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Arts and Ideas Series to Host Avalon String Quartet
10/23/2009
AURORA, Ill. — Aurora University will host the Avalon String Quartet, one of the country's leading ensembles, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, in Crimi Auditorium in the Institute for Collaboration at 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora.
The concert, free to the public, is part of AU's Celebrating Arts and Ideas series, events including art exhibits, films, theatre, music and lectures during 2009-2010.
Described by the Chicago Tribune as "an ensemble that invites your ears, mind, and spirit into its music," the quartet has established itself as one of the country's leading ensembles. Quartet members are Blaise Magniere and Marie Wang, violin; Anthony Devroye, viola; and Cheng-Hou Lee, cello.
Formed in 1995 at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, the quartet became known as one of the country's leading ensembles after participating in Isaac Stern's Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall in 1997. As a result, Isaac Stern invited the quartet to perform in the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Encounters in Jerusalem and presented the ensemble's Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall. The quartet captured the top prize at the 2000 ARD Competition in Munich as well as the First Prize at Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York (1999).
The quartet has been in residence at Northern Illinois University since 2007. As a part of their residency, they perform four programs annually in Chicago and DeKalb, and the members teach individual studios and coach chamber music at the school. This follows previous residencies at The Juilliard School and at Indiana University South Bend from 2003 to 2007.
Dedicated educators, the quartet has taught at the Interlochen Quartet Institute, Madeline Island Music Camp, Icicle Creek Music Festival, the Britten-Pears School in England and The Juilliard School. The quartet is also dedicated to outreach in various communities, including working with school districts in Los Angeles, Chicago, the Center for Abused Children in Hartford and the Music for Youth Organization in Connecticut.
Channel Classics Records released the quartet's debut CD, "Dawn to Dusk," in 2001. The recording, including the Ravel and the Janacek Second Quartets, was received with much critical acclaim. The quartet's CD was honored with the 2002 Chamber Music America/WQXR Record Award for best chamber music recording.
The quartet has performed in many of the major halls, including Alice Tully Hall in New York, 92nd St Y, Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., Wigmore Hall and Herculessaal in Munich. Other performances include appearances at the Caramoor Music Festival in New York, La Jolla Chamber Music Society, NPR's St. Paul Sunday Radio, Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, Isabella Gardner Museum, Barge Music, Dame Myra Hess and the Ravinia Festival.
The Quartet's live performances and conversation have been featured on Chicago's WFMT-FM, New York's WQXR-FM and WNYC-FM, National Public Radio's Performance Today, Canada's CBC, Australia's ABC, the ARD of Germany and France Musique.
Reservations are required. For reservations or more information, call (630) 844-4924 or e-mail artsandideas@aurora.edu.
Click here to register online.
Arts and Ideas sponsors are Nicor, gold sponsor; City of Aurora, Harris Bank, Human Resources Management Systems, LLC, Old Second National Bank and Sodexo, silver sponsors; Alarm Detection Systems, Inc., BFC Integrated Print Management, Sikich LLP, and Whitt Brothers Garage, bronze sponsors; and Comcast and The Beacon News, media support.
