The Emerson String Quartet, one of the world's foremost string quartets, will perform at Union College's Memorial Chapel on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. as part of the Schenectady Museum-Union College Concert Series. This is the quartet's fifteenth Series appearance.
The program will include: Sibelius – Op. 56 in d, “Intimate Voices”; Ellen Taaffe Zwilich – Quartet No. 2 (1998); and Beethoven – Op. 132 in a.
The Emerson String Quartet, which takes its name from the great American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, was founded in 1976. Members include Philip Setzer and Eugene Drucker, violins; Lawrence Dutton, viola; and David Finckel, cello.
Acclaimed for its artistry and dynamic performance style and its mastery of both classical and contemporary works, the Emerson String Quartet has amassed an impressive list of achievements: an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon recording contract; four Grammy Awards – one for Best Classical Album” and three for “Best Chamber Music Performance,” and Gramophone magazine's “Record of the Year” award.
The New York Times has called the Quartet “one of the hottest quartets,” and praises its “consistently insightful, polished concert performances” and “series of brilliant recordings for Deutsche Grammophon.” The Financial Times (London) has said: “As one of the foremost chamber ensembles around today, the Emerson provides a special kind of musical nourishment all too rare.”
The Dec. 6 concert program at Union College includes works that the Emerson Quartet will perform in New York's Carnegie Hall, also in December. Additional North American concert venues include Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Aspen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Houston, Denver and Seattle. International concerts will include performances in Berlin, Vienna, London, the Louvre and a tour of Japan.
The Schenectady Museum-Union College chamber concerts are made possible, in part, by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Schenectady County Initiative Program. Memorial Chapel is located near the center of the Union campus. Parking is available on campus and on nearby sidestreets.
Tickets, at $20 ($8 for students), are available in advance at the Schenectady Museum (518) 382-7890 and at the door. For more information, call 372-3651.