The Emerson String Quartet presents “All-Beethoven, Part II” Thursday, May 10, at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.
The event marks the final performance in the College's 35th International Festival of Chamber Music Concert Series. The New York City-based quartet has appeared at Union 23 times.
Formed in 1976, the group, which chose its name in honor of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the spirit of the Bicentennial, features violinists and co-founding members Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer. Lawrence Dutton, viola, joined the group in 1977, and cellist David Finckel joined in 1979.
The quartet, which performed “All-Beethoven, Part I” in February, returns to complete its two-concert recital with Beethoven’s String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132 and String Quartet in B flat, Op. 130 with Grosse Fuge, Op. 133.
Later this year, the quartet will perform an exclusive eight-concert series, “Beethoven In Context,” in Carnegie Hall. The series juxtaposes Beethoven’s quartet repertoire with notable compositions spanning three centuries. For this series, Carnegie Hall has commissioned composer Kaija Saariaho to write a quartet for the group in honor of the project and the 30th Anniversary.
The quartet has garnered eight Grammy Awards and three Gramophone Awards and performed in major concert halls throughout the world. Lauded as a string quartet that approaches both classical and contemporary repertoire with equal mastery and enthusiasm, it was the first chamber ensemble to win the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize from Lincoln Center in 2004.
Thursday's concert is free for the Union College community, $25 for general admission and $10 for area students. For tickets, call (518) 388-6080; for more information, call (518) 372-3651 or visit http://www.union.edu/ConcertSeries/.