Serenade and Souvenir: Our 20th-Year Celebration

Praised by the New Music Connoisseur for her “technical certainty and musical imagination,” French double bassist Pascale Delache-Feldman has been described as “a gifted colorist who produced an entire range of orchestral effects” (Boston Phoenix).

In her recent appearance at the Kennedy Center, Ms. Delache-Feldman performed her own arrangement of Astor Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires which will be included in her soon to be released “Let’s Tango” album with Duo Cello e Basso and pianist Victor Cayres.  Other recital credits include performances at Radio France; Franz Liszt Academy, Hungary; and Teatro Victoria Eugenia, San Sebastian, Spain.  As a soloist, she has performed with the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic, the North Shore Philharmonic, and the Greensboro Festival Orchestra.

A prizewinner at the Prague International Chamber Music Competition, Ms. Delache-Feldman has collaborated with the St. Petersburg, Borromeo, and Lark String Quartets and recorded chamber works with violinists Midori and Joel Smirnoff, and soprano Dawn Upshaw.  As a member of Duo Cello e Basso, Pascale has partnered with cellist Emmanuel Feldman to premier over 20 new works, performing across Europe in Austria, Germany and France, and through out the US.  Pascale can be heard on the Albany, Archetype, and CRI labels and has been featured on Jason Heath’s podcast Contrabass Conversations.

She’s on the faculty at the Longy School of Music of Bard College and Tufts University, and has presented master classes at Colburn Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Boston Conservatory and the University of Texas. 

 As an orchestra player, Ms. Delache-Feldman has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, Toulouse Capitole National Orchestra (France), and as principal bassist with Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, New England String Ensemble and BMOP, among others.

A second-generation bassist, Pascale studied with her father, Jean-Claude Delache at the Toulouse Conservatory, and went on to the Paris Conservatory with Jacques Cazauran and Frédéric Stochl to earn her first prize with honors.  Ms. Delache-Feldman came to the US to study with Roger Scott at the Curtis Institute of Music where she received her Artist Diploma.  Additionally she has also studied with Edwin Barker, Evgeny Kolosov, and violinist and renowned pedagogue Burton Kaplan.  

Flutist Tracy Kraus is known for her “supple and riveting” performances, described as “elegant and adroit” with a “dazzling” quality of sound. She has performed extensively in Europe and the US, including at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Her summer festival appearances include the Aspen and Tanglewood Music Festivals. 

Ms. Kraus received her BA from Clark University and her MM from the Boston Conservatory. 

Kraus’ love for the Northern California coast led her to an orchestral position with the Mendocino Music Festival. In 1982, she founded the Abbot Chamber Players, where she discovered her passion for chamber music and organizational management. Her role as the co-founder, flutist, and former Executive Director of the Worcester Chamber Music Society, a highly regarded organization, is a testament to her exceptional leadership and management skills, which have guided the society through a significant period of growth and success.

As the Executive Director of WCMS, she guided the organization through various stages of growth, including its inception, obtaining nonprofit status, establishing a leadership and governance team, managing a roster of exceptional musicians, developing a robust concert series, and creating two outstanding educational programs.

Tracy and violist Peter Sulski co-founded the Worcester Chamber Music Society 20 years ago. Their vision for a thriving and vibrant chamber music organization has grown and evolved over time. This growth is attributed not only to the exceptional musicianship of the chamber players but also, especially, to Tracy’s leadership, vision, dedication, and ability to adapt and learn in her role as Executive Director. Tracy’s innumerable contributions, creativity, insight, and boundless energy during her tenure as Executive Director have been augmented by her skills in strategic planning, relationship building, organizational skills, and tireless work in garnering support within our community, thus enabling WCMS to grow and flourish.  

Tracy’s active involvement with the Worcester Cultural Coalition for many years, including her service as board president from 2020 to 2022, is a testament to her deep commitment to promoting the city’s rich and diverse cultural assets. The coalition, a public-private partnership established in 1999, aims to leverage these assets to promote economic revitalization, encourage active and creative engagement for all, and foster a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester.

In 2017, Ms. Kraus was honored with the YWCA’s Katherine Erskine Award, which recognizes women who have demonstrated leadership and achieved exceptional levels of success in their professions and communities.