Clarion Concerts to host benefit with Harlem Quartet in Hudson

By AI, Created 9:51 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Clarion Concerts will hold its annual benefit June 13 in Hudson, New York, with a performance by the Grammy Award-winning Harlem Quartet. The event supports the nonprofit’s chamber music programming, new commissions and audience education efforts across the Hudson Valley and beyond.

Why it matters: - The benefit helps fund Clarion Concerts’ chamber music work in the Hudson Valley and across the Northeast. - The event also supports the nonprofit’s efforts to commission new works and expand recognition for Black composers and musicians. - Clarion Concerts says the concert format helps build awareness of classical music among younger audiences.

What happened: - Clarion Concerts will host its annual benefit event on Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Hudson, New York. - The featured performance will come from the Grammy Award-winning Harlem Quartet. - The event will run from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and include a concert, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. - The benefit will take place at Pocketbook Hudson Hotel and Baths, 549 Washington Street, Hudson, NY 12534. - Tickets are priced at $150, with $100 listed as a deductible charitable contribution. - Ticket sales are available through Eventbrite and Clarion Concerts.

The details: - Clarion Concerts is a nonprofit focused on chamber music in the Hudson Valley, New York region. - The organization says it has brought chamber music to the region for nearly 70 years and has reached communities across the Northeast. - Artistic Director Melissa White will lead the concert. - White is also a founding member of the Harlem Quartet. - White said the program will include works by Beethoven, William Bolcom, William Grant Still and Wynton Marsalis. - The Harlem Quartet was founded in 2006. - The quartet began with first-place laureates of the Sphinx Competition for Black and Latino string players. - The current members are first violinist Ilmar Gavilán, second violinist Melissa White, violist Jaime Amador and cellist Felix Umansky. - The quartet’s repertoire blends classical, contemporary, jazz and Latin-infused music. - The group has performed throughout North and South America, and in France, the U.K., Belgium, Japan, Ethiopia and South Africa. - The program will include Beethoven’s String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6. - The repertoire also includes Bolcom’s Three Rags for String Quartet, Still’s The Quiet One and Marsalis’ Rampart Street Row House Rag / Hellbound Highball. - Clarion Concerts was originally founded as The Clarion Society in 1957 by Newell Jenkins and Jack Hurley. - The organization later became known for early music concerts through the Leaf Peeper Concerts in Columbia County, New York. - In June 1996, Clarion Concerts of Columbia County, Inc. became independent under Music Director Sanford Allen. - Sanford Allen was the first African-American full-time member of the New York Philharmonic and an international soloist. - Under Allen, Clarion expanded its repertoire to include 19th- and 20th-century music along with Baroque works.

Between the lines: - The Harlem Quartet pairing fits Clarion Concerts’ broader emphasis on Black composers, Black musicians and inclusive programming. - Melissa White’s role connects the benefit directly to the ensemble’s history and to Clarion Concerts’ artistic direction. - The mix of Beethoven, Bolcom, Still and Marsalis signals a program built to connect familiar chamber music with a wider American repertoire. - The organization’s use of a benefit format suggests fundraising remains central to supporting commissions and educational outreach.

What’s next: - Clarion Concerts is expected to continue annual commissions of contemporary works. - The organization also plans to keep presenting chamber music and educational programming tied to its mission. - More information is available through Clarion Concerts’ website and social channels, including the organization’s support page.