Close Encounters With Music Announces Dazzling 34th Season

Season Opens with Silent Film Classic Der Golem and Live Original Score

Close Encounters With Music (CEWM) proudly unveils its 34th season, a dynamic series of chamber music concerts running from November through June. Renowned for pairing world-class performances with insightful commentary, CEWM’s 2024–2025 season spans centuries and styles, showcasing extraordinary musicians from around the globe.

A Cinematic Masterpiece Meets Live Music
The season launches November 2nd at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center with a rare treat: a screening of Der Golem(1920) accompanied by a live klezmer-infused score. Paul Wegener’s German Expressionist landmark tells the haunting 16th-century legend of a clay figure brought to life to protect Prague’s Jewish community—only to turn on its creators. The film was a sensation on release, influencing works from operettas to the 1931 cult classic, Frankenstein.

Israeli-born composer Betty Olivero’s evocative score—performed live by clarinetist Saerom Kim, the Avalon String Quartet, and conducted by Jonathan Yates—transforms traditional Yiddish folk melodies and Jewish liturgical music into a rich, cinematic soundscape. Her music heightens the film’s drama with color, urgency, and nuance, creating an unforgettable, fully immersive experience for both eyes and ears.

A Season of Remarkable Artists
Artistic Director Yehuda Hanani invites both longtime patrons and new Berkshire residents to experience intimate programs with outsize talent in the historic Mahaiwe theater. “We can regain a sense of community through the inspiring and healing effects of the best music ever penned—from over 300 years ago to almost yesterday,” Hanani says.

Highlights of the season include:

  • Pianists Adam Golka, Max Levinson, Anna Polonsky, and Gila Goldstein
  • Violinists Giora Schmidt, Miranda Cuckson, Xiao-Dong Wang, Ara Gregorian, Hye-Jin Kim,
  • Violists Anthony Devroye, Helena Baillie
  • Two appearances by the Vivace Chamber Orchestra
  • Metropolitan Opera baritone John Moore in Schumann’s sublime Dichterliebe

Beyond the Concert
After each performance, audiences are invited to an “Afterglow” reception to meet the artists and mingle with fellow music lovers. Select concerts will also be available online, extending CEWM’s reach to listeners far beyond the Berkshires.

Tickets and Subscriptions

Season subscriptions are available now at cewm.org:

Regular Series (7 concerts): $295

Early Bird (7 concerts): $265

Single tickets:

Orchestra/Mezzanine: $60

Balcony: $35

Students: $15

Available through the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center box office or by calling 413-528-0100.

As The Berkshire Edge noted, “CEWM patrons have learned that sooner or later they’ll be blindsided by a performance so sublime it will defy explanation.” Join us for Close Encounters With Music’s sparkling 34th season.