Danbury Concert Association hosts June 7 with Sophie Shao & Friends

The Danbury Concert Association (DCA) will conclude its 2025/26 season on Sunday, June 7 with a program designed to feel both celebratory and deeply personal: the return of acclaimed cellist Sophie Shao, joined by four highly acclaimed musical professionals—violinist Carmit Zori, violist Cora Pogossian, bassist Max Zeugner, and pianist Amy I‑Lin Cheng.

The concert begins at 3 p.m. at the Veronica Hagman Concert Hall in the Visual Performing Arts Center (VPAC) on Western Connecticut State University’s Westside campus—an intimate, in-the-round venue known for warm acoustics and a welcoming, come-as-you-are atmosphere. Single tickets for the June 7 concert are $25 and may be purchased online, at wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com, or at the VPAC Box Office (203-837-8732) up to curtain time. Admission is free for ages 18 and under, courtesy of the Danbury Cultural Commission.

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For DCA audiences, Shao’s return is more than a season finale—it is the kind of artist-centered homecoming the organization has long championed. It reflects a rare concert experience defined by world-class musicianship in a setting where every seat feels close, every phrase feels immediate, and the post-concert conversation remains part of the tradition.

Shao and her fellow performers will present three works, each offering a distinctive voice and atmosphere. Elena Ruehr’s Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 brings modern expressiveness and rich color, highlighting the lyrical warmth of Shao’s cello and the refined sensitivity of pianist Amy I-Lin Cheng. The program continues with a deeply meaningful tribute to Danbury’s own Charles Ives, who’s Piano Trio is especially fitting in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary. Following intermission, the afternoon concludes with Franz Schubert’s Quintet for Piano and Strings in A major, D. 667 (“The Trout”). With its buoyant variations and luminous lyricism, the beloved work offers an uplifting and generous finish to the season, bringing the concert to a joyful close.

That spirit of connection continues after the performance, as each DCA concert is followed by a meet-the-artists reception open to all, reinforcing the series’ tradition of community.

The June 7 season finale will also offer a first look at the 2026/27 series that includes: Ying Li, piano on September 20, 2026, Camerata RCO, chamber music orchestra on October 25, 2026, Kathryn Lewek soprano, and Zach Borichesvsky, tenor on March 21, 2027, and the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, on June 6, 2027. Special subscription pricing for the new season will be available at www.danburyconcert.org beginning June 8.

About the Danbury Concert Association

The Danbury Concert Association is a nonprofit organization with roots dating back to the 1930s. Officially spun off from the Danbury Music Centre in 1957, the Association has brought internationally renowned talent to Connecticut every year since, with the exception of the COVID era. Today, performances are held at the Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University, in a state of the art facility. Each series features four concerts, two in the fall and two in the spring. Every performance begins at 3:00 p.m. and is followed by a reception with the artists.