Feb. 18: Jupiter String Quartet Presented by Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City – Performing the Music of Robert Schumann, Alberto Ginastera, and Ludwig van Beethoven
Photo of the Jupiter Quartet by Todd Rosenberg available in high resolution at www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/jupiter-string
Jupiter String Quartet
Presented by Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City
Performing the Music of Robert Schumann, Alberto Ginastera, and Ludwig van Beethoven
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Libby Gardner Concert Hall at University of Utah
1375 Presidents' Circle | Salt Lake City, UT
Tickets and More Information
“an ensemble of eloquent intensity, has matured into one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene.” – The New Yorker
Salt Lake City, UT – On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 7:30 pm, the internationally acclaimed Jupiter String Quartet, winners of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and Banff International String Quartet Competition – known for their “compelling” performances (BBC Music Magazine) – will be presented by the Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City. The concert will take place in Libby Gardner Concert Hall at the University of Utah (1375 Presidents' Circle). Jupiter presents Revival, taking listeners on an emotional ride filled with the vibrant rhythms of folk dance as well as beautiful lyricism. The concert will include Robert Schumann’s Quartet in A minor, Op. 41 No. 1; Alberto Ginastera’s Quartet No. 1, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Quartet in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1.
Based in Urbana, IL and giving concerts all over the country, the Jupiter String Quartet is a particularly intimate group, and includes violinist Meg Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (Meg’s older sister), cellist Daniel McDonough (Meg’s husband, Liz’s brother-in-law), and first violinist, Mélanie Clapiès. The quartet chose its name because Jupiter was the most prominent planet in the night sky at the time of its formation and the astrological symbol for Jupiter resembles the number four.
Since forming in 2001, the Jupiter String Quartet has turned their unique family dynamic into a musical strength. The personal connections that bind them – sisters who grew up making music together, a marriage that deepened musical partnership – create an intuitive ensemble communication that audiences consistently notice. Their performances exude an energy that feels friendly, knowledgeable, and adventurous, bringing their close-knit musical relationships to the stage.
”We are so pleased to return to Salt Lake City to perform for the wonderful audience there,” says the Jupiter Quartet. “We are especially excited about this vivid program, which features Schumann’s lushly beautiful Quartet in A minor, Beethoven’s heroic quartet Op. 59 No. 1, and Ginastera’s vivacious first quartet. We look forward to sharing these fantastic works.”
Robert Schumann composed all three of his string quartets in a burst of creative energy, and this first of the series is a brilliant exploration of the genre, featuring creative counterpoint, driving rhythms, and heartbreaking reflection. Alberto Ginastera’s scintillating first quartet is based on the folk traditions of Argentina. The program concludes with Beethoven’s monumental Quartet in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1, an astonishing experiment in expanding the form of the string quartet to its limits. The work reaches its emotional height in the sublime slow movement, whose spell is broken by the energetically rustic dance of the final movement, based on a Russian folk tune.
More about the Jupiter Quartet: The Jupiter Quartet has performed in some of the world’s finest halls, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes, Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center and Library of Congress, Austria’s Esterhazy Palace, and Seoul’s Sejong Chamber Hall. Their major music festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival and School, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, Rockport Music Festival, Taos School of Music Summer Festival, Music at Menlo, Tucson Winter Music Festival, the Seoul Spring Festival, and many others. In addition to their performing career, they have been artists-in-residence at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 2012, where they maintain private studios and direct the chamber music program.
Their chamber music honors and awards include the grand prizes in the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition; the Young Concert Artists International auditions in New York City; the Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America; an Avery Fisher Career Grant; and a grant from the Fromm Foundation. From 2007-2010, they were in residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Two.
The quartet's latest album is a collaboration with the Jasper String Quartet (Marquis Classics, 2021), produced by Grammy-winner Judith Sherman. This collaborative album features the world premiere recording of Dan Visconti’s Eternal Breath, Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat, Op. 20, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round. The quartet’s discography also includes numerous recordings on labels including Azica Records and Deutsche Grammophon.
The quartet chose its name because Jupiter was the most prominent planet in the night sky at the time of its formation and the astrological symbol for Jupiter resembles the number four.
For more information, visit www.jupiterquartet.com.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: The Jupiter Quartet, “an ensemble of eloquent intensity” (The New Yorker) is presented in concert by the Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City. The Jupiter Quartet will perform a program centered on the rich and expressive rhythms of folk dance and beautifully intimate lyricism. Titled Revival, this program highlights the influence of many different cultures on the character and complexity of various quartets written by three different composers. The performance will include works by Robert Schumann, Alberto Ginastera, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Concert details:
Who: Jupiter String Quartet
Presented by Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City
What: Music by Robert Schumann, Alberto Ginastera, and Ludwig van Beethoven
When: Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Where: 1375 Presidents' Circle | Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Tickets and More Information: https://cmsofslc.org/calendar/2026/jupiter-quartet