The Ariel Quartet Welcomes Guest Artist Yura Lee for March 26 Concert at CCM

The Ariel Quartet concludes its 2018-19 concert series at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) by showcasing the works of three masters of chamber music at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, in the acoustically stunning Corbett Auditorium. Tickets to the performance are on sale now and available for purchase online.

The concert opens with Ludwig van Beethoven’s joyous String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18, which was modeled after Mozart’s String Quartet No. 18 in A Major, K. 464.

Next on the program is Robert Schumann’s intensely expressive String Quartet No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 41, No. 1.

Guest artist Yura Lee. Photo by Giorgia Bertazzi.

Finally, the Ariel Quartet will be joined by guest artist Yura Lee, viola, for a performance of Johannes Brahms’ magisterial String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111.

A performer of international renown, Lee has won top prizes for both violin and viola in numerous competitions. At the age of 12, she became the youngest artist ever to receive the Debut Artist of the Year prize at the “Performance Today” awards given by National Public Radio. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant given by Lincoln Center in New York City. Her CD with Reinhard Goebel and the Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie, titled Mozart in Paris (Oehms Classics), received the prestigious Diapason d’Or Award in France. Learn more about Lee at www.yuralee.com.

Described by the American Record Guide as “a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power,” the Ariel Quartet has earned a glowing international reputation. The ensemble 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. Learn more about the Quartet by visiting www.arielquartet.com. Complete program information for the March 26 concert is below.

Repertoire

• BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18
• SCHUMANN: String Quartet No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 41, No. 1
• INTERMISSION
• BRAHMS: String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111

Performance Time

8 p.m. Tuesday, March 26

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. General admission and non-UC student tickets are on sale now. UC students can obtain one free ticket each with valid ID beginning Friday, March. 22.

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 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 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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The Ariel Quartet’s 2018-19 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. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bloom, Mr. and Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. and Mrs. Paul G. Sittenfeld, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman, Dr. and Mrs. Theodore W. Striker and Mrs. Harry M. Hoffheimer.

Featured image at top: Photo/Saverio Truglia
Inset image: Photo/Giorgia Bertazzi

The Ariel Quartet’s Concert Series Continues at CCM on Jan. 29

The Ariel Quartet resumes its 2018-19 concert series at CCM at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29, in the acoustically stunning Corbett Auditorium. Tickets to the performance are on sale now. Click here to purchase tickets online.

The concert opens with Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 16, Op. 135. Beethoven’s last major work, the quartet premiered in March 1828, one year after the composer’s death.

Next on the program is Alexander Zemlinsky’s turbulent String Quartet No. 2, Op. 15, which was first performed in 1918.

The concert closes with Johannes Brahms’ lighthearted and cheerful String Quartet No. 3, Op. 67. Brahms’ last string quartet, the work received its premiere performance on Oct. 30, 1876.

Described by the American Record Guide as “a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power,” the Ariel Quartet has earned a glowing international reputation. The ensemble 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. Learn more about the Quartet by visiting www.arielquartet.com. Complete program information for the Jan. 29 concert is below.

Repertoire

• BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135
• ZEMLINSKY: String Quartet No. 2 in D Major, Op. 15
• BRAHMS: String Quartet No. 3 in B flat Major, Op. 67

Performance Time

8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29

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. General admission and non-UC student tickets are on sale now. UC students can obtain one free ticket each with valid ID beginning Friday, Jan. 25.

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 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 U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.

____________________

The Ariel Quartet’s 2018-19 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. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bloom, Mr. and Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. and Mrs. Paul G. Sittenfeld, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman, Dr. and Mrs. Theodore W. Striker and Mrs. Harry M. Hoffheimer.

Ariel Quartet photography by Saverio Truglia.

The Ariel Quartet Opens 2016-17 CCM Concert Series with Faculty Artist Soyeon Kate Lee

Soyeon Kate Lee

The internationally acclaimed Ariel Quartet will open its four-part concert series at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music at 8 p.m. on Sept. 6 in Corbett Auditorium. The concert features works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Jörg Widmann, along with a performance of Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat Major featuring renowned pianist and CCM faculty member Soyeon Kate Lee.

Named CCM’s string quartet-in-residence in 2012, the Ariel Quartet has been praised by the New York Times for its “gift for filling the pristine structures of Classicism with fire.” The talented string musicians will hold four concerts at CCM during the 2016-17 season: Sept. 6, Oct. 25, Jan. 24 and March 10.

First prize winner of the Naumburg International Piano Competition and the Concert Artist Guild International Competition, Soyeon Kate Lee has been lauded by the New York Times as a pianist with “a huge, richly varied sound, a lively imagination and a firm sense of style.” She will join the Ariel Quartet for the season opening performance on Sept. 6. See full concert program details below.

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 18 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.

REPERTOIRE
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1
JÖRG WIDMANN: String Quartet No. 3 (“Hunting”)
SCHUMANN: Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44
Featuring Soyeon Kate Lee, piano

PERFORMANCE TIME
8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6

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.

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 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 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

The Ariel Quartet’s 2016-17 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. Frank Bloom, Mr. & Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. & Mrs. Paul G. Sittenfeld, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman, Mr. & Mrs. Theodore W. Striker and The Thomas J. Emery Memorial.

The Ariel Quartet’s Beethoven Cycle Concludes with Performances on March 25, 27 and 29

Join us next week for the stunning conclusion to the Ariel Quartet’s Beethoven Cycle! The Ariel Quartet will finish its first complete tour of Beethoven’s string quartets with a trio of performances on March 25, 27 and 29.

To celebrate the occasion, we are delighted to present an excerpt of Beethoven’s String Quartet in F Minor Op. 95, “Serioso,” recorded live in CCM’s Corbett Auditorium in January of 2014. Watch the video embed below or view it on YouTube here!

Please see the schedule below for complete details.

CCM Announces Revised Performance Schedule for the Ariel Quartet’s Beethoven Cycle

CCM is pleased to announce a revised performance schedule for the remaining installments of the Ariel Quartet’s Beethoven Cycle. A make-up date of Tuesday, March 25, has been added to this concert series, necessitated by the weather-related cancellation of the Quartet’s Jan. 25 performance.

The original order of the repertoire will be followed for the remainder of the Beethoven Cycle, so the program originally announced for Jan. 25 will now be performed on Thursday, Feb. 20. Please see the revised schedule below for complete details.

Concert ticket holders affected by the University of Cincinnati’s closure on Jan. 25 can contact CCM Box Office Manager Jeanne Rose at 513-556-9443 or rosej2@ucmail.uc.edu for additional assistance.

The Ariel Quartet’s Beethoven Cycle Opens to Rave Reviews

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.

iSPYCiNCY.com also provides a video teaser for “The Cycle” in its recap of CCM’s Moveable Feast. Watch the video here.

Earlier this week, CityBeat published an in-depth feature on the Ariel Quartet’s Beethoven Cycle. Read the full article here.

“The Cycle” continues at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 Thursday, Feb. 20. Learn more about the performance here.

CCM Video: The Ariel Quartet Presents ‘The Cycle’

In honor of tonight’s opening installment of the Ariel Quartet’s Beethoven Cycle, we proudly present an excerpt from the Quartet’s very first concert while in residence at CCM! Enjoy an excerpt from Beethoven’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135, recorded live in CCM’s Robert J. Werner Recital Hall on Sept. 11, 2012.

Also, be sure to pick up this week’s issue of CityBeat for an in-depth preview of “The Cycle,” courtesy of Anne Arenstein. The Jan. 22 issue of CityBeat is on newsstands now and is also available online here.

For more information about “The Cycle,” please visit http://ccm.uc.edu.

The Ariel Quartet’s Beethoven Cycle Commences With Series-Opening Concerts on Jan. 23 and 25!

From left to right: Amit Even-Tov, Jan Grüning, Alexandra Kazovsky and Gershon Gerchikov are the Ariel Quartet. Photography by Saverio Truglia.

CCM proudly presents the opening concerts of the Ariel Quartet’s first complete Beethoven Cycle on Thursday, Jan. 23, and Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014 Thursday, Feb. 20. Both performances begin at 8 p.m. in CCM’s Corbett Auditorium.

Through the course of this six-part concert series – otherwise known as “The Cycle” – CCM’s acclaimed string quartet-in-residence will perform all 17 of Ludwig van Beethoven’s string quartets. Taken as a whole, these works are widely regarded as the greatest achievement in the history of western chamber music.

The program for the Ariel Quartet’s series-opening concert on Thursday, Jan. 23, includes Beethoven’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1; String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95 (“Serioso”); and String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 127.

The Saturday, Jan. 25, Thursday, Feb. 20 program includes Beethoven’s String Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2; String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3 (“Razumovsky”); and String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135.

The quartet debated about how to present “The Cycle,” whether to play it in chronological order or to break it apart and program works from different periods into each concert, members explain.

Beethoven’s life and works are frequently divided into three general periods: a formative period lasting until around 1802, a middle period lasting until around 1812 and a transcendent third or late period lasting until 1827. For their first complete cycle, the members of the Ariel Quartet decided to present one composition from each period during each concert. Every concert in “The Cycle” will open with one of Beethoven’s Opus 18 quartets, the first set of string quartets he composed during his early period.

The members of the Quartet explain, “Most concerts will present three works in chronological order, offering audiences a rare opportunity to listen to all three periods back to back. We feel this will allow each concert to showcase the development of Beethoven as a composer, enabling our audience to experience this music to its fullest.”

“It’s not often that we have the opportunity to experience the complete oeuvre of a creative individual’s output,” observes Peter Landgren, dean and Thomas James Kelly Professor of Music at CCM, who worked closely with the Ariel Quartet to plan this concert series. “‘The Cycle’ provides just such an opportunity.”

“The Cycle” will be held in UC’s acoustically stunning Corbett Auditorium with performances scheduled for 8 p.m. on Jan. 23 and 25, Feb. 20 and 22, as well as March 25, 27 and 29, 2014.

The Ariel Quartet Presents a Complete Tour of Beethoven’s String Quartets in Early 2014

From left to right: Alexandra Kazovsky, Jan Grüning, Amit Even-Tov and Gershon Gerchikov are the Ariel Quartet. Photography by Saverio Truglia.

The Ariel Quartet proudly presents its first Beethoven Cycle during a series of six concerts in January, February and March of 2014. The acclaimed string quartet-in-residence at CCM will present a complete tour of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s 17 string quartets (including the “Große Fuge” or “Grand Fugue”) in a performance series dubbed “The Cycle.”

With this series, the Ariel Quartet (Alexandra Kazovsky and Gershon Gerchikov, violinists; Jan Grüning, violist; and Amit Even-Tov, cellist) is poised to become one of the first professional Quartets to publicly perform the complete Beethoven cycle before its members reach the age of 30.

These six concerts will also mark the first time a complete cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets has been performed at CCM. The series is believed to be Cincinnati’s first complete Beethoven Cycle, as well.

“The members of the Ariel Quartet and I began speaking of their interest in performing the Beethoven Quartet Cycle almost as soon as they began their CCM residency,” explains Peter Landgren, Dean and Thomas James Kelly Professor of Music at CCM. “I view the performance of all of the Beethoven String Quartets as the scaling of Mount Everest for not just the performers, but also the listeners.”

Beethoven’s 17 string quartets are considered by many to be the greatest achievement in the history of western chamber music. The members of the Ariel Quartet have had a longstanding fascination with these pieces, exploring Beethoven’s quartets one by one as a young ensemble.

“The quartets exhibit the gradual transformation of Beethoven’s musical language and were of tremendous influence on the development of music history,” the members of the Quartet explain. “Beethoven’s tragedies and struggles in life come through this music. The complete cycle of his string quartets translates into a journey leading to the most intimate and spiritual heights of the human soul.”

While many Quartets perform the cycle over a year’s time or longer, Dean Landgren challenged the Ariel Quartet to consider a “festival-style” approach to its upcoming cycle, keeping the performances in close proximity. The result is a concert series running on three pairs of consecutive Thursdays and Saturdays at the end of January, February and March. See complete schedule below.

“Hearing these masterpieces performed by the Ariel Quartet – not one member of which will be 30 years old at the time of these performances – will be life-changing for our audiences,” says Dean Landgren. “We have plans to record these live performances for posterity.”

For their part, the members of the Ariel Quartet are equally enthused about this concert series. “After exploring these works for so many years, we feel very lucky to have the opportunity to perform all of them as a cycle following the historical path these quartets reveal. This will be our first complete cycle, which will add so much to the unbelievable excitement and thrill!”

“The Cycle” will be held in UC’s acoustically stunning Corbett Auditorium with performances scheduled for 8 p.m. on January 23 and 25, February 20 and 22 and March 27 and 29, 2014.

Subscription packages and single tickets are on sale now. Subscribe to the full concert series for just $90 and save 25% off single ticket prices. See below for more information.

Ariel Quartet Wins Cleveland Quartet Award

The Ariel String Quartet at CCM. Courtesy of The Enquirer/ Liz Dufour.

It is our pleasure to report that CCM’s string quartet-in-residence, the internationally acclaimed Ariel Quartet, has added another major award to its already impressive list of honors! The Quartet will receive the Cleveland Quartet Award, a biennial honor that recognizes and promotes rising string quartets.

The award will be presented at Chamber Music America’s National Conference next January. “We are delighted that the Ariel Quartet has been recognized for its impressive artistic achievements, and pleased that the Cleveland Quartet Award will have a role in developing this young ensemble’s future career,” says Margaret M. Lioi, Chamber Music America’s chief executive officer.

The creation of a lasting legacy for young musicians was envisioned by the Cleveland Quartet in 1995, as a culmination of its remarkable 26-year history. The quartet joined forces with Chamber Music America (CMA) and eight prominent chamber music presenters to found the Cleveland Quartet Award and to raise funds for the establishment of the Cleveland Quartet Endowment Fund.  The first recipient was the Brentano String Quartet, and subsequent recipients were the Borromeo, Miami, Pacifica, Miró, Jupiter, Parker and Jasper quartets. You can learn more about the Cleveland Quartet Award here.

Experience for yourself why CCM’s string quartet-in-residence is so acclaimed during the Ariel Quartet’s upcoming Beethoven Cycle. Learn more about that concert series here.

Read even more about the Ariel Quartet’s win courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer.