Met Operra Chamber Ensemble at Weill Hall
Carnegie Hosts Erin Morley and Lawrence Brownlee
By: Susan Hall - Jan 13, 2026
A chamber ensemble, comprised of members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, performed a Brahms Trio and accompanied premiere singers in Schubert Lieder and a Donizetti duet.
The intimate Weill Concert Hall, seating around 250 people, gave the audience a taste of the individual talents that come together in the grand opera house and rarely get a chance to display their solo skills. James Levine cooked up this idea, and it makes for an exciting and inviting evening.
Franz Schubert liked composing for salons like this one. A fan of the clarinet—which can both sing solo and blend seamlessly— Schubert's The Shepherd on the Rock rang out beautifully in Weill. Silvio Guitian played.
Erin Morley, a graduate of the Met’s Young Artist Program, sang this song Schubert was commissioned to write by one of the leading sopranos of his day. He may have failed to win her heart as a lover, but it is clear that he won the voice. Morley is a lovely performer, always on the breath, which gives a special dimension to her performance.
Tenor Lawrence Brownlee, stepping away for a moment from his lead role in I Puritani in the big house, had full command of Schubert’s On the River, written to commemorate the first anniversary of Beethoven’s death. Brownlee captured both the sadness of the great composer’s exodus and the joy of remembering his music, which quotes the Eroica Symphony.
Brownlee is one of the Met’s stunning artists—a pleasure to hear singing great music of the ages, as well as new works he commissions to honor his own people. Hugo A. Valverde provided the nuanced horn accompaniment, honoring Beethoven’s commitment to his instrument.
A larger orchestral ensemble supported Morley in Mozart’s My God, I Wish to Explain to You. Morley has lovely lines, but she is also a vocal acrobat, and a joy to both hear and watch.
The vocal artists performed a delightful duet from Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Their close harmonies were a perfect expression of enduring love in triple time.
The Clarinet Trio concluded the program.
Carnegie offers wine to the audience and a chance to mingle with artists. There is nothing distant about this musical evening.
Future dates: March 1, April 20 and May 18, 2026. Tickets here.