March 13, 2011, 4 pm
Program
Beethoven: Piano Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 16
Lowell Lieberman: TBA
— Intermission —
Dvořák: Piano Quartet in E-Flat, Op. 87
OPUS ONE brings together four of the leading musicians of our time, Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, Violinist Ida Kavafian, Violist Steven Tenenbom, and Cellist Peter Wiley. Veterans as well as present members of the world’s most prestigious chamber groups including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Tashi, the Beaux Arts Trio and the Orion and Guarneri String Quartets- OPUS ONE is the result of a mutual love of music making between four extraordinary instrumentalists and friends. As soloists as well as chamber musicians, they are each familiar figures in concert halls throughout the world and have joined together to form one of the most exciting groups performing anywhere. Their dedication to the works of contemporary American composers is reflected in their programming, and the sheer, obvious joy they have in performing together communicates directly to their audiences.
1998-99 marked the inaugural season of OPUS ONE, with a debut at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC to a packed, enthusiastic house. Subsequent seasons have included recital debuts and return engagements in New York (at Lincoln Center as well as on the series “Free for All” at Town Hall), Detroit, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, San Diego, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, all to great acclaim. University series performances have included VCU in Richmond, VA, Caltech in Pasadena and Duke University. Their orchestral debut was with the Chattanooga Symphony, performing Beethoven’s “Triple Concerto” and a work written by Douglas Lowry for the entire group with orchestra.
OPUS ONE has presented several other world premieres as well. Along with the Pittsburgh and Cleveland Chamber Music Societies, OPUS ONE commissioned the outstanding composer, Stephen Hartke to write a new quartet, “Beyond Words,” which was premiered in December, 2001. The piece, an emotional musical tribute to 9/11, was enthusiastically received. More recently, the group gave the world premiere performance of a work they co-commissioned (along with the festival, Music from Angel Fire) by George Tsontakis.
An extraordinary experience for the group came in May, 2006, when OPUS ONE performed at Marine Barracks, Washington, DC by special invitation from the Commandant of the Marines and his wife, General and Mrs. Michael Hagee. The summer of 2007 brought another world premiere of a piece called “Green Torso,” by the celebrated composer, pianist and conductor, Marc Neikrug. In the summer of 2009, OPUS ONE premiered two additional movements of Mr. Neikrug’s work, commissioned for them by the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. The composer Lowell Lieberman is currently writing a new quartet for the group, slated for premiere in August, 2010.
Recent Opus One appearances have included a feature performance on the popular NPR program, “St. Paul Sunday” and festival performances at Caramoor, Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon, the June Music Festival in Albuquerque, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in Detroit, Music from Angel Fire in NM, and Mainly Mozart in San Diego. In the studio, they recorded the two piano quartets of Dvořák, due for release some time in 2009. They also recorded works by Aaron Kernis and Stephen Hartke as part of the “Americans in Rome” project on Bridge Records.
The March 13th concert takes place at 4:00 p.m. at the Wilton Congregational Church, just north of Wilton center on Route 33. Tickets may be obtained at the door for $25 dollars ($10 for students). For information on subscriptions to the entire four concert series, go to the ticket order page. Season tickets start at $90 ($75 for seniors); and patrons and benefactors of the series have the option of bringing two or four children under 16 (respectively) to the concerts free of cost. For more information on this concert or on the series, or to order a series brochure to be sent to you, call (203) 762-3401 or (203) 762-5019. Candlelight Concerts benefits the Wilton Library, and happily accepts individual and corporate tax deductible contributions.