free parking is also available under the overpass on 7th Street, across from the Annex.

Livestream

Program and Notes

Directions