There is magic in the meeting of musicians. Within months of the 2005 inception of the Escher String Quartet, Pinchas Zukerman and Itzhak Perlman invited the group to serve as Quartet in Residence at each artist's summer festival. The Denver Post attributes this to "Rare musical insight and a profound level of cohesion." Named after … Continue reading Escher String Quartet with Jason Vieaux, Guitar →

The name Enso is derived from the Japanese Zen painting of the circle, which represents many things: perfection and imperfection, the moment of chaos that is creation, the emptiness of the void, the endless circle of life, and the fullness of the spirit. The members of the Enso String Quartet all were drawn to the … Continue reading Enso String Quartet with Clive Greensmith, Cello →

Our musical journey begins with the fourth visit to Coleman audiences by this venerable London-based ensemble, established in 1967 by the renowned chamber orchestra of the same name in order to perform larger chamber works without relying on guest artists. We will visit Prague, where Dvořák’s quintet premiered (and earned five ducats in a competition), … Continue reading Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble →

Fabio Bidini From the Klezmer tradition of Eastern Europe to the Swedish essence of Anders Hillborg, from Manhattan’s Elliott Carter and the Imani Winds’ own Valerie Coleman and Jeff Scott to Mozart’s Vienna with Italy’s fabulous Fabio Bidini (about whom Philadelphia’s Broad Street Review wrote “Yes! This must have been what it was like to … Continue reading Imani Winds with Fabio Bidini, piano →

Formed ten years ago under the guidance of renowned clarinetist David Krakauer and violinist Isodore Cohen at the Manhattan School of Music, the Zodiac Trio shortly thereafter became the first American group and the only ensemble with a wind instrument to enter the esteemed Ysaÿe Quartet Chamber Music program at the Paris Superior Conservatory. The … Continue reading Zodiac Trio →

Members of the Pacifica Quartet may live in Indiana—where they serve as quartet-in-residence at the Jacobs School of Music and as resident performing artists at the nearby University of Chicago—but their accomplishments range far beyond these state’s borders, including our own Coleman Competition: the Russell Award in 1995 and the 50th Anniversary Prize in 1996. … Continue reading Pacifica Quartet →

Named for the Czech composer, the Pavel Haas Quartet returns to Coleman to take us to Prague, where in 1878 Smetana’s Quartet No. 1 was given a private premiere with Antonin Dvoˇrák as violist. The Quartet’s recent recording of this work is one of three nominated in the chamber category for the 2016 BBC Music … Continue reading Pavel Haas Quartet →

• DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM FOR THIS CONCERT Our musical tour concludes with a visit to Shostakovich’s Russia and a return to Beethoven’s incomparable late quartets—three of which, including Op. 132, were commissioned by Prince Nikolai Galitzin in St. Petersburg. He agreed to Beethoven’s requested fee of 50 ducats each… the last two finally paid to … Continue reading Dover Quartet →

The best storytellers display an infectious passion. And the Heath Quartet—which in 2013 became the first ensemble in 15 years to win the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artists Award— exemplifies this. The ensemble performs, says The Telegraph, “with fierce intelligence and feeling, passion and virtuosity.” The members’ commitment to chamber music has led them far … Continue reading Heath Quartet →

The history of the Juilliard String Quartet with Coleman is a story in itself. This will be the Quartet’s 21st appearance, the first of which took place at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1951. Founded in 1946, the Quartet recently celebrated its 70th anniversary, and also welcomed its newest member, cellist Astrid Schween. In 2011, the Quartet … Continue reading Juilliard String Quartet →