Metamorphosis and Transcendence – ACMF Summer Festival - August 14, 2026

At the very center of our festival theme lies Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen, a work of deep reflection and rebirth composed in the wake of world-changing shifts. We move from the modern resonance of Kenji Bunch’s The Still Small Voice through Strauss’ powerful work in the first half of this program.

As Michael Clive writes about the transcendent beauty of Gustav Mahler’s Adagietto from his 5th Symphony, “It is an exquisitely poetic meditation on the deepest sensations of feeling alive in the universe, of having a place in the boundlessness and beauty of divine creation.” You’ll hear this incredibly poignant movement arranged for string quintet by ACMF artist Suliman Tekalli. We conclude with the visceral energy of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden, arranged for string ensemble by the fellow legendary Viennese composer and great symphonist of the 21st century we’ll have just heard, Gustav Mahler—a performance that promises to be moving and unforgettable.

Program includes
Kenji Bunch – The Still Small Voice for String Octet (9’)
Strauss – Metamorphosen (26’)
– intermission-
Mahler, arr. Suliman Tekalli- Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 (9’)
Schubert, arr. Gustav Mahler – String Quartet No. 14 in D minor “Death and the Maiden” (42’)

Musicians featured
Violins: Rachelle Hunt, Audrey Gray, Suliman Tekalli, Siwoo Kim
Violas: Danielle Wiebe-Burke, Sam Kelder
Cellos: Katie Tertell, Schuyler Slack
Bass: Sam Suggs

This concert is part of ACMF’s 2026 Summer Festival. Visit www.appalachianchamber.org to view the full schedule and purchase festival passes.