Basically Beethoven

05/08/2026

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 9th, 3pm at Central Commons, Dallas, the Charles Barr Memorial Concert with Elim Wong, violin, and Yurie Iwasaki, piano. As always, free, thanks to our sponsors and donors!

04/20/2026

Next Free Concert - Saturday, May 9th, 3pm at Central Commons, Dallas - The Charles Barr Memorial Concert, annually featuring an exceptional Dallas-based student musician. More information and RSVP at www.basicallybeethoven.org

From Board Director Arianna Kalian: “There is a beautiful connection to tell you about, amongst Basically Beethoven, Elim, her teacher Shannon Lee and Yurie Iwasaki. In 2007, violin prodigy Shannon Lee inaugurated the Charles Barr Memorial Concert at the Dallas Museum of Art where Shannon and Yurie performed music by Bach and Franz Waxman’s fiendishly difficult Carmen Fantasy. Two years prior, Shannon had made a stunning orchestral debut with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerson Symphony Center and performed the Barber Violin Concerto.

How beautiful, then, that Elim and Yurie are performing here together, nearly 20 years later."

Elim Wong is a ninth grader at Jasper High School in Plano. She is currently under the tutelage of renowned violinist Shannon Lee. Elim made her first appearance as a soloist at the age of 12 and has performed with the Plano Symphony Orchestra and the Lewisville Lake Symphony. Her list of accolades includes National First Prize of the 2024-2025 Music Teachers National Association Competition, Grand Prize in the 2024 Vernell Gregg Young Artists Competition, and Grand Prize of the 2023 Collin County Young Artist Competition. In the upcoming summer, Elim will use her Young Masters grant to study at the Heifetz Institute Summer Program in Staunton, Virginia.

The Charles Barr Memorial Concert celebrates the legacy of Dallas bassist Charles Barr and showcases the next generation of North Texas musical talent. This year's young performer is the wonderful Elim Wong, violin, with collaborative pianist Yurie Iwasaki

04/11/2026

Visit our website for more information 🎵🎶

04/01/2026

Next FREE BB Hallam Concert - Inspirata Ensemble - Saturday, April 11, 3pm at Central Commons featuring a piece by Dallas-local composer Heather Sorenson.

RSVP and more information on our website: basicallybeethoven.org

03/14/2026

Today - Saturday - 3pm :)

03/07/2026

Free - Saturday, March 14, 3pm at Central Commons - Del Alma Trio - RSVP on our website: www.basicallybeethoven.org

Del Alma Trio brings a vibrant, guitar-rich journey across centuries and continents, weaving together Baroque elegance, Spanish passion, and the rhythmic soul of South America. Their performances blend lyricism, dance, and nuance, creating a sound that is both intimate and expansive, refined yet brimming with rhythmic energy.

The program features Luigi Boccherini’s Introduction and Fandango, a brilliant showcase of Classical grace infused with fiery Spanish character, followed by De Falla's energetic and chilling Ritual Fire Dance, it’s rhythms and trills painting a picture of a ghostly ceremony. Select dance music of Latin America, including bolero and tango, showcase contrapuntal beauty and rhythm, reimagined through the warmth of the classical guitar. Rounding out the program are original compositions by guitarist James Tarbutton, most notably En Los Llanos, a compelling blend of European waltz form with the syncopated rhythms and extended harmonies of Venezuela—music that feels both rooted in tradition and vividly contemporary. Together, these works reflect Del Alma Trio’s mission: to honor the past while celebrating the living, evolving voice of the classical guitar.

Del Alma Trio is Jonathan Valenzuela, James Tarbutton, and Aaron Todd.

Del Alma Trio brings a vibrant, guitar-rich journey across centuries and continents, weaving together Romantic elegance, Spanish passion, and the rhythmic soul of South America.

02/20/2026

Tomorrow, Feb 21st, 3pm, at Central Commons, FREE - RSVP on our website, find more information, and artists' bios.

02/14/2026

Saturday, February 21st, 3pm, Central Commons, Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends perform Puccini, Schubert, and Beethoven's op. 59 no. 1. FREE, as always. Pre-show talk begins around 2:40pm. For more information and to RSVP visit our website.

Performing Puccini, Schubert, & Beethoven

01/27/2026

Due to frigid temperatures and the likelihood we'll still be dealing with patchy ice on roads and walkways, as well as the logistics involved with moving and keeping a piano tuned in the cold, we made the decision to cancel the Saturday, Jan 31st concert. Graciously, Catharine Lysinger will perform our opening concert for our Basically Beethoven Hallam Concert 2026 - 2027 season in October.

Thank you to Dr. Lysinger, Collora Piano, and Metroplex Piano Movers for being flexible and giving us their expert opinions. Please spread the word with friends and family that this program will not be performed this Saturday, Jan 31.

Enjoy live chamber music performances with Basically Beethoven. Join our mailing list and be a part of a vibrant music community. Always: FREE Admission; FREE Music Education

01/25/2026

The RR Scholarship at The Dallas Foundation is now open for applications. Please share with graduating seniors from Booker T. Washington HSPVA PTSA, FACP/Basically Beethoven students, and your colleagues! This scholarship is an incredible opportunity

01/19/2026

TONIGHT! Monday, Jan 19 (MLK, Jr Day), 8pm on WRR - Broadcast from live performance on July 14, 2024 from Basically Beethoven Festival 2024.

2024 Basically Beethoven Festival – July 14th: "Back to Basically" presented by Capital One

Rising Star – Jack Roueche, piano

Piano Sonata No. 4, in Eb major, Op. 7
I. Allegro molto e con brio
Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)

Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 36
I. Allegro agitato (B-flat minor)
Sergei Rachmaninoff
(1873-1943)

La valse
Maurice Ravel
(1875-1937)

Featured Performers – Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends
Sari Pearce & Jen Betz, violin
Anna Kolotylina, viola | Andrew Pearce, cello
Daniel Anastasio, piano

String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95
I. Allegro con brio
II. Allegretto ma non troppo
III. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso
IV. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato
Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)

Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major Op. 81
I. Allegro ma non tanto
II. Dumka. Andante con moto
III. Scherzo (Furiant). Molto vivace - Poco tranquillo
IV. Finale. Allegro
Antonín Dvořák
(1841-1904)

Recorded live at Moody Performance Hall, July 14th, 2024

Audio by Gary Haschke