About

“One of the greatest string quartets I have ever heard. They can play anything.”—Ted Nash

New York-based, GRAMMY-award winning Harlem Quartet has been praised for its “panache” by the New York Times and hailed in the Cincinnati Enquirer for “bringing a new attitude to classical music, one that is fresh, bracing and intelligent.” Since its public debut at Carnegie Hall in 2006, the ensemble has thrilled audiences and students in 47 states as well as in the U.K., France, Belgium, Brazil, Panama, Canada, Venezuela, Japan, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

The GRAMMY award-winning quartet returns to San Diego with Echoes of Inspiration, an eclectic program that weaves together works from three different centuries. For this program, the ensemble has selected pieces that each composer wrote to celebrate the influence of their heroes and cultural traditions.

The program is anchored by an early Beethoven work, opus 18 no. 5 in A Major, which intentionally reflects the moods and ideas of Mozart’s quartet in the same key. The musical counterpoint the group has selected, Benjamin Britten’s Quartet No. 2, is a heartfelt tribute to Henry Purcell which Britten composed in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Purcell’s passing. Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte draws inspiration from the minuet of Haydn’s Quartet Opus 77/2, reflecting both innovation & respect for tradition. Guido Lopez-Gavilan’s Cuarteto en Guaguanco rounds out the program— this exhilarating work is inspired by Afro-Cuban Chant.

Through their meticulous selection of works, this ensemble demonstrates their dedication to combining traditional masterpieces performed at the highest level with complementary contemporary works that are writing the future for classical music. Their ability to seamlessly traverse various musical styles while maintaining a signature sound that also honors both the specific style and context of the work, but also the inspirations behind each piece is a testament to their exceptional musicianship and artistic vision.

Program:
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in A Major, op.18 no.5
Benjamin Britten: String Quartet No. 2, op. 36
Caroline Shaw: Entr’acte
Guido Lopez-Gavilan: Cuarteto en Guaguanco