Saturday, February 7, 2026 - 7:30 PM
Beethoven's 5th
Music of Ludwig van Beethoven
Violin Sonata #5 - Spring Sonata
Cello Sonata #5 in D Major
Symphony #5 for Piano Four Hands
David Coucheron, violin; Charae Krueger, cello;
William Ransom and Julie Coucheron, piano
Birmingham United Methodist Church, Milton, GA
David Coucheron
David Coucheron joined the Atlanta Symphony as Concertmaster in September 2010. At the time, he was the youngest concertmaster among any major U.S. orchestra. Throughout his career, Coucheron has worked with conductors Robert Spano, Michael Tilson Thomas, Simon Rattle, Mstislav Rostropovich and Charles Dutoit, among others. He has performed as soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.
Coucheron has given solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Olympic Winter Games (Salt Lake City, Utah), as well as in Chile, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Serbia, Singapore and Shanghai. His chamber music performances have included appearances at Suntory Hall as well as Wigmore Hall and Alice Tully Hall. Coucheron serves as the Artistic Director for the Kon Tiki Chamber Music Festival in his hometown of Oslo, Norway. He is also on the artist-faculty for the Aspen Music Festival and Brevard Music Festival.
Charae Kruger
Charae Krueger is Principal Cellist for the Atlanta Opera Orchestra and the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra. She has been the Cello Artist-In-Residence at Kennesaw State University since 2005. Ms. Krueger is an avid chamber musician and is a member of the Summit Piano Trio, the Peachtree String Quartet, the Leaptrott Piano Trio and KSU Faculty Chamber Players. She is a regularly featured artist at the Grand Teton Music Festival and at the North Georgia Chamber Music Festival. Her solo and chamber music recitals have been featured on NPR's Performance Today, WABE Radio Atlanta and WGBH Radio Boston. She plays frequently with the Atlanta Symphony and the Charleston Symphony. Ms. Krueger also enjoys recording studio work and has played on albums of Bruce Springsteen, Faith Hill and Natalie Cole. Recent concerts include performances at Charleston’s Piccolo Spoleto Festival, concerts with William Preucil and Andres Cardenes, solo recitals at the Blue Ridge Chamber Music Festival and All-Saints Church concert series in Atlanta, concerto performances with DeKalb Symphony and the Atlanta Community Orchestra, chamber music performances at the Grand Teton Music Festival and with the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta. She has twice performed the entire Beethoven cycle of Cello Sonatas with pianist Robert Henry and has done a recital tour and accompanying live CD of the Southeastern US with pianist Stanley Yerlow.
William Ransom
Pianist, Artistic Director, master teacher, editor, and judge for international competitions, William Ransom has appeared around the world as soloist with orchestras, recitalist, and chamber musician. He regularly collaborates with leading musicians including Yo-Yo Ma, Richard Stoltzman, David Shifrin, William Preucil, Stephen Isserlis, Cho-Liang Lin, and members of the Emerson, Tokyo, Cleveland, Juilliard, American, St. Petersburg, Borromeo, Parker, Ariel, Lark, Dover, Vega, Dali, and Attacca String Quartets.
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Ransom is the Mary Emerson Professor of Music at Emory University where he is founder and Artistic Director of the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta. A graduate of The Juilliard School, in the summers, Ransom is Artistic Director of the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival and for a decade was an artist-faculty member at the Kamisaibara Pianists Camp in Japan. In 2016 he was named Artistic Director of the Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival and also one of Musical America Worldwide's “30 Musical Innovators”. In 2022 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, and in 2024Chamber Music America awarded him the “Community Impact/Presenter of the Year” prize.
Julie Coucheron
Julie Coucheron has established an international career, winning prizes in Italy, Germany and in the United States. Ms. Coucheron has worked with musicians such as Lazar Berman, Claude Frank, Emanuel Ax, Vladimir Feltsman, John O’Connor and Christopher O’Riley and has toured Europe, America, South America and Asia, playing in great halls like Verizon Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Born in Oslo, Norway, Ms. Coucheron started playing the piano at the age of four. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees with honors from the Royal Academy of Music in London while also gaining her teaching diploma at the same institution.
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David and Julie Coucherson released their second recording ‘David and Julie’ on the Mudi/Naxos label in 2008. In 2009 she won first prize at the Pinerelo International Chamber Music Competition in Italy. Ms. Coucheron enjoys a close collaboration with David and the ASO principal cellist, Chris Rex, and together they have formed the Christiania Trio that performs regularly in various concert halls around the world. Ms. Coucheron is also an artist with the Georgian Chamber Players.
Ms. Coucheron enjoys a various and wide range of styles and repertoire emerging from her highly trained classical background to the more contemporary and popular music. Recent collaborations include performances with artists such as the Steve Miller Band and Elton John.