By Laurie O’Neill — Laurie@concordbridge.org
They’re a couple who knows how to work in concert.
The next co-artistic directors of the Concord Chamber Music Society will be the husband-and-wife team of Daniel Chong and Jessica Bodner. Their leadership will commence with the 2025-26 season.
Chong and Bodner will succeed founding executive director and Boston Symphony Orchestra violinist Wendy Putnam of Concord, who started the Society 25 years ago.
Bodner, a violist, and Chong, a violinist, are members of the Grammy Award-winning, Boston-based Parker Quartet, whose numerous honors include winning the Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Grand Prix and Mozart Prize at France’s Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, and Chamber Music America’s prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award.
Bodner and Chong are professors in Harvard’s Department of Music.
“Together, they will bring a wealth of experience, fresh perspectives, and an inspiring commitment to artistic excellence,” said Nancy Sokol, CCMS president.
The newly appointed directors acknowledged Putnam’s “remarkable vision and leadership” and said, “We cannot imagine a more fitting place to bring our passion for chamber music than this outstanding organization.”
Bodner and Chong said in a letter to the CCMS community that “chamber music is not just a vocation; it is a way of life that embodies listening closely to diverse voices, collaborating with joy, and fostering spontaneity and creativity.”
Their goals include “expanding our reach through performances in non-traditional venues, deepening our community and educational engagements with partners throughout Greater Boston, and working towards establishing a dedicated venue for the CCMS,” which now performs at Concord Academy and other area venues.
