In what has become a holiday tradition, the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society provided a musical feast in its annual Thanksgiving concert at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown Saturday night. As in past years, the performers were pianist Delores Stevens, the society’s artistic director, with visiting artists Stephanie Chase on violin, Scott Woolweaver on viola and Scott Kluksdahl on cello.

Quartet played with joy, earning more than one standing ovation. — Mark Lovewell

Each of these four artists, taken alone, is a musical powerhouse: All are distinguished performers, three — Ms. Stevens, Mr. Kluksdahl and Mr. Woolweaver — also teach at the college level and Ms. Chase and Ms. Stevens have solo recording careers as well. Together, performing under the name Martha’s Vineyard Piano Quartet, their ensemble work has made the Island Thanksgiving concerts a touchstone for lovers of chamber music.

Saturday’s program of 18th, 19th and early 20th-century works flowed from Mozart to Richard Strauss, bringing listeners along on a journey from the familiar (Beethoven) to the unexpected (Robert Fuchs), with a foursome of Strauss encores ending the night on an energetic note.

The darkness of a November night filled the wide, high windows lining the church walls as the quartet played Mozart’s technically demanding Piano Quartet in G Minor (written in 1785) with confidence and verve. The recently-restored trompe-l’oeil mural behind the stage made it appear that Ms. Stevens and her piano were actually beneath the painted arch.

Ms. Stevens and Mr. Kluksdahl then performed Beethoven’s Cello Sonata in A Major, Op. 69 (1808), an intricate dance between the partner instruments. Following intermission, Mr. Woolweaver introduced the second half of the concert by telling the audience he had found two pieces — and one whole composer — that were unfamiliar to the widely-experienced Ms. Stevens.

From familiar to unexpected, concert brought listeners on a classical musical journey. — Mark Lovewell

The unknown composer was Richard Fuchs (1847-1927), an Austrian composer and teacher who was esteemed by Brahms but remains largely unknown to this day. “The music criminologists say it was because he didn’t promote his own music,” Mr. Woolweaver said with a smile. “He was more interested in teaching,” with students including Gustav Mahler.

Mr. Woolweaver and Ms. Chase played seven of Fuchs’s Duos for Violin and Viola, Op. 60, a series of short but sparkling pieces in a variety of moods from lyrical to rollicking. To conclude the evening, the ensemble took the stage for Four Pieces for Piano Quartet by Richard Strauss (1864-1949). These were encore pieces, Mr. Woolweaver explained, including a Festive March and the “short and very sassy” Arabian Dance.

The performers’ faces were often full of joy as they played and standing ovations broke out more than once among the attentive audience. More than 110 people turned out, an increase over last year’s attendance of less than 100, according to society executive director Douglas Finn.

The chamber music society’s next concert at the church is Memorial Day weekend.