DATE: Sunday, 25 January, 2004 at 3:00 PM

SITE: The BTI Center for the Performing Arts   Map 

PROGRAM

• Schubert Cello Quintet, with Paul Katz
• Beethoven Quartet in C# minor Op. 131

About the Pacifica String Quartet

One of today's most dynamic and exciting string quartets, the Pacifica Quartet continues to win the hearts of audiences around the world with its impassioned interpretations and unique musical voice. The New York Times writes, "its sound, individually and as a group, is pure, lyrical, and educated... remarkable," the Los Angeles Times writes, "there's no point in predicting future greatness for the young Pacifica Quartet...the future has arrived," and the Chicago Tribune calls them simply "a marvelous group." Formed in 1994, the Pacifica Quartet burst onto the chamber music scene when it captured three of the nation's most important awards, Grand Prize at the 1996 Coleman Chamber Music Competition, top prize at the 1997 Concert Artists Guild Competition, and the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award.

The Pacifica Quartet's new release of Dvorak chamber works, as part of its multi-disc contract with Cedille Records, has been receiving rave reviews. Victor Carr of Classics Today writes, "buy this disc and be prepared to be blissfully captivated for the next 75 minutes," and the Memphis Commercial Record says, "the Pacifica can do no wrong." Since its inception the Pacifica has always had an appetite for big projects. The latest entrées on the Pacifica's plate are performances of Elliott Carter's five string quartets in Los Angeles and Chicago, and recordings of the complete string quartets of Felix Mendelssohn.

Enjoying an active international touring schedule, the Pacifica has played as far afield as Australia, Greece and Panama, and coast-to-coast from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York City. The Quartet is regularly featured on several of the nation's most reputed radio broadcasts, including National Public Radio's "Performance Today" and Minnesota Public Radio's St. Paul Sunday. Festival appearances include Aspen, Bellingham, Cape and Islands, Vermont Mozart Festival and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Collaborations with distinguished artists include concerts with Paul Katz, Ursula Oppens, and a recent recording of the Dvorak Viola Quintet for Cedille Records with violist Michael Tree. In 1999, the Quartet had the honor of being selected "Quartet in Residence" by National Public Radio in Washington DC, where it presented a series of live concerts broadcast over two weeks, and was recently named the next Quartet in Residence for Lincoln Chamber Music Society II.

Cited by the Chicago Reader as "having a knack for the new," and "poised to take over from the likes of the Kronos and Juilliard Quartets," the Pacifica is a leading advocate of contemporary music. In the 2001-2002 season alone, eight new string quartets were written for the Pacifica. As resident string quartet for the Contemporary Chamber Players, one of the country's leading contemporary music organizations, the Quartet presents a series of concerts each year devoted exclusively to new music. Recent performances have included premieres of works by Easley Blackwood, Maurice Gardner, and Robert Lombardo, and collaboration with Steve Mackey in a performance of his Troubador Songs. The Pacifica has also recorded the complete string quartets of Easley Blackwood, released on the Cedille label in 2000.

The Pacifica Quartet currently serves as faculty and Quartet in Residence at both Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, where it is the first resident ensemble in the history of the institution. Reflecting its dedication to musicians and music lovers of the next generation, the Pacifica Quartet was instrumental in creating the Music Integration Project, an innovative program that provides musical performances and teacher training to inner-city elementary schools. In addition, the Quartet regularly teaches at summer festivals, including Interlochen Arts Camp, Madeline Island Music Festival, the Britt Festival in Oregon, and the Weathersfield Music Festival. The Quartet is also frequently invited for visiting residencies at universities and schools nationwide.

The members of the Pacifica Quartet share a unique history of personal and musical friendship. First violinist Simin Ganatra, born and raised in southern California, first played with cellist Brandon Vamos and Icelandic violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson while they were all teenagers. Sibbi later brought his good friend violist Masumi Rostad to the group. Originating on the West Coast, where it played many of its earliest concerts together, the Quartet takes its name from the awe-inspiring Pacific Ocean. Throughout their journey as a string quartet, its members continually strive to be "Distinct as the billows yet one as the sea." (American author James Montgomery)

Additional information about the Quartet may be found on its website at www.pacificaquartet.com.

The Quartet

• Simin Ganatra, violin
• Sibbi Bernhardsson, violin
• Masumi Per Rostad, viola
• Brandon Vamos, cello

Paul Katz is known to concert goers around the world as the cellist of the Cleveland Quartet. As a member of this celebrated ensemble from 1969-1995, he performed at the White House and on many television shows including "CBS Sunday Morning," NBC's "Today Show," "The Grammy Awards," and was seen in "In the Mainstream: The Cleveland Quartet," a one-hour documentary televised in the U.S. and Canada. The Cleveland Quartet has nearly 70 recordings to its credit, including the all-time best-selling chamber music release in Japan, 11 Grammy nominations, Grammy Awards for "Best Chamber Music Recording" and "Best Recorded Contemporary Composition" in 1996, and "Best of the Year" awards from Time Magazine and Stereo Review.

As a soloist, Katz has appeared in New York, Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit, Los Angeles, and other cities throughout North America. In addition to his performing and teaching activities at the New England Conservatory, Katz is an active advocate for chamber music and in 2001 received the National Service Award, Chamber Music America's highest honor.

Katz plays a 1669 Andrea Guarneri cello and has numerous recordings on ProArte, RCA Victor, Telarc, Sony, and Philips.