Group presents top-tier chamber music concerts

By Morgan Vaughan

Basically Beethoven celebrates its 45th year at its annual Basically Beethoven Festival, three free concerts featuring a crowd-pleasing repertoire performed by exceptional professional classical musicians. 

The festival takes place on Sundays, July 12, 19 and 26 beginning at 2:30 p.m. (Rising Stars) and 3 p.m. (Featured Performers) at Moody Performance Hall.

Since it began in 1981, Fine Arts Chamber Players (now known as Basically Beethoven) has had many successful educational programs and is now settled on free music residencies in voice, violin and piano in several under-served schools. However, its foundation is its two free concert series: the October-May monthly Hallam series and July Basically Beethoven Festival, which together boast roughly 3,500 patrons per year.

“Forty-five years is a long time for any arts organization,” said Morgan Vaughan, Basically Beethoven executive director since 2022. “But the fact that we’ve never once strayed from our mission of producing top-tier chamber music concerts, as well as training the new generation of classical musicians and concert-goers — for free — is truly extraordinary.”

“Most importantly,” Vaughan added, “Basically Beethoven concerts are incredible. The whole point is to offer concerts that are as good as you’d experience at any major hall, but that absolutely anyone can afford to attend.”

This year’s players include musicians from the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Opera Orchestra, Plano Symphony, Las Colinas Symphony, SMU Meadows School of the Arts, UNT College of Music and others.

Admission is always free for Basically Beethoven. concerts. Basically Beethoven asks patrons to RSVP on its website in case there are last-minute changes or information. Links to support the concerts and music residencies through donations via Zeffy or Stripe are there as well. Visit basicallybeethoven.org for more information.