The concert will feature one of chamber music's most intense, thought-provoking and important pieces; Oliver Messiaen's “Quartet for the End of Time.” Messiaen wrote this piece during WWII, while imprisoned in Stalag VIIIA prisoner-of-war camp in 1940. He composed for the only players/instruments available to him; violin, clarinet, cello, and piano. This chamber music masterpiece is rooted in his Catholic faith, and inspired by the Book of Revelation. The music is both mystical and transformative. They are pairing this work with Arnold Schoenberg's”'Ein Stelldichein,” a stunning example of Schoenberg's Romantic period. Regular VentiCordi performers Kookie McNerney (oboe) and Dean Stein (violin) will be joined by Hellen Goode Castro (clarinet), Pamela Mia Paul (piano), and Katherine Cherbas (cello).