Guarneri and Johannes String Quartets Perform Three Octets February 12
January 21, 2008
The Guarneri String Quartet, described by National Public Radio as "among the most revered and enduring ensembles of its kind in the world," and the Johannes String Quartet, an ensemble of orchestral musicians who also pursue their love of chamber music, come together at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 12, in Schwab Auditorium to perform an octet by Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer and pianist William Bolcom that was co-commissioned by the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.
The concert also features the renowned Mendelssohn Octet in E-flat Major for Strings, Op. 20, and Shostakovich's Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11. The ensembles are also scheduled to separately perform two new compositions. Guarneri plays Passing Through, a work by American composer, conductor and clarinetist Derek Bermel. Johannes performs Homunculus by Finnish composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Tickets for the Center for the Performing Arts presentation are $31 for an adult, $14 for a University Park student and $24 for a person 18 and younger. Buy tickets online at www.cpa.psu.edu or by phone at 814-863-0255. Outside the local calling area, dial 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at four State College locations: Eisenhower Auditorium (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays), Penn State Tickets Downtown (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday), Bryce Jordan Center (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays) and HUB-Robeson Center (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays).
Since it formed in 1964, the Guarneri String Quartet has performed on five continents. The musicians–violinists Arnold Steinhardt and John Dalley, violist Michael Tree and cellist Peter Wiley–have announced they will retire the ensemble after the 2008-2009 touring season.
The Johannes String Quartet debuted in 1998 at the Chamber Music Society of Philadelphia, which continues to present the ensemble each season. Violinist Soovin Kim was the first American in 24 years to win the Paganini Violin Competition. Violinist Jessica Lee garnered first place in the 2005 Concert Artists Guild International Competition. Choong-Jin Chang became principal violist of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2006. Peter Stumpf has been the principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2002.
Musical America named Bolcom, a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and a longtime professor at The University of Michigan, 2007 Composer of the Year. A composer of cabaret and ragtime songs, concertos, sonatas, operas, symphonies and more, Bolcom earned four Grammy Awards for his setting of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience.
New York native Bermel is known for including elements of world music, jazz and funk into traditional classical music settings. Salonen, who was born in Helsinki, is music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His compositions, which include a range of styles and genres, are characterized by their atmospheric and emotive intensity.
The Music Accord, a national chamber music commissioning consortium made up of presenting organizations including the Center for the Performing Arts, commissioned the Bolcom octet.
John L. Brown and Lynn Sidehamer sponsor the presentation. WPSU-FM is the media sponsor. Artistic Viewpoints, an informal discussion featuring a visiting artist, is offered in Schwab Auditorium one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders. A grant from the Penn State Student Activities Fee Funds makes University Park student prices possible.
Contact: Laura Sullivan, 814-863-6379