June 12 & 13: Jupiter String Quartet Brings Vibrant Artistic Connection to Zenith Chamber Music Festival in Two Performances
Photo of the Jupiter Quartet by Todd Rosenberg available in high resolution here
Jupiter String Quartet Brings Vibrant Artistic Connection
to Two Performances at Zenith Chamber Music Festival
on June 12 and 13
Friday, June 12, 2026 at 7pm: Jupiter Quartet
Grace United Methodist Church | 3700 Cottage Grove Avenue | Des Moines, IA
Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 7pm: Jupiter Quartet with Zenith Virtuosi
Sheslow Auditorium | 2507 University Ave | Des Moines, IA
More Information: zenithchambermusicfestival.org
“an ensemble of eloquent intensity, has matured into one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene.” – The New Yorker
Des Moines, IA – The internationally acclaimed Jupiter String Quartet, a tightly knit ensemble brought together by family bonds and musical passion, will present two special performances at the Zenith Chamber Music Festival on June 12 and 13, 2026.
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.
On Friday, June 12 at 7pm, the Jupiter String Quartet performs a program of expressive and imagery driven works from the 19th century to the present day. The performance will feature Cançoes da America by Clarice Assad; Heal by Salina Fisher; selections from Five Folksongs in Counterpoint by Florence Price; and Quartet in A minor, Op. 41 No. 1 by Robert Schumann.
On Saturday, June 13 at 7pm, the Jupiter String Quartet will perform several works in various configurations with one another, as well as perform in collaboration with the Zenith Virtuosi, the Zenith Chamber Music Festival’s student ensemble. The performance will feature the following: Duo Sonata for Two Violins by Jean-Marie LeClair (featuring Mélanie Clapiès and Meg Freivogel), Darshan-Charukeshi for solo violin by Reena Esmail (featuring Mélanie Clapiès), Conversations in Silence, III by Conni Ellisor (side-by-side with Zenith Virtuosi), and String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor by Johannes Brahms (featuring full Jupiter String Quartet).
Since forming in 2001, the Jupiter String Quartet has turned their family-infused dynamic into a musical strength. The personal connections that bind them – sisters who grew up making music together, a marriage that deepened musical partnership – and the artistic connections between the group that are fortified more everyday, create an intuitive ensemble communication that audiences consistently notice. The close-knit nature of their musical relationships are seen, heard, and felt from the stage.
“We are so pleased to make our debut with the Zenith Festival, and are looking forward to sharing some of our favorite repertoire, both new and old, with the audience there,” says violist Liz Freivogel. “We also are excited by the chance to collaborate with the Zenith Virtuosi while we are there. Playing side-by-side is a great way to deepen our connection with the communities we visit.”
The Jupiter’s concerts at the Festival follow the release this spring of Undreamed Shores, the ensemble’s ninth studio album and first on Orchid Classics. On Undreamed Shores, the Jupiter Quartet turns to old friends with new inspiration. The album features the world premiere recordings of new string quartets written for the Jupiter by composers who are also longtime friends of the ensemble — Michi Wiancko (To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores), Stephen Andrew Taylor (Chaconne/Labyrinth), and Kati Agócs (Imprimatur, String Quartet No. 2) — exploring themes including the climate crisis, the pandemic, memory, and re-imagination. This highly anticipated recording is the Jupiter’s final album with violinist Nelson Lee, who departed from the group’s lineup in September 2025, succeeded by violinist Mélanie Clapiès.
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.
In addition to Undreamed Shores, the Jupiter’s discography includes a collaborative album with the Jasper Quartet released on Marquis Records in 2021, featuring Dan Visconti’s Eternal Breath, Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat, Op. 20, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round, which was praised by The Arts Fuse for its “smart program and fine execution.” The quartet has recorded previously for 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 Calendar Editors:
Description: The Jupiter Quartet, described by The New Yorker as having “technical finesse and rare expressive maturity,” is presented in two performances by Zenith Chamber Music Festival. On June 12, the ensemble will perform a musically diverse program of works that spans from the mid-19th century to the present day. The program will include music by Clarice Assad, Salina Fisher, Florence Price, and Robert Schumann. On June 13, the ensemble will perform in various configurations, including with the festival’s student ensemble, the Zenith Virtuosi. The program will include music by Jean-Marie LeClair, Reena Esmail, Conni Ellisor, and Johannes Brahms.
Concert details:
Who: Jupiter String Quartet
Presented by Zenith Chamber Music Festival
What: Music by Clarice Assad, Salina Fisher, Florence Price, and Robert Schumann
When: Friday, June 12, 2026 at 7pm
Where: Sheslow Auditorium, 2507 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311
More information: zenithchambermusicfestival.org
Concert details:
Who: Jupiter String Quartet
Presented by Zenith Chamber Music Festival
What: Music by Clarice Assad, Salina Fisher, Florence Price, and Robert Schumann
When: Friday, June 12, 2026 at 7pm
Where: Grace United Methodist Church, 3700 Cottage Grove Avenue, Des Moines IA 50311
More information: zenithchambermusicfestival.org