Transporting the audience to magical Paris for an evening, this concert is a feast of chamber musical sounds. The centerpiece of the first half of the program is Debussy’s sensuous and rarely heard Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp. The work is flanked by Bizet’s playful Jeux d’enfants (“Children’s Games”) for piano four-hands, Saint-Saëns’s Fantasy for Violin and Harp, and a selection of Francis Poulenc’s most beautiful songs. The second half brings together Zorman, Reardon, Yang and Gabriella McClellan (BM ‘2025, winner of the UGA 2022 Concerto Competition) for Gabriel Fauré’s sumptuous Piano Quartet No. 1. World area: France.

The Christopher Durant Ballew Memorial Series was established by the late Ms. Despy Karlas and Dr. Leighton Ballew in memory of their son. The endowed series brings noted authors, lecturers, musicians, and exhibitions to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in celebration of the beauty and splendor of nature.