February 28, 2026
Summary
Music@Menlo presents chamber music events year-round on the Menlo School campus and in the community. This includes world-renowned artists in concert and special performances for donors and friends. On April 25, pianist and composer Michael Stephen Brown returns with an all-star cast of musicians and a specially-curated program. The concert opens with Brown’s brand-new composition, inspired by a diverse animal kingdom and the need to protect our planet’s wildlife.
The second half of the concert is a spectacular presentation of Camille Saint-Saëns’s beloved Carnival of the Animals, each movement vividly “painting” an animal in music. A lyrical cello sings over rippling piano to suggest the graceful gliding of a swan, shimmering arpeggios and glassy textures evoke an aquarium, with each instrument taking on a character. While musically highly sophisticated, it’s immediately appealing to children and casual listeners—one reason it’s still so well-loved in concerts, ballet, film, and education programs today.
Program
Michael Stephen Brown (1987)
The Magical Carnival: A Zoological Fantasy of Endangered Wonders
Kristin Lee
Violin
Arnaud Sussmann
Violin
Tara Helen O’Connor
Flute
Anthony Manzo
double bass
Nicholas Canellakis
Cello
Michael Stephen Brown
Piano
Orion Weiss
piano
Ian David Rosenbaum
percussion
Paul Neubauer
Viola
Jose Franch-Ballester
Clarinet
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)
The Carnival of the Animals for Two Pianos and Chamber Ensemble
Kristin Lee
Violin
Arnaud Sussmann
Violin
Tara Helen O’Connor
Flute
Anthony Manzo
double bass
Nicholas Canellakis
Cello
Michael Stephen Brown
Piano
Orion Weiss
piano
Ian David Rosenbaum
percussion
Paul Neubauer
Viola
Jose Franch-Ballester
Clarinet
Artists
Kristin Lee
violin
Arnaud Sussmann
violin
Tara Helen O’Connor
flute
Anthony Manzo
double bass
Nicholas Canellakis
cello
Michael Stephen Brown
piano
Orion Weiss
piano
Ian David Rosenbaum
percussion
Jose Franch-Ballester
clarinet