May 2, 8, 9: Jupiter String Quartet Performs Three Concerts with East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO)
Jupiter String Quartet performs Three Concerts with East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO) in May
Top: East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Bottom: Jupiter String Quartet ECCO Photo Credit: Pete Checchia | Jupiter Quartet Photo Credit: Todd Rosenberg
May 2: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Urbana, IL May 8: Music Mondays, New York, NY May 9: Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Philadelphia, PA
Complete concert details at the end of this release
“technical finesse and rare expressive maturity” – The New Yorker on the Jupiter Quartet
www.jupiterquartet.com | www.eccorchestra.org
Urbana, IL; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA – The Jupiter String Quartet, will join forces with thedynamic East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO), for performances presented by the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Urbana, IL (May 2), Music Mondays in New York, NY (May 8), and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society in Philadelphia, PA (May 9).
The first concert will be presented by the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at Foellinger Great Hall (500 S Goodwin Ave.) in Urbana, IL (May 2). The ensemble will then travel to New York City for a performance presented by Music Mondays (May 8), held at Advent Lutheran Church (2504 Broadway). The concert is free with reservation. Lastly, they will be presented by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (May 9), in a performance held at the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center (300 South Broad Street).
Throughout this tour, the Jupiter Quartet will be performing as part of the conductorless ECCO, and will be featured as soloists in Jessie Montgomery’s “Banner” for string quartet, bass solo, and chamber orchestra. Franz Schubert’s String Quartet in D Minor, D. 810 (“Death and the Maiden”), arranged for string orchestra by Gustav Mahler, and Adolphus Hailstork’s Sonata da Chiesa will round out the program.
A collaborative group of musicians from some of the world’s most renowned small and large ensembles, ECCO was formed in 2001 as a way to joyfully share a love of collective and democratic music making. The members come together several times a year to rehearse and perform together, and their concerts are known for the pure energy that they exude.
Described as a rhapsody on the theme of the Star Spangled Banner, Montgomery explains that with her 2014 piece Banner, she is “drawing on musical and historical sources from various world anthems and patriotic songs, [in] an attempt to answer the question: ‘What does an anthem for the 21st century sound like in today’s multi-cultural environment?’.” Schubert composed his fatefulString Quartet in D Minor, D. 810, (“Death and the Maiden”) in 1824, just four years before succumbing to illness. The four movements are filled with contrast, alternating between transcendent beauty and terrifying bombast. Generally, sonata da chiesa refers to a form of instrumental chamber music intended for religious meditation. Hailstork’s version is an instrumental counterpart to a traditional choral Mass, channeling the grandiosity, austerity, and delicacy of sacred music. Hailstork demonstrates his adeptness with counterpoint throughout the work’s seven sections –– each of which bears a title derived from liturgical music.
More About Jupiter String Quartet: 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). Now enjoying their 22nd year together, this tight-knit ensemble is firmly established as an important voice in the world of chamber music. Artists-in-residence at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana since 2012, the Jupiter Quartet maintain private studios and direct the University’s chamber music program.
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, 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 East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO): The critically acclaimed East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO) is a collective of dynamic like-minded artists who convene for select periods each year to explore musical works and perform concerts of the highest artistic quality. Drawing from some of the world's finest orchestras, chamber groups, and young soloists, ECCO strives for vitality and musical integrity; a self-governing organization, each member is equal and has a voice in every step of the artistic process, from programming to performance. ECCO believes that the best musical experience can speak to all audiences regardless of age or socioeconomic background and performs accordingly across a wide range of venues. ECCO is also firmly committed to sharing educational experiences with the communities it visits.
Through interactive children’s concerts, small group master classes, and one-on-one lessons, ECCO continually seeks out opportunities to connect with young people. Doing so creates a much more engaging concert experience, illustrating through living example the ways in which classical music can be accessible to the modern listener. Performance opportunities also allow the members of ECCO to share the musical knowledge gained during their individual and unique lifetimes of music. The same energy that is contagious in ECCO’s performances is presented and shared without the boundaries of the stage to those interested in learning.
For Calendar Editors:
Description (for all cities on the tour): The Jupiter String Quartet, described as “an ensemble of eloquent intensity” by The New Yorker, performs on tour with East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO). Featuring members of some of the world's finest orchestras, chamber groups, as well as young soloists, ECCO strives for vitality and musical integrity. This historically rich concert program features Franz Schubert’s String Quartet in D Minor, D. 810 (“Death and the Maiden”), arranged for string orchestra by Gustav Mahler; Adolphus Hailstork’s Sonata da Chiesa from 1992, an instrumental counterpart to a traditional choral Mass; and Jessie Montgomery’s Banner from 2014, which, as Montgomery explains, draws on world anthems and patriotic songs to answer the question, “What does an anthem for the 21st century sound like in today’s multicultural environment?”
Short description (for all cities on the tour): The Jupiter Quartet, “an ensemble of eloquent intensity” (The New Yorker), tours with ECCO in an historically rich program of music by Schubert, Hailstork, and Montgomery.
Concert details:
Who: Jupiter String Quartet with East Coast Chamber Orchestra Presented by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts What: Music by Adolphus Hailstork, Jessie Montgomery, Franz Schubert When: Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 7:30pm Where: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Foellinger Great Hall, 500 S Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL Tickets and information: www.krannertcenter.com/events/jupiter-string-quartet-east-coast-chamber-orchestra
Who: Jupiter String Quartet with East Coast Chamber Orchestra Presented by Music Mondays What: Music by Adolphus Hailstork, Jessie Montgomery, Franz Schubert When: Monday, May 8, 2023 at 7:30pm Where: Advent Lutheran Church, 2504 Broadway, New York, NY Tickets and information: www.musicmondays.org/may-2023 Admission is free, but reservations are required.
Who: Jupiter String Quartet with East Coast Chamber Orchestra Presented by Philadelphia Chamber Music Society What: Music by Adolphus Hailstork, Jessie Montgomery, Franz Schubert When: Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 7:30pm Where: Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA Tickets and information: www.pcmsconcerts.org/concerts/ecco-jupiter-quartet
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