We are thrilled to offer this program as a part of Lincoln Center’s “Summer for the City Series!” 

Audiences will enjoy both classical and jazz music featuring Ivalas Quartet and Swiss jazz pianist Léo Tardin! Hailed by The Strad for playing with “tremendous heart and beauty,” the Ivalas Quartet has been changing the face of classical music since its inception in 2017 with a mission to enrich the classical music world by spotlighting past and present BIPOC composers. The Ivalas Quartet will perform a selection of works by contemporary voices whose perspectives are leaving an indelible mark on our world, including Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Simon, and Eleanor Alberga. Visuals projected behind the quartet by renown visual artist Suzanne Jackson.

Swiss jazz pianist, composer, and visual artist Léo Tardin presents a multi-sensorial performance with both sonic and pictorial content, bringing his own drawings to life with music. The vignettes in Léo Tardin's Le piano illustré oscillate between intricate floral and plant motifs inspired by his surroundings in the countryside of Geneva and psychedelic sketches. The visuals move in real time in dialogue and response to Tardin's solo piano improvisational jazz pieces. 

FEATURING
Ivalas Quartet
Léo Tardin, piano

PROGRAM
I. Ivalas Quartet
Jessie MONTGOMERY (1981) - Strum
Carlos SIMON (b. 1986) - Warmth from Other Suns 
Eleanor ALBERGA (b. 1949) - String Quartet No. 2

II. Le Piano Illustré
Léo Tardin, piano

Chelsea Music Festival is a proud partner of Steinway & Sons & extends heartfelt thanks to all its 2025 Festival Sponsors