Meyhouse Classical Sunday presents The Language of Longing, featuring San Francisco Symphony cellist Sarah Chong and acclaimed pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi in an intimate program for cello and piano.

This program explores the many faces of romance: from intimate and lyrical, to passionate, nostalgic, and deeply personal. Across works by Cassadó, Schumann, Debussy, Amy Beach, and Brahms, the cello takes on many different voices—at times singing, at times speaking, and at times revealing an almost orchestral breadth of emotion. Several works on the program were originally written for other instruments, offering a unique perspective on the cello’s expressive versatility. Schumann’s “Three Romances” and Amy Beach’s “Romance” bring the intimacy and lyricism of the oboe and violin into the rich, vocal world of the cello. Together with Cassadó’s Requiebros, Debussy’s evocative sonata, and Brahms’s profound Cello Sonata No. 1, the program traces a broad emotional landscape united by a fascination with melody,…