BRENTANO STRING QUARTET
We really enjoyed the Brentano’s Bach project in Nov. 03, and wanted to hear them again. Formed in 1992, the Brentano captured both the Naumburg Chamber Music Award (1995) and the first Cleveland Quartet Award (1996). Violinists Mark Steinberg and Serna Canin, violist Misha Amory and cellist Nina Maria Lee are now resident at Princeton University. The quartet is named after Antonie Brentano, whom many scholars believe was Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved”.
…perceptive structural observation, deftly controlled ensemble, sensitive dynamic nuancing and fastidious balancing and blending of parts. The Strad, August, 2007
| Haydn | String Quartet in G minor, Op. 20, No. 3 |
| Arnold Schoenberg | String Quartet No. 4 (1936) |
| Mendelssohn | String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13 |
TICKETS $45, $41
QUARTET SUBSCRIPTIONS $269, $293
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The Keller played as part of our Banff laureates series in 2001. Formed in 1986 by students of the famed Franz Liszt Music School in Hungary, the Keller won both the Borciani and Evian International Competitions in 1990. Their recordings have won a Diapason d’Or in France and 2 German Critics’ Prizes. Violinists András Keller and Janós Pilz, violist Zoltan Gal and cellist Judit Szabo live in Budapest and tour the world.
| Mozart | Five Bach Fugues |
| Kurtág | String Quartet Op. 28, Officium Breve, In memoriam Andreae Szervánsky |
| Mozart | Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K.546 |
| Kurtág | Six Moments Musicaux, Op. 44 |
| Schubert | String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887 |
TICKETS $45, $41
QUARTET SUBSCRIPTIONS $269, $293
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GRYPHON TRIO
After a remarkable 10 seasons as our ensemble-in-residence, the Gryphon Trio finds a new home on this series. Violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon, cellist Roman Borys and pianist Jamie Parker live in Toronto and teach at U of T, where Jamie is the Rupert E. Edwards Chair in Piano Performance. Beginning their 16th season, the Trio plays across Canada and around the world, enjoying a reputation for beautiful sound, superb ensemble and the highest order of musical sensitivity. The Ottawa Citizen.
| Haydn | Piano Trio in A Major |
| Heather Schmidt | New piano trio, Toronto premiere |
| Mendelssohn | Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor |
TICKETS $45, $41
QUARTET SUBSCRIPTIONS $269, $293
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MIAMI STRING QUARTET
The Miami Quartet were laureates in the early 90s of the Evian, London and Fischoff competitions; they also won the Cleveland Quartet award in 2000. Since 2004, violinists Ivan Chan and Cathy Meng Robinson, violist Yu Jin and cellist Keith Robinson have been faculty members at Kent State U in Ohio, where they are quartet-in-residence. Contemporaries of the St. Lawrence, the Miami are celebrating their 20th anniversary season; special programmes include a new septet of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich with the Kalichstein/Laredo/Robinson piano trio.
The New York Times described the Miami as having everything one wants in a quartet: a rich, precisely balanced sound, a broad coloristic palette, real unity of interpretive purpose and seemingly unflagging energy.
| Haydn | String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Emperor |
| Alberto Ginastera | String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 |
| Mendelssohn | String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2 |
TICKETS $45, $41
QUARTET SUBSCRIPTIONS $269, $293
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TOKYO STRING QUARTET
With this concert, the Tokyo embarks on a Beethoven cycle which will develop over 2 concerts each season for 3 seasons. The second concert is April 30. The Tokyo is also recording the Beethoven Quartets for Harmonia Mundi; the 2nd issue in the series, the Op. 18 quartets, appeared in Dec. 07.
The Tokyo has played at MTO almost every season since its first visit in 1974. Clockwise from top left above: violist Kazuhide Isomura is a founding member, one of the original 4 who came from the famed Toho School in Tokyo to study at Juilliard in 1969. Cellist Clive Greensmith joined in 1999. Violinist Kikuei Ikeda joined in 1974, and Canadian violinist Martin Beaver in 2002.
| Beethoven | Op. 18, No. 2 |
| Op. 18, No. 3 | |
| Op. 18, No. 1 |
TICKETS $45, $41
QUARTET SUBSCRIPTIONS $269, $293
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PRAZAK STRING QUARTET
with violist ROGER TAPPING
We wanted to hear the Prazak again, so we are happy to present this wonderful programme with Roger Tapping. Established in 1972 when its members were students at the Prague Conservatory, the Prazak has over the intervening 35 years established a busy international career. Violinists Vaclav Remes and Vastimil Holek, violist Josef Kluson and cellist Michal Kanka represent the best of the unique Czech quartet tradition. 4 previous MTO concerts, in 93, 95, 97 and 02.
ROGER TAPPING, originally from Hampshire, England, was violist of the renowned Takács Quartet for 10 years until 2005, when he chose family over quartet life. He now lives in Boston with his 2 young daughters and his wife, cellist Natasha Brofsky of the Peabody Trio; they both teach at the New England Conservatory.
| Brahms | String Quintet in G Major, Op. 111 |
| Alexander Zemlinsky | Two Movements for string quintet |
| Dvorák | String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 97 |
TICKETS $45, $41
QUARTET SUBSCRIPTIONS $269, $293
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with BARRY SHIFFMAN, violin/viola
and MARINA HOOVER, cello
For their 20th season, the SLSQ offered 2 celebrations combined. They have commissioned works to represent BC, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces. One of those works will appear on this programme. They also invited 2 founding members to join them for some concerts.
Geoff Nuttall, violin, and Lesley Robertson, viola, are founding members. Cellist Chris Costanza joined in 2003 and violinist Scott St. John in 2006 (he also plays viola). The SLSQ performs more than 100 concerts a season, tours world-wide, and has been in residence at Stanford University in California since 1998.
BARRY SHIFFMAN is an accomplished violinist and violist, who, since 2006, has been director of music programmes at the Banff Centre and executive director of the Banff International String Quartet Competition.
MARINA HOOVER is an accomplished cellist who now lives in Chicago and keeps busy with performing, her family of 3 sons, and playing tennis.
| Dvorak | Sextet for strings in A Major, Op. 48 |
| 20th anniversary Canadian commission | |
| Arnold Schoenberg | String sextet, Transfigured Night |
TICKETS $45, $41
QUARTET SUBSCRIPTIONS $269, $293
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This is the 2nd concert of a Beethoven cycle which will develop over 2 concerts each season for 3 seasons. The first concert was January 22. The Tokyo is also recording the Beethoven Quartets for Harmonia Mundi; the 2nd issue, the Op. 18 quartets, appeared in Dec. 07.
The Tokyo has played at MTO almost every season since its first visit in 1974. Clockwise from top left above: violist Kazuhide Isomura is a founding member, one of the original 4 who came from the famed Toho School in Tokyo to study at Juilliard in 1969. Cellist Clive Greensmith joined in 1999. Violinist Kikuei Ikeda joined in 1974, and Canadian violinist Martin Beaver in 2002.
| Beethoven | Op. 18, No. 4 |
| Op. 18, No. 5 | |
| Op. 18, No. 6 |
TICKETS $45, $41
QUARTET SUBSCRIPTIONS $269, $293
BOX OFFICE 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754
Order on-line at www.stlc.com