The Aiken Symphony showcases the great talents of eight of its musicians from the strings, winds, and brass sections in this intimate matinee setting of Schubert’s Octet, held at the Amentum Center on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at 3 p.m.

Although Franz Schubert was most well-known for his lieder, German art songs of which he composed more than 600, his chamber music is equally admired. Among his most beloved chamber works are his “Death and the Maiden” String Quartet, “Trout” Piano Quintet, and String Quintet in C Major.

Schubert’s later chamber music, including the aforementioned works, is characterized by a grandness in sound and length. Performances typically last between 40 minutes and an hour, making them most digestible in single-work concerts. They also demand considerable stamina from performers, adding to the challenge and expressive weight of Schubert’s writing.

The Octet was composed in 1824 and conceived as somewhat of a sequel to Beethoven’s Septet for winds and strings, to which Schubert added a second violin. The Octet’s instrumentation includes two violins, viola, cello, double bass, clarinet, French horn, and bassoon, offering a symphonic timbre with just eight musicians and without a conductor. The hour-long work unfolds over six movements and is rich in lyrical melodies, contrasting moods, and intricate interplay among the instruments.

Performances of chamber works this small are a relatively new direction for the Aiken Symphony as it continues to establish itself as a premium, versatile ensemble within the South Carolina and Georgia communities. Music Director Dr. Scott Weiss, a former trumpet player, has previously explored the vibrant textures of wind and brass repertoire in Aiken Symphony chamber series concerts through works like Mozart’s Gran Partita, Dvořák’s Serenade for Winds, and Ewazen’s Symphony for Brass. At the same time, his chamber programs have featured string masterworks such as Tchaikovsky’s and Dvořák’s Serenades for Strings and Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Schubert’s Octet offers yet another dimension, blending lyrical string writing and colorful wind textures in one of his most ambitious chamber works.

Event Details

Tickets: General admission tickets are $45. Active military members can receive $10 off per ticket, and students under the age of 25 are eligible for a student rate of $10. To inquire about these discounts, please contact the office at 803.295.0313. Tickets are available via the website (aikensymphony.com) or by contacting the number above. They can be printed at home, picked up at the venue one hour before the concert starts, or received on one’s mobile device and presented to an usher.

Parking: Parking in Downtown Aiken can be limited. Please allow yourself extra time to find parking.

Pre-Concert Talk “Illuminations”: There will not be a pre-concert talk before this performance.

2025-26 Masterworks Series

All Masterworks performances are held in the Etherredge Center at USC Aiken.

• Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, 7:30 p.m. – TCHAIKOVSKY & SIBELIUS

  • Featuring Isabel Ong, violin

  • Sibelius – Violin Concerto

  • Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 4

• Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, 7:30 p.m. – MENDELSSOHN’S ITALIAN SYMPHONY

  • Featuring Laurie Baynard, flute; John Wickey, harp

  • Mozart – Concerto for Flute and Harp

  • Jessie Montgomery – Strum

  • Mendelssohn – Symphony No. 4 “Italian”

• Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, 7:30 p.m. – FIFTHS OF BEETHOVEN

  • Featuring Albert Cano Smit, piano

  • Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor”

  • Beethoven – Symphony No. 5

• Sunday, May 3, 2026, 3 p.m. – BRAHMS & SCHUMANN

  • Featuring Risa Hokamura, violin

  • Schumann – Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish”

  • Brahms – Violin Concerto

2025-26 Chamber Series

All Chamber Series performances are held at the Amentum Center for the Performing Arts.

• Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, 7:30 p.m. – FROM AIKEN TO VIENNA AND BACK

  • Featuring Daniel Adam Maltz, fortepiano

  • Mozart – Keyboard Sonata No. 17 in B-flat Major, K. 570

  • Haydn – Symphony No. 6 in D Major, Hob. I:6

  • Beethoven – Andante in F Major, WoO 57

  • Haydn – Keyboard Concerto in D Major, Hob. XVIII:11

• Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, 3:00 p.m. – SCHUBERT’S OCTET

  • Schubert – Octet

2025-26 Pops Series

All Pops Series performances are held in the Etherredge Center at USC Aiken.

• Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, 7:30 p.m. – HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

  • Featuring music from the holiday season, including Winter from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”

• Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026, 7:30 p.m. – MOVIE NIGHT!

  • Featuring music from The Lord of the Rings, War Horse, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Saving Private Ryan, E.T., The Magnificent Seven, Hook and more!