In Celtic to Classical Performances July 27, 28, 29
The seashore’s celebrated Celtic to Classical festival marks its 11th season with two distinct programs in July and August, the first featuring the Delaware debut of the critically acclaimed ensemble Trio Barclay.
The trio’s members – cello sensation Jonah Kim, the Pacific Symphony’s celebrated concertmaster Dennis Kim and acclaimed pianist Sean Kennard – have performed individually with Celtic to Classical founders Sheridan Seyfried and Ya-Jhu Yang in previous seasons.
Established in 2021 to create dynamic and exciting musical experiences, Trio Barclay will perform on Monday, July 27 at Avenue United Methodist Church, 20 Church Street, Milford; on Tuesday, July 28 at Epworth United Methodist Church, 19285 Holland Glade Road, Rehoboth Beach; and on Wednesday, July 29 at St. Martha’s Episcopal Church, 117 Maplewood Street, Bethany Beach.
All performances begin at 7 PM. In lieu of ticketed admission, Celtic to Classical accepts a free-will offering, with a suggested contribution of $15. Seating is on a first-come basis.
In addition to the evening performances, cellist Jonah Kim and pianist Sean Kennard will offer a brief free recital at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 200 2nd Street, Lewes, at noon on Tuesday, July 28. The program will feature music by J.S. Bach and new music by Sheridan Seyfried, concluding with some Celtic folk music. Seating is on a first-come basis; limited street parking is available.
“Jonah, Dennis and Sean are becoming well known to Celtic to Classical audiences, and are recognized worldwide for their virtuoso performances,” Seyfried said. “We are delighted to present them together so that Delaware audiences can experience firsthand the dynamic and exciting music-making for which Trio Barclay is well known.”
This year’s program journeys from Baroque to bluegrass, with a healthy helping of original music expressly written for the trio. The high-octane opening movement of Bach’s Harpsichord Concerto in D Minor – in a brand-new arrangement by Seyfried – shows off the incredible dexterity of the ensemble’s pianist Sean Kennard. Listeners will hear a gorgeous meditative piece by Celtic to Classical co-founder and composer Ya-Jhu Yang, which was premiered by the ensemble in Irvine, CA in 2025.
Cellist Jonah Kim will captivate audiences with a solo performance of a jazz-inspired movement from Seyfried’s recently completed cello sonata, while the trio will offer Seyfried’s contemplative rendition of “Amazing Grace” from their self-released album of hymns, Trinity. Listeners will have a unique opportunity to hear the East Coast premiere of a new composition by Seyfried – his fourth piano trio. By turns exuberant, somber, heartfelt, and exhilarating, the piece – composed specifically for Trio Barclay – takes listeners on a musical journey that feels almost cinematic at times. The program will conclude with a rollicking medley of bluegrass tunes.
Trio Barclay’s latest recording, “Beyond The Pacific” (Orchid Classics, 2026), includes a performance of Seyfried’s first piano trio.
Jonah Kim made his solo debuts at age 12 with Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Philadelphia Orchestra and with Marvin Hamlisch and the National Symphony Orchestra, with The Washington Post lauding him as “the next Yo-Yo Ma”.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, he trained at The Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras around the world. The Strad praised Kim’s recent recording of the Kodaly Solo Sonata for “flawless delivery of its Herculean technical demands”, adding that “the sense of exhilaration in this performance has us on the edge of our seats.” He has made numerous appearances on the PBS docu-series “Now Hear This”.
Hailed by The Washington Post as “a strong luminous pianist” delivering “powerful and involved music making,” Kennard has performed as a soloist and with chamber ensembles on five continents at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Tokyo Opera and the Seoul Arts Center.
Kennard trained at the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School and Yale University, and also studied with acclaimed pianist Richard Goode. He joined the faculty at Stetson University’s School of Music in 2017.
Born in Korea, raised in Canada and educated in the United States, Dennis Kim has spent over a decade leading orchestras in the United States and abroad. As guest concertmaster, he has performed on four continents, leading the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, BBC Symphony, London Philharmonic and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, among others.
In addition to teaching and serving as concertmaster of the Pacific Symphony, Kim performs regularly in studio orchestras in Hollywood, working with prominent composers such as John Williams and Alan Menken. He can be heard on movies such as “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” and “The Lego Movie 2”, as well as on TV shows including “Bridgerton” and “The Mandalorian”.
The 2026 Celtic to Classical Festival will continue on August 17, 18 and 19, when flutist Pam Pecko Smith and soprano Kristin Renee Young will join Seyfried and Yang for performances in Milford, Rehoboth and Bethany.
Seyfried, whose parents Elise and Steve Seyfried founded the venerable Rehoboth Summer Children’s Theatre, spent many summers at the beach while growing up. Celtic to Classical is inspired by the musical eclecticism of Andrea Clearfield’s Philadelphia “Salon” concerts and motivated by a desire to find joy in different modes of musical expression.
For additional information about Celtic to Classical, visit www.celtictoclassical.com
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