3:00PM, Sunday, May 3, 2026

The Friends crowns its landmark Fiftieth Anniversary Season with a joyous celebration, assembling a 12-member all-star ensemble in Kansas City. At the heart of the program is Saint-Saëns’s enchanting Carnival of the Animals—a witty, whimsical, and dazzling showcase. Complementing it is the premiere of Michael Stephen Brown’s The Carnival of Endangered Wonders, an ingenious and refreshing companion piece. We open this “carnival procession” with three gems for cello and piano by Gabriel Fauré, performed by our Artistic Directors, followed by his graceful and nostalgic Pavane, Op. 50 — a fitting farewell to our Golden Jubilee. This festive finale not only caps a remarkable season—it joyfully reaffirms the vibrant future of chamber music for the next fifty years and beyond.

Read our 2025-2026 Digital Guide

There will be no pre-concert talk for this concert.