South Country Concerts closes its 25th season with concert on Sunday

South Country Concerts in Bellport wraps up its 25th anniversary season on Sunday with a program featuring works by Mozart, Dohnanyi, and a jazz piano trio by David Baker.

It’s the first time South Country Concerts has performed any of the three pieces, said Laurinel Owen, the group’s cellist and co-founder.

“Everything in this program is completely new to us,” Owen said.

In addition to Owen, the four artists performing on Sunday are Richard Pearson Thomas (piano),  Naho Tsutsui Parrini (first violin), Aundrey Mitchell (viola) and Akiko Hosoi (second violin.) All are based in New York City, other than Owen, who lives in Bellport.

Like Owen, who has performed with orchestras in South Africa, Mexico City and Edinburgh in Scotland, all are professional musicians with decades of experience.

Owen and Deborah Birnbaum, a Bellport-based soprano and voice coach, started South Country Concerts in 2000 as a way to bring chamber music to Long Island audiences. South Country Concerts has performed more than 250 works so far.

In the first few years, the group performed in the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society’s Ralph Brown Building.

The group moved to the Parish Hall at Christ Church Bellport several years ago, where the space is larger and the acoustics are “absolutely magnificent,” Owen said.

What started as an audience of a handful of people has grown to an audience of 70 to 80 people for each concert, Owen said.

Audiences are appreciative that they can see first-rate chamber music performed close to home.

“They’re happy they don’t have to go into New York City to see great chamber music,” pianist Thomas said.

Thomas, who is one of the group’s original members, is also a composer and lyricist. South Country Concerts has performed at least eight of his works, including most recently, his “Spanish Sketchbook, Violin and Piano.” His works have also been performed by the Boston Pops, Houston Grand Opera and Portland Opera, among others. 

For information, call 631-286-1592 or visit www.southcountryconcerts.org