Schoenberg’s Society Reimagined

Violinist Erin Hennessey and pianist Gabriel Merrill-Steskal are scheduled to perform "Schoenberg’s Society Reimagined," a classical music concert, on Sunday, July 26, 2026. The performance will take place at 2 p.m. in the Donna M. Morris Auditorium, located within the Field Art & Events Hall at 201 W. Front St., Port Angeles.

The concert seeks to recreate Arnold Schoenberg’s Society for Private Musical Performances, an initiative from 1920s Vienna that provided a sanctuary for contemporary music, shielding it from critics and conventional concert hall expectations. Historical accounts mention Schoenberg’s Society posted signs explicitly stating, "Kritikern ist der Eintritt verboten" (Critics are forbidden entry).

The program for the event includes Claude Debussy’s Violin Sonata, CD 148; Maurice Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 2, M.77; Mary Dickinson-Auner’s Irish Melody for Violin and Piano; and Bela Bartok’s Second Rhapsody for Violin and Piano. Notably, all four composers had their works featured in Schoenberg’s original society concerts. The organizers have also announced that this event will feature the American premiere of Dickinson-Auner’s Irish Melody, despite the piece being over a century old. Tickets range from $28 to $38 and are available through events.org/tickets.