The Belcea String Quartet, a young British group “whose star is in rapid ascent,” according to the London Independent, will take to the stage at Memorial Chapel on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. as part of the Union College Chamber Concert Series.
The concert will feature violinists Corina Belcea and Laura Samuel, Krzysztof Chorzelski on viola and cellist Alasdair Tait in a program of Mozart No. 16 in E flat, K. 428; Britten's No.1; and Schumann's Op. 41, No. 3 in A.
The resident quartet of London's esteemed Wigmore Hall since 2001, the Belcea Quartet enjoys an enviable reputation as one of the leading young quartets on the international chamber music concert circuit. The group's EMI Debut series CD won the 2001 Gramophone Award for best debut recording as well as a Diapason d'Or Award. The quartet is on an exclusive five-year recording contract with EMI Classics that has been endorsed with stellar reviews.
In the last several years, the group has taken the music world by storm in collaborations with major guest artists, residencies, festivals, premieres of commissioned works, a North American debut tour and continued return engagements to the major concert halls of Europe.
The Belcea Quartet was established in 1994 at the Royal College of Music, where the members were coached by the Chilingirian Quartet, Simon Rowland-Jones and the Amadeus Quartet.
In 1999, the group won first prize at both the Osaka and Bordeaux International String Quartet Competitions and later was selected to represent Great Britain in the European Concert Halls Organisation “Rising Stars” series for the 1999-2000 season. In 2001, the quartet received the Chamber Music Award of the Royal Philharmonic Society.
Tickets are $20 for the general public and $8 for students; at the door one hour before the performance, or available at the College Facilities Building, call 388-6080.
For further information, call 372-3651.