On Sunday, November 4, the harmonious music of the Colors of the Fall Colgate Chamber Players concert could be heard emanating from the Colgate Memorial Chapel. Inside, an audience consisting mainly of adults and friends of participating students gathered at 3:30 p.m. to attend the concert.

Only a select amount of advanced musicians are included in the Chamber Players each year, and this year’s group upheld the Players’ elite reputation. The Players perform under the direction of Professor of Music and Africana & Latin American Studies Laura Klugherz, a well-known musician who has toured Europe, Latin America and the United States. Amidst her many accomplishments, Klugherz has released several CDs and even published a book.

Sunday’s concert, Colors of the Fall, showcased the works of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvorak, Felix Mendelssohn, Rebecca Clarke and Luigi Boccherini. Each piece was performed by no more than five musicians and was greeted with enthusiastic applause.

Colgate students Javier Diaz, Carolyn Brodbeck and Carolyn Heaney got the concert off to a strong start in their performance of Bach’s Trio in A minor, Wq 93 on the flute, viola and harpsichord, while coached by Professor of Music and Medieval & Renaissance Studies Joscelyn Godwin.

Beethoven’s Piano Trio, Op. 1, No. 1 followed the piece, performed by violinist Benjamin Ashwell, cellist Kathryne Kirk and pianist Brandon Grabowski. Ashwell returned to play Dvorak’s Terzetto on the violin, accompanied by violinist Stephanie Fazio, while Klugherz added the viola. In each piece, the musicians demonstrated their superior skill and nimble fingers as they flew along the strings, and the varied pace of each piece kept the audience entertained.

Following Terzetto, a larger group, clad in matching red tops and black bottoms, mounted the stage to perform Quintet No. 1, Op. 18. Klugherz and Stephanie O’Brien played the violin, while Brodbeck and Laura James performed on the viola. Florent Renard-Payen student Richard Ammerman completed the ensemble on the cello. The students looked to Laura to determine the speed of the piece.

Next, world-renowned cellist Laurinel Owen took the stage alongside Klugherz to play two pieces for the viola and the cello by Rebecca Clarke. Like Klugherz, Owen is famed for her recitals around the globe, and she additionally has recorded for many different radio and TV stations globally. Owen has received numerous prestigious honors for her music and has written over 100 articles and she has recently published a critically acclaimed book.

During their rendition of Clarke’s two pieces, Klugherz and Owen alternated the tempo and volume. The duo’s passion for music was exhibited in their energetic swaying to the rhythm of the music during each piece and the large smiles they bore upon completion.

The concert drew to a close with Boccherini’s Quintet in D Major “Bird Sanctuary.” Klugherz and O’Brien performed on the violin, while James once again played the viola. Owen and Ammerman played the cello side by side.

Following the concert, all participants returned to the stage for a final bow and met with much applause.

Afterwards, all of the concert’s attendees were invited to join the Chamber Players for a reception and snacks on the lower level of the Chapel.