Category Archives: Concerts

Sunday, August 27, 3 p.m.

Daedalus String Quartet
Tanya Bannister, Piano
Beethoven: String Quartet in F Major, Opus 18 #1 (1798-1800) (31)
Beethoven: String Quartet in F Minor, Opus 95 “Serioso” (1810) (35)
Brahms: Piano Quintet in F Minor, Opus 34 (1864) (46)

Praised by The New Yorker as “a fresh and vital young participant in what is a golden age of American string quartets,” the Daedalus Quartet has established itself as a leader among the new generation of string ensembles. The Daedalus Quartet has impressed critics and listeners alike with the security, technical finish, interpretive unity, and sheer gusto of its performances. The Quartet has performed in many of the world’s leading musical venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Cité de la Musique in Paris, and in leading venues in Japan.

Lauded by The Washington Post for playing “…with intelligence, poetry and proportion,” pianist Tanya Bannister’s recent victories at the Concert Artists Guild International Competition and the New Orleans International Piano Competition confirm her status among the leading pianists of her generation. Ms. Bannister has performed at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Salle Cortot in Paris, Teatro Communale in Bologna, Tokyo’s Nikkei Hall, London’s Queen Elizabeth and Wigmore Halls, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Saturday, September 2, 6:30 p.m.

Shanghai String Quartet
Mendelssohn: String Quartet
in E Flat Major, Opus 12 (1829) (4)
Yi-Wen Jiang: Selections from China Song (arr. 1989) (4)
Brahms: String Quartet in C Minor, Opus 51 #1 (1873) (24)

Renowned for its passionate musicality, impressive technique and multicultural innovations, the Shanghai Quartet has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. Its elegant style melds the delicacy of Eastern music with the emotional breadth of Western repertoire, allowing it to traverse musical genres including traditional Chinese folk music, masterpieces of Western music and cutting-edge contemporary works.

Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, the Shanghai Quartet has worked with the world’s most distinguished artists and regularly tours the major music centers of Europe, North America and Asia. The Quartet has been regular performers at many of North America’s leading chamber music festivals. Additionally, the Quartet has an extensive discography of more than 30 recordings, ranging from the Schumann and Dvorak piano quintets with Rudolf Buchbinder to Zhou Long’s Poems from Tang for string quartet and orchestra with the Singapore Symphony (BIS). The Shanghai Quartet currently serves as Quartet-in-Residence at the John J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State University, Ensemble-in-Residence with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and visiting guest professors of the Shanghai Conservatory and the Central Conservatory in Beijing.

Sunday, September 3, 3 p.m.

LABOR DAY BENEFIT CONCERT & RECEPTION

Shanghai String Quartet
Qing Jiang, Piano
All Tickets: $75
Beethoven: String Quartet in B Flat Major, Opus 18 #6 (1798-1800) (31)
Beethoven: String Quartet in E Minor, Opus 59 #2 (1806) (23)
Brahms: Piano Quartet in G Minor, Opus 25 (1861) (29)

Renowned for its passionate musicality, impressive technique and multicultural innovations, the Shanghai Quartet has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. Its elegant style melds the delicacy of Eastern music with the emotional breadth of Western repertoire, allowing it to traverse musical genres including traditional Chinese folk music, masterpieces of Western music and cutting-edge contemporary works.

Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, the Shanghai Quartet has worked with the world’s most distinguished artists and regularly tours the major music centers of Europe, North America and Asia. The Quartet has been regular performers at many of North America’s leading chamber music festivals. Additionally, the Quartet has an extensive discography of more than 30 recordings, ranging from the Schumann and Dvorak piano quintets with Rudolf Buchbinder to Zhou Long’s Poems from Tang for string quartet and orchestra with the Singapore Symphony (BIS). The Shanghai Quartet currently serves as Quartet-in-Residence at the John J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State University, Ensemble-in-Residence with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and visiting guest professors of the Shanghai Conservatory and the Central Conservatory in Beijing.

Praised by the New York Times as a “fiery musician” whose playing is “vigorous and passionate,” pianist Qing Jiang enjoys a diverse career in solo, chamber, and contemporary music. A dynamic chamber musician, Ms. Jiang has collaborated with many leading artists and chamber ensembles and has worked directly with contemporary composers. She has appeared in Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Steinway Hall, and the Isabella Gardner Museum, as well as in the UK’s Snape Maltings Hall, and China’s Central Conservatory in Beijing. Committed to educating the next generation, Ms. Jiang is currently Assistant Professor of Piano at Bucknell University.