ROCHESTER, NY – The world-renowned Guarneri String Quartet, which has been praised by The New York Times for having "no superior on the world’s stages," will perform in concert at 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 1, in the Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.). The program will feature the music of Brahms, Bartók, and Ravel.
A predominant presence on the American chamber music scene for more than 35 years, the Guarneri Quartet is recognized internationally for its skillful ease and remarkable ability to work flawlessly as a group, sounding as one voice. The quartet is known principally for its fresh readings of the central works in the chamber music canon by such composers as Beethoven and Mozart. However, it also champions new works by many of today’s leading composers, including a commission from award-winning American composer Richard Danielpour, which the quartet premiered with the National Symphony Orchestra just last month at the Kennedy center.
The concert at Eastman is one of the quartet’s last featuring the original four members – violinists Arnold Steinhardt and John Dalley, violist Michael Tree, and cellist David Soyer. In September, the group announced its first personnel change since its founding in 1964. Beginning with the 2000-2001 season, cellist David Soyer will be participating only in the ensemble’s East Coast engagements. He will be replaced by one of his former students, Peter Wiley, cellist with the Beaux Arts Trio for nine years.
The original quartet has made more than 30 recordings together and has been captured on film in the full-length documentary, High Fidelity — the Guarneri String Quartet. It also is the subject of several books, including first violinist Steinhardt’s memoirs, Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony.
Reserved tickets for this concert are $15, $10, $5, and are available at Ticket Express, 100 East Avenue, or by calling 222-5000. Any unsold tickets will be available at the theatre box office one hour before the concert.
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Note to editors: A complete bio and photographs of the Guaneri Quartet are available.