The intimate setting of the Hunter Museum of American Art will once again become a stage for some of the world’s leading chamber musicians when String Theory at the Hunter launches its 18th season in October.
Presented in partnership with Lee University, the 2026-27 season will feature six concerts and 21 internationally acclaimed musicians, with programs ranging from Bach and Schubert to bluegrass, American spirituals and a Grammy-nominated contemporary percussion work.
“String Theory Season Eighteen promises to be a vibrant celebration of virtuosity, artistry, and imagination, bringing together extraordinary musicians and an exciting range of musical voices,” says Dr. Gloria Chien, String Theory’s founder and artistic director and an artist in residence at Lee University. “We look forward to welcoming the community to experience this remarkable season with us.”
The season opens Oct. 13 with “Romantic Reflections,” featuring violist Timothy Ridout, clarinetist Jose Franch-Ballester and Chien on piano. The program will include Joseph Horovitz’s “Sonatina” for clarinet and piano, Franz Schubert’s “Arpeggione Sonata” and selections from Max Bruch’s “Eight Pieces.”
The opening concert will also feature “Pregame with Bob” at 5:45 p.m., a preconcert discussion with Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Director Emeritus Bob Bernhardt.
On Dec. 1, the ensemble will give way to a single musician and his cello.
“A Solo Voice” will feature Zlatomir Fung performing the first three of Johann Sebastian Bach’s six cello suites. Fung became the first American in four decades – and the youngest musician ever – to win first prize in the cello division of the International Tchaikovsky Competition.
String Theory will take a holiday break before returning Jan. 26 with a concert that ventures beyond the traditional boundaries of chamber music.
“A Meeting of Worlds” will bring bassist Edgar Meyer together with his son, violinist George Meyer, and mandolinist Mike Marshall. Drawing on years of collaboration, the musicians will blend classical music with bluegrass, folk and improvisation.
One of the themes running through the season – placing familiar musical traditions alongside unexpected sounds and combinations – continues Feb. 16 with “The Return,” featuring the Danish String Quartet and Chien.
The program pairs Maurice Ravel’s “String Quartet in F Major” with Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Piano Quintet,” two works that offer sharply different approaches to harmony, texture and expression.
The March concert will turn its attention homeward.
With the United States marking its 250th anniversary in 2026, String Theory will present an Americana-themed “Celebration” on March 30 featuring violinists Richard Lin and Oliver Neubauer, violist Paul Neubauer, cellist Mihai Marica and Chien.
The program will include Igor Frolov’s “Fantasy on Themes” from “Porgy and Bess,” American spirituals and folk songs such as “Shenandoah” and “Deep River,” and Amy Beach’s “Piano Quintet.”
String Theory will close its season April 27 by exchanging strings for an arsenal of percussion instruments.
Grammy-nominated Sandbox Percussion will perform composer Andy Akiho’s “Seven Pillars,” a 70-minute work developed during nearly eight years of collaboration between Akiho and the ensemble.
The piece pushes percussion to the center of the musical experience, providing a contemporary counterpoint to the Bach, Schubert and other repertoire heard earlier in the season.
All six concerts will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Hunter Museum.
Season subscriptions are $300 for nonmembers, $240 for Hunter members and $60 for students and music teachers. Subscriptions include admission to all six concerts.
Individual tickets are $54 for nonmembers, $42 for Hunter members and $10 for students and music teachers with identification. Tickets will remain available through the day of each concert.
Purchase tickets at
stringtheorymusic.org.