Jan. 13 Jupiter String Quartet Presented byMadison Performing Arts Foundation
Performing Music by Florence Price, William Bolcom, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johannes Brahms
Photo of the Jupiter Quartet by Todd Rosenberg available in high resolution at www.jensenartists.com/jupiter-string-quartet
Friday, January 13, 2023 at 7pm First Baptist Church | 416 Vine St. | Madison, IN
More Information: www.madisonperformingartsfoundation.com
"Perhaps what stands out most is the Jupiter Quartet’s precise, unified, and spirited sense of ensemble." – Cleveland Classical
www.jupiterquartet.com
Madison, IN – On Friday, January 13, 2023 at 7pm, the internationally acclaimed Jupiter String Quartet –– winner of the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition –– will be presented by the Madison Performing Arts Foundation in a free and open-to-the-public concert, which is partially sponsored by a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission. The performance will be held at First Baptist Church (416 Vine St.). The Jupiter String Quartet is a particularly intimate group, consisting of violinists Nelson Lee and Meg Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (Meg’s older sister), and cellist Daniel McDonough (Meg’s husband, Liz’s brother-in-law). Brought together by the ties both familial and musical, the Jupiter Quartet is now enjoying their 20th year together.
For this concert the Jupiter Quartet will perform a program that features an array of music from the late eighteenth century through the late twentieth century, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590; three movements from Florence Price’s Five Folksongs in Counterpoint; William Bolcom’s Graceful Ghost and Incineratorag from Three Rags for String Quartet; and Johannes Brahms’ String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51 No. 2. The program reflects a long span of musical evolution and showcases the Jupiter Quartet’s dedication to performing works by traditional and contemporary composers alike.
Mozart wrote his Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590 in the summer of 1790. The work gives a notable role to the cello, the instrument of Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II, whom Mozart hoped to appeal to through this music. Though Mozart struggled with illness and depression at the end of his life when this was written, the work reflects his flair for musical precision and structure, as the different string parts often turn to pleasing but intricate symmetry throughout the four movements.
Written in remembrance of Bolcom’s father and described by Bolcom as “an elegiac rag,” Graceful Ghost unfolds slowly with the melody bearing an understandably somber tonality, as opposed to the energized flair more typical of ragtime music. By contrast, the prominent syncopation and cheerful melody of Incineratorag aligns more closely with hallmark qualities of the style. All three of Bolcom’s rags for string quartet were arranged as such in 1989.
Florence Price’s Five Folksongs in Counterpoint was written around 1951 but only recently rediscovered. Price presents this collection of African-American spirituals and folk songs in an imaginative and rich counterpuntal fashion. The result is a complex and beautiful texture, full of shifting harmonies and colors.
Johannes Brahms pursues emotional richness through his String Quartet in A minor, Op. 51 No. 2. He combines beautiful lyricism with his trademark rhythmic energy, bringing the string quartet to its fullest heights of expression.
More about the Jupiter String Quartet: The Jupiter String 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, Music at Menlo, the Seoul Spring Festival, and many others. In addition to their performing career, they have been artists-in-residence at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana 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.
About Madison Performing Arts Foundation: Madison Performing Arts Foundation brings classical music and all genres of musical performances to the greater Madison, Jefferson County, and Trimble County. Enjoy performances by nationally known artists, as well as professional career musicians with ties to the Madison area.
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