Independent Arts News Reporting Concordia Chamber Players Presents "Peter, Mark & Musical Merrymaking," A Special Fall Evening of Piano, Clarinet, and Pure Delight
Reported on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
Pictured Above: Pianist, Peter Dugan. Photo Credit: Lisa Mazzucco.
NEWSROOM POST: NEW HOPE, PENNSYLVANIA
NPR's From the Top Host Peter Dugan and Grammy Award-Winning Clarinetist Mark Dover Join Forces at Cradle Valley Farm
Solebury, PA – Bucks County’s premier chamber music ensemble, Concordia Chamber Players, invites audiences to an evening unlike any other on this year’s calendar, a night that trades the concert hall for a farm setting and brings together two musicians whose artistry defies easy categories.
On Friday, September 18th, Cradle Valley Farm, 6454 Meetinghouse Rd, New Hope, PA, comes alive with cocktails and nibbles at 6pm followed by a 7pm concert, as pianist Peter Dugan and clarinetist Mark Dover take the stage for Peter, Mark & Musical Merrymaking, a special Fall evening featuring a program that moves fluidly through the classical canon, the American Songbook, and original compositions inspired by jazz and world music.
Pictured Above: Pianist, Peter Dugan. Photo Credit: Lisa Mazzucco.
Dugan is a pianist whose playing has been described as “fearlessly athletic,” equally at home in classical, jazz, and pop idioms, having appeared as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across North America and around the world. He joined the guest host rotation for NPR’s From the Top in 2018 and has served as its permanent host since 2020, and his collaborators over the years have included Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, and Itzhak Perlman. Dover, a Grammy Award-winning clarinetist, has served since 2016 as a member of the acclaimed wind quintet Imani Winds and joined the chamber ensemble yMusic in 2023. Audiences may also recognize his clarinet playing on Vulfpeck’s “Back Pocket.”
Close friends and collaborators, Dugan and Dover bring a rare chemistry to the stage, one built on years of shared musical language and mutual respect. Their program promises the kind of spontaneity and joy that only comes from performers who know each other’s instincts inside and out.
Pictured Above: Grammy Award-Winning Clarinetist Mark Dover. Photo Credit: Contributed.
“There is something wonderful about hearing musicians of this caliber in a setting this intimate,” said Candace Jones, President of Concordia Chamber Players. “Peter and Mark bring a sense of play to everything they touch, and Cradle Valley Farm is the perfect place to experience that up close. We could not be more excited to welcome them to our little corner of Bucks County.”
Seating for this special evening is limited, and it has historically sold out well in advance.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the September 18 evening are available at concordiaplayers.org/tickets. This event
serves as Concordia’s primary fundraiser of the season, and ticket price includes the 6pm cocktail reception. For more information about Concordia Chamber Players, please visit concordiaplayers.org.
Concordia Chamber Players was founded in 1997 in New Hope, Pennsylvania by Artistic Director and cellist Michelle Djokic. Michelle’s gifts for creative programming, her ability to communicate key aspects of the music, and the depth of her multi-faceted collaborations appeal to seasoned and new concertgoers alike.
The concerts include a stellar list of guest artists—including a host of Grammy award nominees and winners—performing in various intimate venues throughout beautiful Bucks County. Concordia showcases a range of talent, from veteran musicians to rising young performers, presenting seasons of treasured masterpieces and unexpected gems.
To learn more, visit Concordiaplayers.org
