Sunday, March 18, 2007 at 4 pm

Program

String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76, no. 5, Joseph Haydn
Quartet No. 2 (“Intimate Letters”), Leos Jancek
String Quartet in Bb Major, Op. 67, Johannes Brahms

For more than thirty years, the Prazak Quartet has been at home on music stages worldwide. They are regular guests in the major European musical capitals -Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Milan, Madrid, London, Berlin, and Munich – and participate in numerous festivals, having collaborated with such artists as Menahem Pressler, Jon Nakamatsu, and Josef Suk. On Sunday, March 18th they will appear at the Wilton Congregational Church, playing a program of Haydn (String Quartet in D major, Op. 76, no. 5), Janaĉek (String Quartet No. 2) and Brahms (String Quartet in Bb Major, Op. 67).

The Prazak Quartet was established in 1972 while its members were students at the Prague Conservatory. In 1974, the ensemble received first prize at the Prague Conservatory Chamber Music Competition, performing the following year at the Prague Spring Music Festival. In 1978 the quartet took the first prize at the Evian String Quartet Competition, as well as a special prize awarded by Radio France for the best recording during the competition. Since then, the quartet has gained attention for its prominent place in the unique Czech quartet tradition, as well as its musical virtuosity.
In North America, the Prazak Quartet has performed in New York (Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, 92 nd St. Y), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Washington, Philadelphia, Miami, St. Louis, New Orleans, Berkeley, Cleveland, Tucson, Denver, Buffalo, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Their 2006/07 tours will bring them to 23 North American cities, including New York (Carnegie Hall), Boston, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit, Kansas City, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Tucson, Vancouver, and Montreal.

In the Czech Republic, the Prazak records exclusively for Praga/Harmonia Mundi, and has released 20 award-winning CDs. In addition to numerous radio recordings in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, the Prazak Quartet has also made recordings for Supraphon, Panton, Orfeo, Ottavo, Bonton, and Nuova Era.

The March 18th concert will take place at 4:00 p.m. at the Wilton Congregational Church, located north of Wilton center on Route 33. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $25 (seniors pay $20; students,$10). For more information on this concert or on the Candlelight series, phone 203-762-3401 or 203-762-5019.