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Borromeo, Slee Sinfonietta to perform
The Borromeo String Quartet will perform the third and fourth concerts of this season’s Slee/Beethoven String Quartet Cycle
The celebrated Borromeo String Quartet will perform the third and fourth concerts of this season’s Slee/Beethoven String Quartet Cycle on Nov. 11 and 12 on the UB North Campus.
Both concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m.; the Nov. 11 concert will be in Baird Recital Hall, 250 Baird Hall, North Campus, and the Nov. 12 concert will be in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall.
The programs for the concerts are “Quartet in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3”; “Grosse Fuge, Op. 133”; and “Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1” on Nov. 11 and “Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95” (“Serioso”); “Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6”; and “Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132” on Nov. 12.
The quartet also will present two educational activities on Nov. 10 in Baird Recital Hall. A special brown bag “informance” will take place at 12:05 p.m., followed by a master class at 7 p.m. Both are free and open to the public.
Also during November, the Department of Music will present a performance of a Greek-themed program by the Slee Sinfonietta at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in Lippes Concert Hall.
All pieces on the program, which also is presented by the Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music, are tied to Greece, either through content or composer. Boston-based guest conductor Gil Rose will lead the orchestra, and composer Bernard Rands will be in attendance as the Sinfonietta performs his 2006 work “’now again’”—fragments from Sappho,” featuring mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley.
In addition to “now again,” the program will include Xenakis’ “Rebonds B” (1988), with UB faculty member Tom Kolor on percussion; Skalkottas’ “5 Greek Dances from ‘36 Greek Dances’” (1936) and Stravinsky’s “Apollon musagète” (1928/rev. 1947).
Advance tickets for the Borromeo’s two concerts and the Slee Sinfonietta concert are $12 for the general public; $9 for UB faculty, staff, alumni and senior citizens; and $5 for students. At the door, tickets are $20, $15 and $8. Tickets can be purchased at the Slee Hall box office, at the Center for the Arts box office and at all Ticketmaster outlets, including Ticketmaster.com.
Since its debut in 1989, the critically acclaimed Borromeo String Quartet—comprised of Nicholas Kitchen and Kristopher Tong, violin; Mai Motobuchi, viola; and Yeesun Kim, cello—has become one of the most sought-after strings quartets in the world, performing more than 100 concerts of classical and contemporary music across three continents every season. It is well known for its ability to bring contemporary fire to often-heard works from the classic repertoire, while making even the most challenging new music approachable.
Quartet-in-residence at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music for 20 years, the Borromeo has received numerous prestigious awards, among them the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2007, as well as the Martin E. Segal Award, Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award, the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and top prize at the International String Quartet Competition in Evian, France.
UB’s professional chamber orchestra in residence, the Slee Sinfonietta is the flagship ensemble of the Center for 21st Century Music. It presents a series of concerts each year that feature performances of challenging new works by contemporary composers and lesser-known works from the chamber orchestra repertoire.
Founded in 1997 by UB faculty member and composer David Felder and comprised of UB faculty artists, visiting artists, regional professionals and advanced performance students, the ensemble celebrates more than a decade of performances. Others activities include tours, professionally produced recordings, and unique concert experiences for regional and international audiences alike.
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