2023-2024
Zemlinsky Quartet
Caltech's Beckman Auditorium 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, CA, United States“This concert was a perfect union of intimate interaction between four musicians—real chamber music—and joyful, often playful, ‘performance’.” — Claire Seymour Since its founding in 1994, the Zemlinsky Quartet has become a much lauded example of the Czech string quartet tradition. The quartet has won the First Grand Prize in the Bordeaux String Quartet Competition … Continue reading Zemlinsky Quartet
Castalian String Quartet
Caltech's Beckman Auditorium 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, CA, United States“A powerful individuality of sound matched by an instinctive singularity of musical intention” — The Scotsman Formed in 2011, the Castalian String Quartet has distinguished itself as one of today’s most dynamic young quartets. Appointed the inaugural Hans Keller String Quartet in Residence at the Oxford University Faculty of Music in 2021, it also received … Continue reading Castalian String Quartet
Merz Trio
Caltech's Beckman Auditorium 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, CA, United StatesHailing from opposite corners of the globe, the members of the Merz Trio met in the middle of a snow storm in NYC in December 2016, and now spend the majority of their lives together, rehearsing and traveling. Their rehearsal room is a noisy fusion of interests: music of all varieties, literature, theater, cooking, dance, … Continue reading Merz Trio
Takács Quartet
Caltech's Beckman Auditorium 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, CA, United States“Even in the most exuberant passages, in the most intricate webs of superimposed rhythms, the Takács beguile the ear with their incisive phrasing, their consistency, and their sense of detail.” - Diapason Students at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest (including founding cellist András Fejér) formed the Takács Quartet in 1975, and soon won prizes … Continue reading Takács Quartet
Quicksilver Baroque Ensemble
Caltech's Beckman Auditorium 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, CA, United States“Revered like rock stars within the early music scene” (New York Times), Quicksilver Baroque Ensemble brings together top North American historically-informed performers. Described as “drop dead gorgeous with a wonderful interplay of timbres,” (Early Music America), Quicksilver vibrantly explores the rich chamber music repertoire from the early modern period to the High Baroque. Music in … Continue reading Quicksilver Baroque Ensemble
Escher String Quartet with Jordan Bak, viola
Caltech's Beckman Auditorium 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, CA, United StatesLike artist M.C. Escher, for whom it is named, the Escher String Quartet creates its own ‘impossible constructions’, simultaneously showcasing each instrument’s part while melding them into one, offering audiences unusual views and new perspectives. As The Guardian noted, the ensemble displays “fabulous unanimity, tonal warmth and care over detail.” Jordan Bak has achieved international … Continue reading Escher String Quartet with Jordan Bak, viola