The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis recently asked The Arianna String Quartet to write an article for publication in the playbill of their current production Opus, by Michael Hollinger. Opus' description reads: "With only four days to rehearse for their most important performance ever, a world-class string quartet takes a chance by hiring a gifted but inexperienced young woman. Onstage the Lazara Quartet is pitch perfect but behind the scenes they’re coming unstrung as the four artists battle the sweat, tears and pain that go into making extraordinary music seem effortless. This fascinating play is a passionate look at the delicate and complex relationships between artists’ lives and their art."
It seemed fitting to me that ASQ would take on the task. From the inside out: A Violist’s Perspective, written by Joanna Mendoza, is entertaining and adds a nice perspective on the life of a real string quartet. A life that I am pretty certain is not as dramatic as the characters' portrayed in Opus, but one that has allowed her and the other quartet members to play extraordinary music extraordinarily.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Season Announcements
Upcoming Events ...
The Arianna String Quartet travels to Brazil for the January 19 - February 1 Festival of Music in Santa Catarina (FEMUSC). The ASQ is delighted to return to this international festival where they lead an intensive string quartet program for eight young professional quartets from across South America, Mexico, and this year, a quartet from South Africa. The ASQ will perform several times during the course of the festival, with programs including works by Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Dutillieux. Collaborative works include Brahms Clarinet Quintet with Ovanir Buosi (Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra) and Dvorak Piano Quintet with Brazilian pianist and conductor, Ricardo Castro. The quartet will also perform two new works by Nancy Galbraith and Liduino Pitombeira with flutist Alberto Almarza (Carnegie Mellon University ). FEMUSC, with its faculty from the U.S., Europe and South America, serves over 800 young musicians and offers over 200 concerts in two weeks.
While in Brazil, the quartet will offer an interactive presentation via video-conference on January 24 at the Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) Conference.
Invited by the Oberlin Conservatory of Music for a chamber music residency, the ASQ will give master classes and a recital, February 26-27 at the David H. Stull Recital Hall.
On March 8 the Arianna String Quartet travels to Louisville, Kentucky where they will present at the 2014 National Conference for the American String Teachers Association.
Upcoming Concerts ...
Jan 19- Feb 1 FEMUSC Santa Catarina, Brazil
Feb 22 MAC Fine Arts Theatre Park Hill, MO
Feb 26 David H. Stull Recital Hall Oberlin, OH
Mar 7 Touhill Performing Arts Center St. Louis, MO
Mar 16 Tassel Performing Arts Center Holdredge, NE
Mar 22 Musical Arts Series at Fireland Port Clinton, OH
Mar 30 Music at Maryville, with guest St. Louis, MO
pianist Katja Georgieff
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