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Esterhazy Quartet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

TheEsterhazy Quartetis an Americanstring quartetfounded in 1968 as the ensemble-in-residence of the University of Missouri and is composed of faculty members at theUniversity of Missouri School of MusicinColumbia.[1]The Esterhazy Quartet's current members are:

  • Eva Szekely (violin)
  • Julie Rosenfeld (violin)
  • Leslie Perna (viola)
  • Eli Lara (cello)

The founding members of the Esterhazy Quartet are Carlton Spotts (cello), Ulrich Dannemann (viola), Eugene Gratovich (violin), and Ruth Allen (violin). Other previous ensemble members include Susan Jensen (violin) and Darry Dolezal (cello).[2]

The ensemble takes its name from theEsterházyroyalty of 18th-century Austria and the family's association with and patronage of the composer FranzJoseph Haydn.[1]

While the Esterhazy Quartet performs both standard and modern string quartet repertoire, the ensemble is committed to performing and promoting the music of contemporary composers, particularly the music of modern composers of both North and South America.[1]

The Esterhazy Quartet maintains an active touring and performing schedule in the Americas andEurope,including performances for theMozarteuminBuenos Aires,the Beethoven Society in Santiago de Chile, the Haydn Festspiele in Austria, and theBanff Centre for Arts and CreativityinBanff,Alberta.They have been frequently featured onNational Public Radiobroadcasts such as the highly acclaimedHear America FirstandQuartessenceseries.[1]

Festival appearances for the ensemble include the Western Arts Festival, the Texas Music Festival, and theInternational Chamber Music FestivalinBelém,Brazil.[1]

Since 1996, the Esterhazy Quartet has collaborated with theBerklee College of Musicin (Boston,Massachusetts) to spend a week as a visiting ensemble-in-residence that offers composition students not only the opportunity to write and develop pieces for string quartet ensemble, but also allows students to hear a world-class ensemble perform their compositions.[3]Additionally, the Esterhazy Quartet has sponsored the annual Esterhazy String Quartet Seminar at theUniversity of Missouri School of Musicfor a select group of sixteen advanced high school violin, viola, and cello students, wherein students study and perform an entire work from chamber music repertoire, participate in private lessons, receive ensemble coaching, and also perform in solo masterclasses.[4]

The Esterhazy Quartet's recordings can be heard on theCRI(nowNew World Records),Albany Records,and Spectrum labels.[1]

Notes

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  1. ^abcdef"Esterhazy Quartet | School of Music".music.missouri.edu.RetrievedNovember 8,2020.
  2. ^Ogar, Megan."Combining old and new, Esterhazy Quartet marks the big 4-0".Columbia Missourian.RetrievedNovember 8,2020.
  3. ^"Esterhazy Quartet Marks 20 Years at Berklee | Berklee College of Music".berklee.edu.RetrievedNovember 8,2020.
  4. ^"Esterhazy String Quartet Seminar Brochure 2023"(PDF).

References

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