BEMF presents Chiaroscuro Quartet in a program of Beethoven, Schubert, and Mendelssohn — March 23 in New York and March 25 in Boston
| ARTIST: | Chiaroscuro QuartetAlina Ibragimova & Pablo Hernán Benedí, violinEmilie Hörnlund, viola; Claire Thirion, violoncello |
| WHEN: | Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:30pm ETThe Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue, New York, NYSaturday, March 25, 2023 at 8pm ETFirst Church in Cambridge, Congregational, 11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MAVirtual Premiere: Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 8pm ETAvailable until Saturday, April 23, 2023 at 11:59pm ET |
| PROGRAM: | Shades of Minor: Beethoven, Schubert, and MendelssohnFranz Schubert: Quartettsatz in C minor, D.703Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in F minor, Op.95 (Boston)Beethoven: String Quartet in F minor, Op.18, No.1 (New York)Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet in A minor, Op.13 |
| TICKETS: | Boston tickets are priced at $90, $60, $45, and $25 for the in-person performance, and $25 for the virtual event. All in-person tickets include a complimentary ticket for the virtual performance. To purchase tickets, visit BEMF.org or call the BEMF Box Office at 617-661-1812. Discounts are available for students and seniors. New York tickets are priced at $50, or $40 for Morgan Members; visit www.themorgan.org/programs/chiaroscuro-quartet or call (212) 685-0008 ext. 560 for more information. |
ABOUT THE PROGRAMFeaturing virtuoso instrumentalists from across Europe, Chiaroscuro Quartet has captivated fans and critics around the world in performances that are bursting with fearless imagination, thrilling passion, and flawless execution. Praised by BBC Music Magazine for “the radiant refinement of their sound, and their suave sensitivity of the phrasing”, “one only has to hear a few bars to be spellbound by the distinctive sound world of the Chiaroscuro Quartet” (BR Klassik). Don’t miss their eagerly anticipated BEMF début, which highlights a brilliant selection of string quartets that are all written in minor keys, yet have greatly contrasting characters, from shocking to passionate.
COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLSAs we return to in-person performances with our 2022–2023 Season, the health and safety of our audience, employees, and artists is our highest priority. When attending an In-Person BEMF performance, all attendees must certify to the following: 1.) That you are fully vaccinated (meaning that you have received at least the original series of the COVID-19 vaccination).2.) That you will wear a well-fitted mask covering your nose and mouth at all times at the concert venue. You can always visit BEMF.org/safety to review our current safety policies.
ASSOCIATED EVENTSA pre-concert video featuring Chiaroscuro Quartet members Pablo Hernán Benedí, violin, and Claire Thirion, violoncello, will be shared on social media and at BEMF.org the week of the concert.
ABOUT THE ARTISTSFormed in 2005, Chiaroscuro Quartet comprises violinists Alina Ibragimova (Russia) and Pablo Hernán Benedí (Spain), the Swedish violist Emilie Hörnlund, and cellist Claire Thirion from France. Dubbed ‘a trailblazer for the authentic performance of High Classical chamber music’ in Gramophone, this international ensemble performs music of the Classical and early Romantic periods on gut strings and with historical bows. The quartet’s unique sound – described in The Observer as ‘a shock to the ears of the best kind’ – is highly acclaimed by audiences and critics all over Europe. Chiaroscuro Quartet was a prize-winner of the German Förderpreis Deutschlandfunk/Musikfest Bremen in 2013 and received Germany’s most prestigious CD award, the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik in 2015 for their recording of Mozart’s Quartet in D minor, K. 421 and Mendelssohn’s Second String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13. Recent engagements included their enthusiastically received debut concerts at Vienna Konzerthaus, Philharmonie Warsaw, and Carnegie Hall. Other highlights have taken the ensemble to the Edinburgh International Festival, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, London’s Wigmore Hall and King’s Place, Auditorio Nacional de Música Madrid, Auditorium du Louvre Paris, Grand Théâtre de Dijon, Gulbenkian Foundation Lisbon, Boulez Saal and Beethoven Haus Bonn. They have been artist-in-residence in Port-Royal-des-Champs since 2009, with a concert series dedicated to the string quartets of Mozart.
ABOUT THE BOSTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVALRecognized as the preeminent early music presenter and Baroque opera producer in North America, the Boston Early Music Festival has been credited with securing Boston’s reputation as “America’s early music capital” (The Boston Globe). Founded in 1981, BEMF offers diverse programs and activities, including one GRAMMY Award–winning and five GRAMMY Award–nominated opera recordings, an annual concert series that brings early music’s brightest stars to the Boston and New York concert stages, and a biennial weeklong Festival and Exhibition recognized as the “world’s leading festival of early music” (The Times, London). The 22nd Boston Early Music Festival, A Celebration of Women, will take place from June 4-11, 2023, and will feature the North American premiere of Henry Demarest’s Circé. BEMF’s Artistic Leadership includes Artistic Directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, Opera Director Gilbert Blin, Orchestra Director Robert Mealy, and Dance Director Melinda Sullivan.
The Boston Early Music Festival is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Constellation Charitable Foundation, and WCRB Classical Radio.
For more information, please contact Kathleen Fay at kathy@bemf.org.
