The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble will kick off the Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Society’s 35th season Monday, Oct. 6.
“This is really special. It’s the Augusta premiere,” April Brumfield, Augusta University associate professor of music industry studies and the society’s managing director, of the concert that will be at 7 p.m. at the Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre. For tickets, go here.
Formed in 1967, the London-based chamber ensemble draws its membership from the principal players of the internationally acclaimed orchestra the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Led by ASMF Director/Leader Tomo Keller, it was “formed to perform the larger-scale chamber music repertoire with outstanding musicians who have a history of working and collaborating closely together,” according to the Academy of St Martin in the Fields website.
The group is on its North American tour and Brumfield said it was performing in the region making it easier to schedule a date.
“We wanted to kick the season off with a bang,” she said.
The anniversary season continues with 2024 GRAMMY winner Imani Winds on Sunday, Nov. 23.
The group was supposed to perform last season, but the concert was cancelled due to Hurricane Helene, Brumfield said.
“This extraordinary wind quintet has dazzled audiences for more than 25 years and is known for its adventurous and diverse programming, which includes both established and newly composed works. The word Imani means ‘faith’ in Swahili, according to the Harry Jacobs Music Society page at Augusta University’s website.
The Vola Jacobs Memorial Piano concert will be Sunday, March 29, 2026, with 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition winner pianist Dmytro Choni.
The season ends with the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass on Sunday, April 19.
Featuring trumpet virtuoso Rodney Marsalis of the famed New Orleans’ Marsalis family, the 8-piece group will dazzle with classical and popular hits including “Barber of Seville,” “A Closer Walk With Thee” and “Hummel Concerto” excerpts.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. There’s going to be New Orleans’ stuff. Wycliffe Gordon is going to play with them,” she said.
The Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Society formed in 1990 after “a small and enthusiastic group of music-loving persons” met with retired Augusta Symphony director Harry Jacobs in the home of Dr. William Boyd to discuss the possibility of forming a high-quality chamber music series which would honor Maestro Jacobs and be led by him, the website said.
Not only did Jacobs help found and lead the symphony, but he chaired and developed then Augusta College’s first music department and designed and championed the Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre.
He died in 2001.
Also an acclaimed musician, his wife, Vola, was part of Augusta College’s music department for 28 years. She died in 2010.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
