European chamber ensemble the Czech Nonet will perform at Berea College Feb. 16. Their concert “Wingspread Music: Strings, Woodwinds and Horn” in Phelps Stokes Chapel is scheduled for 8 p.m.

The performance is part of the 2005-06 Stephenson Memorial Concert Series at Berea and is free and open to the public.

The Czech Nonet is one of the oldest and most original chamber ensembles in the world. It was founded in 1924 by a group of students of the Prague Conservatory and was quickly recognized as both an important interpreter of classic repertoire and an ardent champion of new music.

The ensemble’s unique combination of instruments naturally invites the ensemble to include works from the Baroque to later 20th century works, which makes the repertoire of the Czech Nonet exceptionally deep, rich and varied. During its 82-year history, the Nonet has inspired the composition of some 300 works, many of which were personally dedicated to the Ensemble by the composers, who include Prokofiev, Martinu, Lutoslawski, and most recently, Pulitzer prize-winning American composer Robert Ward.

The ensemble’s appearance in Berea as part of a three-week North American Tour.
For more information visit www.czech.nonet.cz/