March 15: The Jupiter String Quartet Performs Reverberations of Nature – Presented by University of Florida Performing Arts
Photo of the Jupiter Quartet by Todd Rosenberg available in high resolution at www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/jupiter-string
The Jupiter String Quartet Performs Reverberations of Nature
Presented by University of Florida Performing Arts
Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 2pm
Squitieri Studio Theatre
at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
3201 Hull Road | Gainesville, FL
Tickets and Information
“an ensemble of eloquent intensity, has matured into one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene.” – The New Yorker
Gainesville, FL – On Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 2pm, the Jupiter String Quartet – internationally acclaimed winners of the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, who are known for their “compelling” performances (BBC Music Magazine) – will be presented in concert by University of Florida Performing Arts in the Squitieri Studio Theatre at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (3201 Hull Road.)
Based at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and giving concerts all over the country, the Jupiter String Quartet is a particularly intimate group, consisting of violinists Mélanie Clapiès and Meg Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (Meg’s older sister), and cellist Daniel McDonough (Meg’s husband, Liz’s brother-in-law). Founded in 2001, the ensemble is firmly established as an important voice in the world of chamber music, and exudes an energy that is at once friendly, knowledgeable, and adventurous.
The Jupiter Quartet brings its well-honed musical chemistry to Reverberations of Nature – a program highlighting the connection between music and wonders of nature. The performance will include String Quartet in C Major, Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird” by Franz Joseph Haydn; Quartet No. 1 by Alberto Ginastera, and Quartet in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Throughout music’s history, composers have been inspired by the natural world. The Jupiter Quartet presents nature-inspired works spanning over 200 years. Haydn’s delightful C Major Quartet received its nickname, “The Bird,” from its chirping and playful character which pushes against the stricter traditions of the form. Following the Haydn, Alberto Ginastera’s rhythmically intense Quartet No. 1 brings forth bold and dramatic energy, showcasing the Jupiter Quartet’s shrewd technique and expressive musicianship. Beethoven’s sublime Quartet in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1, the first of Beethoven’s “Razumovsky” quartets, is nicknamed for Prince Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna who commissioned Beethoven to write these pieces. The piece playfully features a theme from the patron's homeland, fulfilling his request that Beethoven include a Russian theme in each of the Quartet.
Of the program and bringing it to the University of Florida, the Jupiter Quartet says:
”We are thrilled to bring this dynamic program to the UFPA audience. It features three of our favorite works—the charmingly beautiful Haydn “Bird” quartet, the brilliantly folksy first quartet of Alberto Ginastera, and one of Beethoven’s most epic quartets, Op. 59 No. 1. We hope the program will provide space for both reflective beauty and for celebratory energy in the listeners.”
More About Jupiter String 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, Caramoor International Music Festival, Music at Menlo, Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival, the Banff Centre, 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 Jupiter String Quartet feels a strong connection to the core string quartet repertoire; they have presented the complete Bartok and Beethoven string quartets on numerous occasions. Also deeply committed to new music, they have commissioned string quartets from Nathan Shields, Stephen Andrew Taylor, Michi Wiancko, Syd Hodkinson, Hannah Lash, Dan Visconti, and Kati Agócs; a quintet with baritone voice by Mark Adamo; and a piano quintet by Pierre Jalbert.
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 Arts Fuse acclaimed, “This joint album from the Jupiter String Quartet and Jasper String Quartet is striking for its backstory but really memorable for its smart program and fine execution.” The quartet’s discography also includes numerous recordings on labels including Azica Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In fall 2024, the Jupiter Quartet will record their next album with Judith Sherman, featuring the world premiere recordings of Michi Wiancko’s To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores, Stephen Taylor’s Chaconne/Labyrinth, and Kati Agócs's Imprimatur, which were all composed for the Jupiters.
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, described by The New Yorker as having “technical finesse and rare expressive maturity,” is presented in concert by University of Florida Performing Arts. The award-winning ensemble will perform a program titled Reverberations of Nature, highlighting the connection between music and wonders of nature. The performance will include: String Quartet in C Major, Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird” by Franz Joseph Haydn; Quartet No. 1 by Alberto Ginastera, and Quartet in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Concert details:
Who: Jupiter String Quartet
Presented by University of Florida Performing Arts
What: Reverberations of Nature: Music by Franz Joseph Haydn, Alberto Ginastera, and Ludwig van Beethoven
When: Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 2pm
Where: Squitieri Studio Theatre at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 3201 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL 32611
Tickets and information: https://performingarts.ufl.edu/events/jupiter-string-quartet/