The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Players Series returns for a new season beginning Saturday, September 12, 2026, with “Palette of Voices” at 3:00 p.m. at New Castle Congregational Church in New Castle, NH. The concert will be performed by the Principal Winds Trio and will feature Portsmouth High School student and pianist Apollo Moon.

This imaginative chamber music program brings together lyrical storytelling, stylistic variety and fresh creative voices across generations. The concert opens with Alyssa Morris’s “Brushstrokes,” a vivid contemporary work inspired by visual art that transforms color, motion, and texture into sound. Julius Röntgen’s “Trio, Op. 86” offers a richly crafted example of late-Romantic chamber writing, shaped by elegant interplay and expressive warmth. Bill Douglas’s “Three Lyrical Pieces” adds a contrasting voice, blending classical lyricism with hints of jazz and folk influence in music that is intimate, direct, and deeply melodic. The Principal Winds Trio includes Aubrie Dionne, flute, Sarah Krebs, oboe and Melissa Grady, bassoon.

The program also features world premieres by Michael Shun and Joseph Kayan, offering audiences the rare opportunity to experience brand-new works at the moment they enter the chamber music repertoire. In addition, student pianist Apollo Moon joins the stage, bringing an emerging artistic voice into dialogue with professional musicians in a tradition of mentorship and shared performance.

Together, these works create a program defined by discovery—connecting past and present through music that is expressive, accessible, and alive with creative possibility.

New Castle Congregational Church is located at 65 Main Street in New Castle, NH.

Subsequent chamber concerts include “Pulitzer Prize Winners” with the Portsmouth Brass Quintet on October 4; and “Umoja” with the Principal Winds on April 4. Both of these future performances will take place at 3:00 p.m. at Christ Church in Exeter, NH.

On September 20 at 3:00 p.m., the PSO will be performing a special concert featuring international violin virtuoso Joshua Bell at The Music Hall, in Portsmouth.

The orchestra’s full 2026-2027 Main Stage calendar includes “The Universe” on November 1, 2026; “Holiday Family Pops!” on December 20; “Paint Me a Picture” on March 14; and “Love and Death” on Sunday, May 23, 2027.

Founded in 1997, the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is comprised of over 65 local professionals, educators and dedicated volunteers.

For more information about the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra or a full calendar of events, please visit www.portsmouthsymphony.org.

The concert is free and open to the public. Those who can are encouraged to make a donation of up to $40. Donations can be made in advance by visiting www.portsmouthsymphony.org.