EBS STAFF
Internationally acclaimed musicians Patricia McCarty and Rose Chancler will perform a benefit concert, named Harmony for Hounds, in support of Riley’s Urgent Fund for Friends on March 6 at 7 p.m. at the Big Sky Chapel.
RUFF is a local nonprofit and animal shelter founded by Dr. Stephanie “Dr. Syd” Desmarais and Lone Peak Veterinary Hospital. The organization provides financial assistance to animal owners and veterinary care within the Big Sky community.
McCarty, a 15-year winter resident of Big Sky, is the former assistant principal violist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. Pianist Rose Chancler has appeared in hundreds of concerts across the U.S. and Europe and previously held faculty positions at the University of Alaska, University of Iowa and Plattsburgh State University. McCarty heard about RUFF and found the mission to support Big Sky’s animal population inspiring.
“My colleague, pianist Rose Chancler, and I are both passionate dog lovers and have previously performed benefit concerts with other musicians for animal shelters in upstate New York,” McCarty told EBS in an email. “The idea of performing a program here began to percolate.”
The program will span two centuries of music, featuring works by Georges Onslow, Emil Sjogren, and Rebecca Clarke, as well as a fantasy based on themes from West Side Story. Contemporary selections include pieces about dogs by composers Chiayu and Gabriel Kahane.
“Rose and I are also passionate classical musicians, and we promise an interesting program of music for viola and piano which, in addition to lively 19th and early 20th century classical works, also includes a West Side Story medley, some short pieces about dogs, and even one about a horse,” McCarty said.
Admission to the event is free and open to the public, and donations will be collected at the door or online; all proceeds will go to support RUFF. According to Desmarais, RUFF has raised $1.15 million toward their $1.3 million capital campaign goal. The shelter broke ground in July 2025 and is on track for completion in December 2026.
“As we move toward the finish line, every contribution plays a vital role in helping us complete and equip this much-needed facility,” Desmarais said. “The excitement is building, and we can’t wait to open our doors and begin serving animals and families throughout Big Sky.”
