Monday, March 18, 2024
7:30 PM
This vibrant young group has been acclaimed as an “outstanding ensemble … cohesive yet full of temperament” (New York Times) and is the faculty quartet-in-residence at Oberlin College and Conservatory. They make their first appearance at the Athenaeum with a program that travels from Britain to Bohemia and includes a nod to San Diego, featuring quartets by William Walton, Antonin Dvorak, and SDSU faculty member Texu Kim.
The Verona Quartet has appeared across four continents, captivating audiences at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center (New York City), Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.), Jordan Hall (Boston), Wigmore Hall (U.K.) and Melbourne Recital Hall (Australia), and has performed at festivals including La Jolla Summerfest, Chamber Music Northwest, Caramoor, the Texas Music Festival, Bravo! Vail, and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
The Verona Quartet’s recently released second album, SHATTER, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Chart in July 2023. SHATTER showcases works written for the Verona Quartet by American composers Julia Adolphe and Michael Gilbertson as well as Reena Esmail’s Ragamala, in collaboration with Hindustani vocalist Saili Oak. The Verona Quartet’s debut album, Diffusion, was praised by BBC Music Magazine for its "radiant glow" and Cleveland Classical for the “Verona’s technical precision, expressive freedom, and brilliant, dramatic phrasing”. The Quartet’s third album, comprised of Ligeti’s complete string quartets, will be released in December 2023 with Dynamic Records in celebration of the composer's centennial year.
**The Verona Quartet appears by arrangement with Dinin Arts Management & Consulting**
Verona Quartet
Jonathan Ong and Dorothy Ro, violins
Abigail Rojansky, viola
Jonathan Dormand, cello
PROGRAM (subject to change)
Sir William Walton (1902–1983)
String Quartet in A Minor
Allegro
Presto
Lento
Allegro molto
Texu Kim (b. 1980)
Ritus Sanitatem (2022)
On Inscribing Talismans
On the Mysteries of Stylostixis
On Byung-gut
—INTERMISSION—
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
String Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op. 105
Adagio ma non troppo—Allegro appassionato
Molto vivace
Lento e molto cantabile
Finale: Allegro non tanto
This concert is generously underwritten by Eric Lasley and Judith Bachner.
All concerts are preceded by a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. and are followed by a reception with the artists in the Sharon & Joel Labovitz Entry Hall.
The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert.
Masks optional. If you have a fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms, please stay home.