When it comes to chamber music, the majority of series feature string quartets. This explains why there are so many talented quartets in the music scene. New quartets keep emerging, generation after generation.
One notable ensemble experiencing changes is the Juilliard String Quartet, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The quartet will be performing at South Mountain Concerts in Pittsfield, Mass on Sunday, Oct. 1. Historically, the quartet consisted of all male members, but in 2016, cellist Astrid Schween broke that barrier by joining the group. The quartet now consists of three women and one man, with second violinist Ronald Copes being the longest-standing member. Looking at recent photos, it’s evident that Copes could be the grandfather of the two youngest players, first violinist Areta Zhulla and violaist Molly Carr.
Not every quartet stands the test of time. The beloved Emerson String Quartet, founded in 1976, has seen changes in its members over the years. The ensemble will soon bid farewell, with their last seven concerts taking place this month. The final concert will be held at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall on Oct. 23. To conclude this historic performance, the Emerson will briefly become a quintet as they welcome back their former cellist, David Finckel, for Schubert’s Quintet in C Major.
Say Hello to the Isidore
The Friends of Chamber Music is kicking off its first full season at the Massry Center in Albany with a performance by the Isidore String Quartet on Saturday, October 7. The program includes Mendelssohn’s Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 No. 3, Britten’s Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36, and a recent work by Canadian composer Dinuk Wijeratne.
The Isidore Quartet is brand new, but they come with impressive credentials. The quartet was accepted into the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Competition last year. At that point, they had only performed a handful of concerts, mostly at the Juilliard School where they were coached by renowned teachers including Joel Krosnick and Astrid Schween, the former and current cellists of the Juilliard String Quartet.
The Isidore Quartet had just enough experience to meet the competition’s entry requirements, and their video audition was successful. They then went into intensive rehearsal mode to learn all the required repertoire, similar to cramming for exams in college. Their hard work paid off, and they won the top prize at Banff, changing their careers and lives forever. This year, they are performing 80 concerts, and the prize also includes a professional recording and a two-year residency at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
The Banff Competition is held triennially in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. It is a seven-day event that attracts dedicated young musicians and passionate chamber music enthusiasts. The audience at Banff is highly engaged, taking notes and sometimes even bringing scores. They also dine together and interact with the performers. The late Myra Taylor Herron, a cellist and writer who blogged about the competition, used her influence as a board member of the Friends of Chamber Music to ensure that Banff winners were presented, and now the Herron family sponsors an appearance by each winning quartet in her memory.
By the way, Dinuk Wijeratne’s new piece on the Isidor’s program was composed for the 2022 Banff competition. It is a 10-minute musical depiction of the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa from the Louvre Museum, described by the composer as “a musical escapade.”
More upcoming Chamber Music
Here is a selection of upcoming local concerts, some of which go beyond traditional string quartets. The Troy Chromatics will have two concerts at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in October. The first concert features cellist Seth Parker Woods and pianist Andrew Rosenblum performing Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata, along with works by George Walker and Jeffrey Mumford on Sunday, Oct. 2. The Knights, an innovative chamber orchestra, will also return with composer and star mandolin soloist Chris Thile, performing music by Caroline Shaw, Dvorak, and J.S. Bach on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
Capital Region Classical’s series at Union College will begin with a performance by the Belcea Quartet, playing works by Beethoven, Bartok, and Debussy on Sunday, Oct. 15. The series continues with Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling and pianist Emanuel Ax, presenting a program of songs associated with soprano Jenny Lind, known as the “Swedish Nightingale” of the 19th century, on Sunday, Oct. 29.
Local ensembles Saratoga Chamber Players and Music from Salem will collaborate to perform octets by R. Strauss, Wagner, Mendelssohn, and Shostakovich. The program titled “Glorious Octets” will be offered twice: closing the Music at Salem season at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge on Saturday, Oct. 21, and opening the Saratoga Chamber Players season at Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church on Sunday, Oct. 22.
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