James Austin Smith, a professor at Stony Brook University and former Fulbright scholar, will offer opening thoughts each day to bridge the evolving themes of the week. In Part 2 of our series, Palaver Strings brings its signature sense of connection and collective commitment to Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante, a work that resists easy categorization. Neither concerto nor symphony, it unfolds as a dialogue—between soloists and ensemble, between intimacy and scale, and between individual voice and collective sound.

In this edition of the series, members of the ensemble speak from the inside out—sharing the moments, instincts, and questions that shape their relationship with Mozart as artists today, inviting us into new ways of hearing his music.