Perseid String Quartet

Perseid String Quartet

A string quartet concert on stage in the E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall

About the program:
The Perseid String quartet returns to the WashU 560 Music Center to present an evening of music by Borodin and Smetana. A chemist by trade, Alexander Borodin nevertheless devoted much of his free time to performing and composing music. His String Quartet No. 2 in D Major is one of the most beloved in the Western canon, with its serene first movement melody appearing in numerous movie soundtracks, and famously adapted for the Broadway Musical, Kismet.

Bedrich Smetana's searing, affective quartet programmatically reflects different periods in the composers life. String Quartet in E Minor, subtitled From My Life was written following a diagnosis of deafness, and indeed Smetanas tinnitus is portrayed with a high E in the violin mimicking a ringing in the ears. Other movements include a youthful polka and an ode to love. The effect on the listener is of an intimate confession through the economy of four players.


Formed in 2013, The Perseid String Quartet has already generated acclaim for its polished, energetic performances and engagement with audiences. The 2014-2015 season sees the Quartet perform in such diverse venues as the Ladue Chapel Concert Series, Schmidt Art Center at Southwestern Illinois College, First Presbyterian Church in Edwardsville, IL, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Tavern of Fine Arts. The Quartet seeks to perform chamber music to the highest possible artistic standards, and has performed works by Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and Haydn, along with lesser-known pieces by composers such as Hindemith and Golijov. Collaborations in the current concert season include concerts with pianist Diana Umali and Soprano Emily Truckenbrod.

Members of the Quartet serve as faculty members at colleges and community music schools, and their collective performing experience includes positions in regional orchestras and opera productions, historically informed performance on Baroque instruments, and playing in a rock band. Members of the quartet hold degrees from such institutions as the Eastman School of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Rice University, and University of Missouri-Kansas City.

$15 General Admission
$12 WU Fac/Staff/Seniors
$5 Students
Free Wash U students with ID

 

 

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