Greetings from snowy Utah! After a long hiatus, we’re finally getting around to posting a long overdue update. Our New Year’s resolution is to be better about updating our adventures!
We left you last at the end of a whirlwind tour of the Midwest states, and since then we have played concerts in all parts of the country, premiered our Crossroads Project in Logan, Los Angeles, Boston, Mexico, and Park City, premiered three new commissions, birthed one baby (me), married one physicist (Becky), and received one brand new Iizuka viola (Brad). It’s been an exciting year and a half!
We started 2014 off with a concert on the NOVA series last Sunday in Salt Lake City, where we gave the Utah premiere of Michael Ellison’s Third String Quartet. The world premiere of the quartet got a hugely enthusiastic audience response back in December on the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music series in Tucson, and we’re excited to bring Michael’s work to our Logan audience tomorrow night Tuesday, January 14th. Inspired by Turkish and American fiddle music, Michael has created a dynamic and evocative work that we have had great fun bringing to life. You can hear a short excerpt from the world premiere performance here. We begin the program with Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 76 #1, and close with the Dvořák Piano Quintet with Jason Hardink, pianist of the Utah Symphony and artistic director of the NOVA series.
Up next is a tour of the Crossroads Project in the New York City area, where we’ll perform at SUNY Purchase, Symphony Space, the Hudson Opera House, and Wave Hill. Visiting New York is always a treat for us, with many, many dear friends and family in the area… but we’re especially excited about this trip, as we are so proud of Crossroads and all that it represents. On this trip we will also record Rising Tide, the amazing piece by Laura Kaminsky that anchors Crossroads. It will also be our first time collaborating with legendary producer Judith Sherman, who has produced some of the very best chamber music recordings of our time – we are thrilled to work with her!
More to come very soon! We’re wishing you all the very best for 2014.
