Rancho Bernardo Library’s free Chamber Music series returns, with restrictions

The Rancho Bernardo Library’s popular monthly Chamber Music series is resuming next week, but the format has changed due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Aviara Trio will be the first music group to perform since the pandemic closures in March 2020. The trio features pianist Ines Irawati, violinist Rob Schumitzky and cellist Erin Breene.

The trio’s program for the 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26 concert will consist of Brahms Piano Trio #2, in C major Op. 87; Shostakovich Piano Trio #2, in E minor Op. 67; and Schubert Piano Trio #1, in Bb major Op. 99 (Andante mov’t).

Irawati is “known for her expressivity, virtuosity and versatility” on the piano, according to the trio’s website. She has performed for TEDxSan Diego at Copley Symphony Hall, the Art of Élan and with the San Diego Opera, where she is the musical and artistic director of its Young Artist Training Program. Irawati’s training includes undergraduate studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and she earned a Masters of Music degree from Yale University. She has won numerous prizes at international competitions and is also a composer.

As a cellist, Breene is “in great demand as both a chamber and orchestral musician,” according to her bio. She is a member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and Long Beach Opera Orchestra, performs regularly with the Pacific Symphony and Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, and served as principal cellist of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and Music Center Dance of Los Angeles. Breene’s training includes Rice University’s Shepherd School Symphony, where she earned her bachelor’s, and the Juilliard School, where she earned her master’s.

Schumitzky, who performs on the “Ex-Halir” Stradivarius made in 1694, according to his bio, is a member of the First Violin section at Pacific Symphony and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, is the concertmaster at the Long Beach Opera Orchestra and performs regularly with the San Diego Symphony. He is also the associate concertmaster at the Opera Pacific Orchestra and San Diego Chamber Orchestra. He earned his bachelor’s from the Juilliard School and master’s from the Saint Louis Conservatory of Music.

The Aviara Trio’s free concert — courtesy of the Friends of the Rancho Bernardo Library, which has provided the concert series for the past 23 years — will be held in the library’s upstairs community room, 17110 Bernardo Center Drive. Since the Friends cover the costs of the musicians and piano tuning, freewill donations will be accepted.

While pre-pandemic concert audiences filled the room with well over 100 attendees, now room capacity is limited and reservations are required, according to Harvey Levine, an RB FOL member and the concert series’ artistic director.

He said the concerts have been moved from their traditional Wednesdays to Tuesdays and will start 15 minutes earlier due to pandemic restrictions and revised library hours. The concerts are scheduled to run from 6 to 7:15 p.m. In addition, admission is restricted to those who are vaccinated against COVID and all in attendance must wear masks at all times.

City regulations are restricting room capacity to 50 percent, which means there is only seating for 64 audience members. Because of this, Levine said free reservations are required, available on a first-come basis. To request up to four seats, send an email to rbconcerts@friendsoftherblibrary.org. Since those on the concert series’ mailing list are notified first about concert ticket availability, he said people interested in attending future concerts may email to request they be added to the notification list.