Classical at the Freight brings the Bay Area's best classical musicians to the Freight for an hour of top-flight chamber music in an informal, friendly atmosphere. San Francisco Chamber Orchestra music director Benjamin Simon is your host; his goal is to un-stuffify and de-mystify classical music for the general music lover, sharing the joys and rewards of this timeless art with new audiences young and old.

In 2005, three friends and colleagues, united by their love of chamber music and a desire to explore the repertoire for string trio, joined forces to form the Raven Trio. These outstanding Bay Area musicians, violinist Kay Stern, violist Benjamin Simon, and cellist Dana Putnam Fonteneau already enjoy distinguished careers and international recognition. In their debut season, The Raven Trio brought audiences to their feet and drew only superlatives from the press, proving that this superb group is more than the sum of its parts. Critics unanimously praised the group's superb ensemble, intelligence, emotional intensity, and the virtuosity of its individual players.

The Raven, in the folklore of many cultures, is a powerful symbol of creativity and transformation. The Raven Trio seeks to use their performances of classical and contemporary music as a catalyst for change in our society.