The Ariel Quartet opens its 2017-18 four-part concert series at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in the Robert J. Werner Recital Hall. The concert features works by Ludwig van Beethoven, György Kurtág and Robert Schumann.
CCM’s string quartet-in-residence dedicates its opening concert to CCM ProfessorEmeritus Walter Levin, who passed away on Aug. 4, 2017, at the age of 92. Levin was a founding member and first violinist of the LaSalle Quartet, which served as CCM’s string quartet-in-residence for over 30 years.
During his tenure at CCM, Levin greatly enhanced CCM’s international reputation while inspiring generations of future artists and scholars, including members of the Ariel Quartet. Levin had mentored the Quartet for the past decade. The Quartet traveled the world to work with Levin in southern France, Berlin, Paris, Basel and Cincinnati.
The Ariel Quartet is comprised of Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola. The group was formed in Israel in 1998 and has served as CCM’s string quartet-in-residence since 2012.
REPERTOIRE
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2
G. KURTÁG: 12 Microludes for String Quartet, Op. 13
R. SCHUMANN: String Quartet No. 3 in A Major, Op. 41, No. 3
PERFORMANCE TIME
8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26
LOCATION
Robert J. Werner Recital Hall, CCM Village,
University of Cincinnati
PURCHASING TICKETS
Tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with valid ID. Single tickets and subscription packages are on sale now.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-Box Office!
Visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice for CCM Box Office hours and location.
PARKING AND DIRECTIONS
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.
For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.
For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
The Ariel Quartet’s 2017-18 CCM concert series is made possible by the generous contributions of an anonymous donor, the Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander, Mrs. William A. Friedlander, Dr. & Mrs. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. & Mrs. Frank Bloom, Mrs. Harry M. Hoffheimer, Mr. & Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. & Mrs. Paul G. Sittenfeld, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman and Dr. & Mrs. Theodore W. Striker.
Ariel Quartet members Gershon Gerchikov, Amit Even-Tov, Jan Grüning and Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky. Photography by Robert A. Flischel.
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) proudly presents the award-winning Ariel String Quartet in a four-part concert series, which commences on Tuesday, Sept. 26, and continues on Nov. 14, March 20 and April 26. Dubbed “rock stars of the classical scene,” by the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Ariel Quartet’s energetic performances and soulful interpretations have impressed concert goers throughout the world.
The Ariel Quartet is comprised of Alexandra “Sasha”Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola. The group was formed in Israel in 1998 and has served as CCM’s string quartet-in-residence since 2012.
The Ariel Quartet opens its 2017-18 concert series with a program dedicated to the memory of CCM Professor Emeritus Walter Levin at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, in the Robert J. Werner Recital Hall. A founding member and first violinist of the legendary LaSalle Quartet, Levin passed away in Chicago on Aug. 4, 2017, at the age of 92. During his 33-year tenure at CCM, Levin and his colleagues in the LaSalle Quartet greatly enhanced CCM’s international reputation while inspiring generations of future artists and scholars.
The members of the Ariel Quartet count themselves among the innumerable musicians influenced by Levin’s expertise. Prior to their residency at CCM, the members of the Ariel Quartet spent a formative year in Basel, Switzerland, studying with Levin. When the Ariel Quartet was named string quartet-in-residence at CCM in 2012, the appointment was seen as a natural extension of the LaSalle Quartet’s musical legacy. In the Chicago Sun-Times’ featured obituary, Gerchikov describes Levin as “incredibly influential, inspiring and demanding.” When Levin dispensed with a compliment, Gerchikov recalls, “You were in heaven.”
This season’s highlights also include collaborations with Donald Weilerstein, Vivian Hornik Weilerstein andCCM emeritus faculty member Allen Otte. The season also features the regional premiere of a new piece by John Harbison, co-commissioned by the Ariel Quartet with the generous support of Ann and Harry Santen. Complete performance repertoire is listed below. You can learn more about the Ariel Quartet by visiting www.arielquartet.com.
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CCM’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCE SEASON String Quartet-in-Residence Concert Series
8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26 BEETHOVEN, KURTÁG AND SCHUMANN The Ariel Quartet
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2
G. KURTÁG: 12 Microludes for String Quartet, Op. 13
R. SCHUMANN: String Quartet No. 3 in A Major, Op. 41, No. 3
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
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8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 JANÁCEK, MOZART AND SHOSTAKOVICH The Ariel Quartet Featuring guest artists Donald Weilerstein, viola, and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, piano
JANÁCEK: String Quartet No. 1 (Kreutzer Sonata)
MOZART: String Quintet No. 4 in G Minor, K. 516
SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
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8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30
8 p.m. Thursday, April 26 (date change) HAYDN, BARTÓK AND CAGE The Ariel Quartet Featuring CCM emeritus faculty member Allen Otte, percussion
HAYDN: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 71, No. 2
BARTÓK: String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85
CAGE: Five (1988)
BRAHMS: String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 51, No. 1
Location: Corbett Auditorium
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8 p.m. Tuesday, March 20 MOZART, HARBISON AND BEETHOVEN The Ariel Quartet Featuring John Harbison’s String Quartet No. 6, co-commissioned by the Ariel Quartet with the generous support of Ann and Harry Santen
MOZART: String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, K. 589
J. HARBISON: String Quartet No. 6 (regional premiere)
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131
Location: Corbett Auditorium
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Purchasing Subscriptions and Single Tickets Subscription packages are now available for the Ariel Quartet’s full 2017-18 concert series. Concert goers can subscribe to the entire series for $75 and save 25% off single ticket prices.
Single tickets go on sale on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with valid ID.
Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office or over the telephone at 513-556-4183. Visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice for CCM Box Office hours and location.
Parking and Directions Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.
For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.
CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
The Ariel Quartet’s 2017-18 CCM concert series is made possible by the generous contributions of an anonymous donor, The Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander, Mrs. William A. Friedlander, Dr. and Mrs. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bloom, Mr. and Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman and Mr. and Mrs. Theodore W. Striker.
CCM professor emeritus Walter Levin. Photo by Sandy Underwood.
It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of emeritus faculty member Walter Levin, founding member and first violinist of the LaSalle Quartet and a CCM faculty member from 1953 until 1986. Levin passed away in Chicago on Aug. 4, 2017, at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Evi, and two sons, David and Tom.
Born in Berlin on December 6, 1924, Levin and his family emigrated to Tel Aviv in 1938. Levin was accepted to Juilliard in 1946, where he studied with Ivan Galamian and Hans Letz. The LaSalle Quartet was formed during this period, taking its name from the nearby LaSalle Street where the Quartet members rehearsed. Upon graduation, the Quartet comprised of Levin, Henry Meyer, Peter Kamnitzer and Jack Kirstein became quartet-in-residence at Colorado College.
In 1953, the LaSalle Quartet came to what was then known as the College of Music in Cincinnati (the College of Music would merge with the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 1955 before again merging with UC to become the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 1962). The Quartet served as CCM’s string quartet-in-residence for over 30 years, while also touring the world.
The LaSalle Quartet in the late 1970s: Peter Kamnitzer, Lee Fiser, Walter Levin and Henry Meyer.
After making its European debut in 1954, the LaSalle Quartet won international recognition for its masterful interpretations of the major works in the chamber music repertory. The Quartet’s programs offered a remarkable spectrum of music from all periods, including premieres of major works by 20th century composers.
The Quartet became particularly well regarded as the leading interpreters of “The Second Viennese School,” performing complete cycles of the quartets of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern throughout the United States and Europe. The LaSalle Quartet’s Deutsche Grammophon recording of these complete cycles created a sensation in the music world, winning the Grand Prix du Disque in 1972. TIME Magazine called the album “a landmark in recorded music.” In 1978, the LaSalle again won the Grand Prix du Disque, this time for its recording of the Five Late Quartets by Beethoven. The following year, the Quartet won the Edison Prize for the first recording of Alexander Zemlinsky’s Second String Quartet.
During his 33-year tenure at CCM, Levin greatly enhanced CCM’s reputation on the international stage. He also served on the faculty at Basel’s Musik-Akademie der Stadt and the Musikhochschule Lübeck. His students included the conductor James Levine, violinist Christian Tetzlaff, pianist Stefan Litwin, and members of the Alban Berg Quartet, the Arditti Quartet and the Ariel Quartet.
CCM Professor Emeritus Lee Fiser, the LaSalle Quartet’s cellist from 1975 to 1987, writes: “Walter was the last of my three colleagues who brought me to LaSalle and CCM. His passing is a great loss to the String Quartet world.”
An upcoming performance by CCM’s current string quartet-in-residence, the Ariel Quartet, will be presented in honor of Walter Levin. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this time.
As the academic year comes to a close, we celebrate the careers of nine retiring faculty and staff members who have given nearly 250 years of combined service to UC’s College-Conservatory of Music. These members of the CCM family have dedicated themselves to continuing the college’s legacy as a leading training center for the performing and media arts.
Yvonne Becknell, Performance Management Program Manager, 1969-2016
Lee Fiser, Professor of Violincello and former member of the LaSalle Quartet, 1975-2017
Allen Otte, Professor of Percussion and member of Percussion Group Cincinnati, 1977-2017
This year marks my 48th year of continuous work — 21 years as a singer/actress, and another 20 years as a college professor and theatre producer. In 2009 my husband and I retired to Cincinnati, where I received an unexpected invitation to return to CCM — my alma mater — to teach musical theatre voice as an adjunct professor. These past seven years have been a total joy. I call it simply “the gift I gave myself.” As an older professional, it means so much to continue to contribute and feel appreciated. I’ve been truly honored to work with wonderful colleagues, and to have been given the opportunity to teach and mentor my talented and remarkable students. A number of my students surprised me in New York with a champagne brunch on April 2 to celebrate my retirement. I have no words to express what that meant to me, and the joy I feel, seeing them claim their places on Broadway and other stages, following their dreams. I would like to thank UC for recognizing and honoring the work of adjunct faculty. It is rare for a university to recognize adjunct contributions, and I salute UC for doing so. I’ll be forever grateful that I have been able to come full circle, and share the training I received at CCM with another generation of students. CCM is about to celebrate its 150th anniversary. I look forward to continuing to serve on the CCMPower board, raising money for scholarships, and helping to ensure that CCM will be here for another 150 years, training and graduating outstanding music professionals. – Kimberly Daniel de Acha
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Some of my favorite times at CCM revolve around hearing and interacting with such a wonderful faculty, be it at their concerts, at committee meetings, or in day by day interaction. I feel honored to have worked with such stellar teachers and artists! – Mary Stucky
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When I started fall 1975, DVAC was the Schmidlapp Gymnasium, Memorial was a women’s dorm, the main way to the garage was from Calhoun down to CCM garage — the connector tunnel didn’t exist. Werner Hall and Starbucks weren’t here and CCM had about half of the students it does now. It was an exciting time for me, as I was starting in LaSalle Quartet. We did four concerts a year in Corbett and two to four international tours a year. I worked with so many wonderful colleagues over all these years, some are sadly no longer with us. Almost my whole professional life has been at CCM, more than four decades worth of experiences. – Lee Fiser
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In 1999, I received a call asking me to teach at CCM. Who would have thought that almost two decades later my passion for teaching has only increased because of the talented students and faculty that I have had the pleasure of working with! Thank you all so much! – Patti James
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There’s something a touch poetic for me about retiring along with Lee Fiser — the final retirement from the LaSalle String Quartet. I came to the CCM faculty as a quite young person. It was the Quartet who were instrumental in getting Percussion Group Cincinnati the appointment to CCM. Some of my strongest memories of that first decade here are the Quartet’s concerts on Corbett stage, and I endeavored to live up to the beautiful standards that they had set. I wanted a percussion group in the late 20th century to be able to function just as the greatest string quartets always had, and I am grateful to CCM for giving me and my colleagues that opportunity and support. – Allen Otte
CCM’s internationally-acclaimed string quartet-in-residence the Ariel Quartetconcludes its 2015–16 concert series at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, in Corbett Auditorium.
Order tickets online here.
The program will include Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 77, No. 2; Béla Bartók’s String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7; and Johannes Brahms’ String Quartet Op. 51, No. 2. Tickets for this performance are on sale now.
The Ariel Quartet is comprised of Alexandra Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola. The Quartet was formed in Israel 17 years ago when its members were young students, and they have been playing together ever since. Recently awarded the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award, the Quartet serves as the string quartet-in-residence at CCM where they direct the chamber music program and perform their own annual series of concerts.
The Ariel Quartet’s March 1 performance is dedicated to the loving memory of CCM emeritus faculty member Peter Kamnitzer, who served as violist for the legendary LaSalle Quartet from 1949 until the ensemble’s retirement in 1988. Kamnitzer passed away in Israel on Feb. 23, 2016, at the age of 93. As a member of the LaSalle Quartet, Kamnitzer helped to cement CCM’s reputation on the international stage. This performance is presented in his honor. You can learn more about Kamnitzer here.
Performance Time
8 p.m. Tuesday, March 1
Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village,
University of Cincinnati
Purchasing Tickets Tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with valid ID.
Parking and Directions Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.
For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.
CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Community Partner: ArtsWave
The Ariel Quartet’s 2015-16 CCM concert series is made possible by the generous contributions of Anonymous, The Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander, Mrs. William A. Friedlander, Dr. & Mrs. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. & Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. & Mrs. Paul G. Sittenfeld, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman and Mr. & Mrs. Frank Bloom.
It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of emeritus faculty member Peter Kamnitzer, who served as violist for the legendary LaSalle Quartet from 1949 until the ensemble’s retirement in 1988. Kamnitzer passed away in Israel on Feb. 23, 2016, at the age of 93. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Neora “Sophy” Kamnitzer.
CCM professor emeritus Peter Kamnitzer. Photo by Sandy Underwood.
Born in Berlin on November 27, 1922, Kamnitzer began studying the violin at the age of six. As a teenager, he performed in the orchestra of the Jewish Cultural Society in the Free City of Danzig.
Kamnitzer moved to the US in 1941 and began studying the viola at the Manhattan School of Music. He joined the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra in 1944 and became principal viola and a member of the Symphony String Quartet in 1945.
In 1947, Kamnitzer entered the Juilliard School to study the viola with Milton Katims. It was here that he joined the newly formed LaSalle String Quartet.
The LaSalle Quartet held a residency at Colorado College in Colorado Springs from 1949-53, making the ensemble one of the first quartets-in-residence in the United States.
In 1953, the LaSalle Quartet came to what was then known as the College of Music in Cincinnati (the College of Music would merge with the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 1955 before again merging with UC to become the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 1962). The Quartet served as CCM’s string quartet-in-residence for the next 35 years, while also touring the world.
After making its European debut in 1954, the LaSalle Quartet won international recognition for its masterful interpretations of the major works in the chamber music repertory. The Quartet’s programs offered a remarkable spectrum of music from all periods, including premieres of major works by 20th century composers.
The Quartet became particularly well regarded as the leading interpreters of “The Second Viennese School,” performing complete cycles of the quartets of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern throughout the United States and Europe. The LaSalle Quartet’s Deutsche Grammophon recording of these complete cycles created a sensation in the music world, winning the Grand Prix du Disque in 1972. TIME Magazine called the album “a landmark in recorded music.” In 1978, the LaSalle again won the Grand Prix du Disque, this time for its recording of the Five Late Quartets by Beethoven. The following year, the Quartet won the Edison Prize for the first recording of Alexander Zemlinsky’s Second String Quartet.
As a member of the LaSalle Quartet, Kamnitzer helped to cement CCM’s reputation on the international stage. He retired in 1988 and spent the following years coaching chamber music in Austria and Israel, while also serving as judge for prestigious competitions like the Borciani Quartet Competition in Italy and others throughout the world.
The March 1 performance of CCM’s current string quartet-in-residence, the Ariel Quartet, will be presented in honor of Peter Kamnitzer. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this time.
Peter Landgren, dean and Thomas James Kelly professor of music at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), has announced that the internationally acclaimed Ariel Quartet will continue to serve as the college’s string quartet-in-residence for the next seven years. An ensemble-in-residence since 2012, this extension will keep the Quartet at CCM through the 2021-22 academic year and concert season.
“I am thrilled that the Ariel Quartet will call CCM its permanent home for the foreseeable future,” said Landgren. “Their residency has already had a notable impact on both our college and the city of Cincinnati. In their first three and a half years, the members of the Ariel Quartet have provided unparalleled coaching and mentorship to our students, presented our community with its first complete cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets, performed as part of Bryce Dessner’s MusicNOW Festival, collaborated with distinguished CCM guest artists like Menahem Pressler and David Geringas, and served as ambassadors for the Queen City as part of the CINCYinNYC initiative.”
The Ariel Quartet is comprised of AlexandraKazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola. The group was formed in Israel in 1998, and they have been playing together ever since. 2014 recipients of the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award, the Quartet directs CCM’s chamber music program as part of this residency, in addition to their annual series of concerts at the college.
“The past three and a half years exceeded our initial expectations of this residency in every respect,” the members of the Ariel Quartet explained. “The eagerness of CCM’s students paired with the incredible support of our esteemed faculty colleagues has enabled us to help cultivate the active and enthusiastic chamber music community of our dreams. We are thrilled to be able to make Cincinnati our permanent home and are excited at the prospect of continuing to be a part of this community’s musical life.”
The Ariel Quartet will continue to perform four concerts per year in CCM’s Corbett Auditorium for the duration of this new seven-year agreement. The Quartet will continue to coach 20 – 25 student string quartets in the fine art of chamber music performance, as well. The members of the Ariel Quartet will also expand their pedagogic roles at CCM by adding one-on-one teaching to their responsibilities.
CCM’s new agreement with the Quartet also provides a fund to attract guest artists who will perform with the Ariels and provide masterclasses for students, along with funding to support an annual student string quartet competition.
The Ariel Quartet will also be able to maintain its impressive international performance schedule thanks to support from the University of Cincinnati, which was key in assisting the members of the Quartet in obtaining their H-1B visas.
According to Paul Katz, the scope of the Ariel Quartet’s new arrangement with CCM is quite noteworthy. Founding cellist of the world-renowned Cleveland Quartet and a master teacher at the New England Conservatory, Katz said, “The long-term nature of this agreement brings both deserved economic security to this amazing young string ensemble, and gives CCM and the Ariel Quartet time together to build a first class string chamber music program for the school.”
Prior to its residency at CCM, the Ariel Quartet was the resident ensemble of the New England Conservatory’s Professional String Quartet Training Program, which is led by Katz. “I am delighted that my 26 years in the Cleveland Quartet and our groundbreaking residency arrangement at the Eastman School of Music was able to serve as a successful model for CCM’s relationship with the Ariel Quartet,” he observed.
Katz concluded, “In 45 years of mentoring extraordinary young groups, seldom have I seen an arrangement of comparable perception, detail and mutual benefit.”
“This has all been made possible by a group of individuals who understand how their investment in this young quartet revives a proud tradition initiated by the LaSalle Quartet,” Landgren explained, referring to CCM’s storied string quartet-in-residence from 1953-88. “Cincinnati and CCM will continue to benefit from the remarkable talents and engaging personality of the Ariel Quartet, whose members are writing an exciting new chapter in our community’s strong history of chamber music.”
Learn more about the Ariel Quartet’s upcoming CCM Concert Series by visiting ccm.uc.edu/ariel.
A New Era Dawns: The Ariel Quartet’s 2015-16 Concert Series
For its next season in residence at CCM, the Ariel Quartet will present concerts at 8 p.m. on Sept. 1, Nov. 10, Jan. 26 and March 1. These Tuesday night concerts will be held in CCM’s acoustically stunning Corbett Auditorium and will feature works by Tchaikovsky, Bartók, Brahms, Haydn and others.
Series highlights will also include a performance of Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite and a collaboration with CCM artist-in-residence Awadagin Pratt on Dvorák’s Piano Quintet No. 2, Op. 81. Complete concert series repertoire is available online at ccm.uc.edu/ariel.
Audiences can experience the Ariel Quartet’s next concert series in its entirety for just $75 per subscription, a savings of 25% off single ticket prices. Subscription packages can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office or over the telephone at 513-556-4183.
Single tickets become available on Monday, August 24, and are $25 for general audiences and $15 for non-UC students. Single tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice.
About the Ariel Quartet
Characterized by its youth, brilliant playing, and soulful interpretations, the Ariel Quartet has quickly earned a glowing international reputation.
The Quartet was formed in Israel 17 years ago when its members were young students, and they have been playing together ever since. Recently awarded the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award, the Quartet serves as the faculty quartet-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where its members direct the chamber music program and perform their own annual series of concerts – a remarkable achievement for an ensemble so young.
Highlights of the 2014-15 season include a groundbreaking Beethoven cycle performed at New York’s SubCulture that featured a midnight performance of the Grosse Fuge; a performance featuring music by three generations of Israeli composers at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; performances resulting from the Cleveland Quartet Award in Kansas City, Austin and Buffalo; and a tour of South America.
The Ariel Quartet performs widely in North America, Europe and Israel, including two recent record-setting Beethoven cycles, performed before all the members of the quartet turned 30. The Ariel continues to astonish with its performances of complete works by memory and has remained committed to performing extensively in Israel. In addition, the Ariel has collaborated with the pianist Orion Weiss; violist Roger Tapping; cellist Paul Katz; and the American and Jerusalem String Quartets. The Quartet toured with the cellist Alisa Weilerstein during the 2013-14 season, and performs regularly with the legendary pianist Menahem Pressler. Additionally, the Ariel was quartet-in-residence for the Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival, the Yellow Barn Music Festival and for the Perlman Music Program.
Formerly the resident ensemble in the New England Conservatory’s Professional String Quartet Training Program, the Ariel has won a number of international prizes including the Grand Prize at the 2006 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and First Prize at the international competition “Franz Schubert And The Music Of Modernity” in Graz, Austria, in 2003, when the Quartet’s members were remarkably young. After they won the Székely Prize for their performance of Bartók, as well as the overall Third Prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2007, the American Record Guide described the Ariel Quartet as “a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power” and called their performance of Beethoven’s Op. 132 “the pinnacle of the competition.”
The Ariel Quartet has been mentored extensively by Itzhak Perlman, Paul Katz, Donald Weilerstein, Miriam Fried, Kim Kashkashian and Martha Strongin Katz, among others. The Quartet has received extensive scholarship support throughout its studies in the United States from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, Dov and Rachel Gottesman, the Legacy Heritage Fund, as well as The A. N. and Pearl G. Barnett Family Foundation.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Community Partner: ArtsWave
The Ariel Quartet’s 2015-16 CCM concert series is made possible by the generous contributions of The Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander, Mrs. William A. Friedlander, Dr. & Mrs. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. & Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman.
A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is the largest single source of performing arts presentations in the state of Ohio.
All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.
CCM concludes its 2014–15 Mainstage Series with a true powerhouse: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Così fan tutte. The celebrated opera buffa returns to the Patricia Corbett Theater stage at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 9, and plays through Sunday, April 12. Director of Orchestral Studies Mark Gibson conducts and J. Ralph Corbett Distinguished Chair in Opera Robin Guarino directs. Assistant Conductor Yael Front conducts the matinee performance on Sunday, April 12. This production will be sung in Italian with English supertitles.
Guarino is certainly no stranger to Così, as she has successfully directed the opera multiple times for the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera (the Met) in New York City. Notably, her September 2013 engagement with Così also marked the return of beloved conductor James Levine to the Met’s podium for the first time since May 2011. A Cincinnati native, Levine is a former pupil of LaSalle Quartet violinist and CCM Professor Emeritus Walter Levin.
In his review for the New York Times, Anthony Tommasini hailed the Met’s production of Così as the most “vibrant, masterly and natural performance” of the work he had ever heard. Tommasini especially lauded Guarino’s direction, calling it “effortlessly in sync” with Levine’s conducting.
Mozart’s opera, with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, follows the well-worn tread of light Classical Era opera. Officers Ferrando and Guglielmo are certain that their fiancées Dorabella and Fiordiligi (respectively) will always be true to them… a belief not shared by Don Alfonso, who, in his certainty that women can never be faithful and trustworthy, makes a wager with the two that he can prove within one day that their fiancées are fickle. To this end, he concocts a scheme with the soldiers: they will pretend to be called off to war, return disguised as “Albanians” and they will each attempt to woo the other’s fiancée.
Confusion, cross-dressing and romantic banter abound as the scheme unfolds, testing Dorabella and Fiordiligi’s resolve as well as Ferrando and Guglielmo’s skills in deception.
With enjoyable music and a lighthearted plot transported to mid-20th century America, Così fan tutte is the perfect way to welcome spring and say a fond farewell to CCM’s Mainstage Season!
The Company
Ann Toomey as Fiordiligi*
Jessica Faselt as Fiordiligi^
Adria Caffaro as Dorabella*
Eleni Antonia Franck as Dorabella^
Joseph Lattanzi as Guglielmo*
Simon Barrad as Guglielmo^
Alec Carlson as Ferrando*
Chris Bozeka as Ferrando^
Grace Kahl as Despina*
Jasmine Habersham as Despina^
Derrell Acon as Don Alfonso*
Tyler Alessi as Don Alfonso^
* – Performs Thursday, April 9 and Saturday, April 11
^ – Performs Friday, April 10 and Sunday, April 12
The Creative Team
Mark Gibson, conductor
Robin Guarino, stage director
Lydia Brown, musical preparation
Ryan Howell, scenic designer
Caroline Spitzer, costume designer
Wes Calkin, lighting designer
Una Lin, wig & make-up designer
Kevin Semancik, sound designer
Sarah Stewart, stage manager
Maria Fuller, Levi Hammer and Kihwa Kim, rehearsal pianists
Performance Times
8 p.m. Thursday, April 9
8 p.m. Friday, April 10
8 p.m. Saturday, April 11
2 p.m. Sunday, April 12
Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati
Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to CCM’s Mainstage production of Così fan tutte are $31-35 adults, $20-24 non-UC students and $18-22 UC students with valid ID.
Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.
For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.
For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor & Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
CCM’s internationally-acclaimed string quartet-in-residence the Ariel Quartetconcludes its 2014–15 concert series at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, in Corbett Auditorium.
The program will include Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4, Béla Bartók’s String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102 and Johannes Brahms’ String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat Major. Tickets for this performance are on sale now.
From left to right: Amit Even-Tov, Jan Grüning, Alexandra Kazovsky and Gershon Gerchikov are the Ariel Quartet. Photography by Saverio Truglia.
Last season, the Quartet performed its first complete Beethoven Cycle in Corbett Auditorium, a feat that the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Janelle Gelfand characterized as “a challenge like climbing Mount Everest, and you could only marvel at their musicianship each step of the way.” You can watch excerpts from last season’s concert series by visiting www.arielquartet.com/video.
“The Cycle” proved so popular that the Ariel Quartet was invited to perform another complete cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets for New York City audiences at the SubCulture music venue on Bleeker Street.
The Ariel Quartet is comprised of Alexandra Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola. The Quartet was formed in Israel 16 years ago when its members were young students, and they have been playing together ever since. Recently awarded the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award, the Quartet serves as the string quartet-in-residence at CCM where they direct the chamber music program and perform their own annual series of concerts.
This concert will be dedicated to the loving memory of businessman and philanthropist William A. Friedlander. The Friedlanders’ generosity has helped to make the Ariel Quartet’s residency at CCM possible.
Below, watch the Ariel Quartet perform Haydn’s Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 33, No. 2, “Joke,” at the 2012 Vermont Summer Music Festival:
Performance Time
8 p.m. Tuesday, March 31
Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati
Purchasing Tickets
Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with valid ID.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-Box Office!
Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.
For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.
For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Community Partner: ArtsWave
The Ariel Quartet’s 2014–15 CCM concert series is made possible by the generous contributions of The Corbett Foundation, Dr. & Mrs. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. & Mrs. William A. Friedlander, Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman and Dianne & J. David Rosenberg.
The Ariel Quartet‘s complete tour of Beethoven’s string quartets commenced last evening and the opening performance of “The Cycle“ was met with rave reviews!
In her write-up for Music in Cincinnati, Mary Ellyn Hutton writes, “Evident at once in any performance by the Ariel Quartet are the differing personalities of its members. Kazovsky is sweeping and demonstrative. Gershon is pointed and elegant. Violist Grüning radiates confidence and control, while cellist Even-Tov is animated, with facial expressions to match. And how beautifully they come together to make music.” Read the full review here.
In her review for the Cincinnati Enquirer, Janelle Gelfand writes, “One could marvel at their pinpoint attack and cutoffs, performed for maximum dramatic effect, sometimes with flinging bows. The slow movement was phrased with profound beauty, and the players breathed together as one.” Read the full review here.
CCM VILLAGE NEWS ARCHIVES 