# Parlor-Style Concert Fills the River Room at Bayard Cutting Arboretum
**GREAT RIVER, NY** — The Bayard Cutting Arboretum provided a sophisticated backdrop for a final flourish of winter culture this past Sunday, March 15, as The Cross Island Ensemble took to the stage for a quintessential parlor-style concert. Presented by The Islip Arts Council, the performance marked the grand finale of the Arboretum’s Winter Concert Salon Series.
Held within the Arboretum’s historic River Room, the setting allowed for an intimate acoustic experience that is increasingly rare in modern performance. While the event was free to the public, the high caliber of musicianship prompted many attendees to offer a suggested $5 donation in support of the arts.
The Cross Island Ensemble, a trio known for their technical precision and deep musical synergy, features Joseph Rutkowski on clarinet, Suzanne Mueller on cello, and Elinor Abrams Zayas on piano.
The ensemble members bring a wealth of prestige to the stage. Rutkowski, an accomplished educator, currently performs with established groups such as the Broad Street Orchestra and the Karol Rathaus Ensemble. He was joined by Juilliard alumna Suzanne Mueller, who spent a decade performing with the group Elysian II before co-founding Cross Island. Rounding out the trio is Brightwaters native Elinor Abrams Zayas. A multi-institution talent who studied at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music, Zayas has built a formidable reputation as a soloist, having graced the stages of New York City’s Trinity Church and the esteemed Friends of the Arts Beethoven Festival at the Planting Fields Arboretum.
The program was carefully curated to span a vast expanse of music history. The trio opened the afternoon with Felix Mendelssohn’s lyrical “Song without Words, Op 38 Number 2 in C Minor.” From there, the ensemble moved fluidly through the classics, showcasing the works of Mozart, Beethoven, and Luigi Boccherini.
The afternoon reached its climax with a performance of “Mischievous Spirits, Masks No. 2” by contemporary Spanish-American composer Elisenda Fabregas. The piece served as a thematic bridge between eras; composed with deliberate nods to the structural sensibilities of Beethoven, the work allowed the ensemble to demonstrate their versatility by infusing the performance with a distinct, modern Spanish flair.
The conclusion of the Winter Concert Salon Series leaves a quiet in the River Room, but for those in attendance, the echoes of the afternoon provided a refined end to the winter season.
