First presentation of Shostakovich String Quartet Cycle at UB to take place this month

UB music fans will have the opportunity to hear all 15 Shostakovich String Quartets performed in five concerts taking place April 12-23 in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall, North Campus

The performances by the renowned Alexander String Quartet will be the first-ever presentation of the composer’s string quartets at UB.

The quartet — Zakarias Grafilo and Lyly Li, violin; David Samuel, viola; and Sandy Wilson, cello — will also conduct a master class at 4 p.m. April 13 in Lippes Concert Hall. The class is free and open to the public.

The complete schedule for the all-Shostakovich cycle:

Concert 1

April 12, 7:30 p.m.

String Quartet No. 1 in C Major (1938), Op. 49

String Quartet No. 2 in A Major (1944), Op. 68

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String Quartet No. 3 in F Major (1946), Op. 73

Concert 2

April 13, 7:30 p.m.

String Quartet No. 4 in D Major (1949), Op. 83
String Quartet No. 5 in B♭ Major (1952), Op. 92
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String Quartet No. 6 in G Major (1956), Op. 101

Concert 3

April 14, 7:30 p.m.

String Quartet No. 7 in F♯ minor (1960), Op. 108
String Quartet No. 8 in C minor (1960), Op. 110

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String Quartet No. 9 in E♭ Major (1964), Op. 117

Concert 4

April 22, 7:30 p.m.

String Quartet No. 10 in A♭ Major (1964), Op. 118

String Quartet No. 11 in F minor (1966), Op. 122
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String Quartet No. 12 in D♭ Major (1968), Op. 133

Concert 5

April 23, 5 p.m.

String Quartet No. 13 in B♭ minor (1970), Op. 138

String Quartet No. 14 in F♯ major (1972–1973), Op. 142
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String Quartet No. 15 in E♭ minor (1974), Op. 144

Tickets to all concerts in the cycle are $20. Advance tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, at the Center for the Arts box office from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, or at the Slee Hall box office beginning an hour before concert time. UB students with valid ID receive one complimentary ticket for each UB music department concert.

The Alexander String Quartet has performed in the major music capitals of five continents, securing its standing among the world’s premier ensembles. It is a major artistic presence in its home base of San Francisco, serving since 1989 as ensemble-in-residence of San Francisco Performances and as directors of the Morrison Chamber Music Center Instructional Program at San Francisco State University.

Widely admired for its interpretations of the works of Beethoven, Mozart and Shostakovich, the quartet has appeared at Lincoln Center, the 92nd Street Y and the Metropolitan Museum; Jordan Hall; the Library of Congress; and chamber music societies and universities across the North American continent including Yale, Princeton, Stanford, UCLA, the Krannert Center and many more.

Recent overseas tours include the U.K., the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, France, Greece, the Republic of Georgia, Argentina, Panamá, and the Philippines. The quartet’s visit to Poland’s Beethoven Easter Festival is captured in the award-winning, 2017 documentary “Con Moto: The Alexander String Quartet.”