string quartet - arielartists.comarielartists.com/epk/bpq_presskit.pdfstring quartet program offerings for 2011/12 season THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR Rachmaninov, String Quartet No. 1 (Unfinished)

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Bryant Park Quartetstring quartet

biography

Based in New York City, the Bryant Park Quartet (Anna Elashvili

and Ben Russell, violins; Adam Meyer, viola; Tomoko Fujita, cello)

performs the spectrum of the string quartet repertoire to a wide

audience with captivating elegance and a unique energetic style.

The BPQ is the recipient of a 2008 Chamber Music America

Residency Partnership Program grant and was a prizewinner in the

2010 Hugo Kauder International Music Competition. In recent

seasons, the quartet has performed as soloists with the Cornell

Chamber Orchestra; in recitals at Lincoln Center’s Paul Recital

Hall, the Des Moines Art Center’s Levitt Auditorium, the Staller

Center for the Arts Recital Hall at Stony Brook University, Azusa

Pacific University’s Munson Hall, Biola University’s Crowell Hall,

and on the Con Vivo Concert Series in Jersey City, NJ and the

South Country Concert Series in Bellport, NY; and in collaboration

with the Mark Morris Dance Group at the Saratoga Performing Arts

Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. In an effort to reach a uniquely

diverse audience, the BPQ has also presented recitals in art

galleries, such as The Lily Pad in Cambridge, MA, the Nassau

County Museum of Art on Long Island, NY, and the Seaport District

Cultural Association’s Space Gallery in lower Manhattan; in

outdoor concerts at New York City’s Bryant Park; in community

centers and in private house concerts; and live on KFMG radio in

Des Moines, IA.

As the first Ensemble-in-Residence at the Stony Brook University

Community Music Program, the Bryant Park Quartet has spear-

headed a new initiative to bring a high level of chamber music to Stony Brook’s music students and community. With this residency,

the BPQ works with young musicians in Stony Brook’s Pre-College Program, presents outreach lecture/demonstrations to string pro-

grams in nearby public schools, and hosts a summer chamber music camp. The BPQ has been invited as teaching artists to give

master classes and seminars, in addition to coachings and lessons, at Azusa Pacific, Biola, and Cornell Universities. The quartet has

led rehearsals and coached ensembles with the Greater Des Moines (IA) Youth Symphonies and the Santa Barbara (CA) Youth Sym-

phony. The BPQ has developed residencies aimed at introducing chamber music concepts to string students in the Port Jefferson and

Hewlett-Woodmere Public School Districts on Long Island, NY, and in the West Des Moines (IA) Community Schools. The quartet has

also shared their music with thousands of school children in rural Kentucky and Ohio (under the auspices of New Performing Arts, Inc.

and the Darke County Center for the Arts), in Bennington, VT, and in the city of Des Moines, IA for which they were featured on Channel

12 News.

Formed in 2006 by graduates of The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory and Rice University, the Bryant

Park Quartet has been coached by members of the Brentano, Borromeo, Cavani, Cleveland, Emerson, and Juilliard String Quartets,

Itzhak Perlman, Heidi Castleman, Colin Carr, Kathy Murdock, and Roger Tapping. The BPQ has participated in the Chamber Music

Workshop at The Perlman Music Program, the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, and The Mannes Beethoven Institute.

Photo: Sergio R. Reyes



program offerings for 2011/12 season

THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR

Rachmaninov, String Quartet No. 1 (Unfinished)

Stravinsky, 3 Pieces for String Quartet

Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108

Beethoven, String Quartet Op. 59, No. 1 in F major

Program offered June through August, 2011.

Russia’s treatment of her composers and musicians always had

some strings attached (no pun intended). For Rachmaninov, the

Russian Revolution resulted in the loss of his estate, his livelihood

and his lifestyle. Written during his conservatory years prior to his

emigration, his String Quartet No. 1 is reminiscent of Tchaikovsky

in its lyricism, beauty, and grace. Shostakovich’s music was the

pride of Soviet Russia in his early years but was twice denounced

and occasionally banned by the Stalinist government. His String

Quartet No. 7 was composed in the same year that he joined the

Communist Party and evokes struggle, conflict, and sarcasm.

Stravinsky’s timings were more fortunate although not without

hardships. His final move from Russia came just before the

borders closed and he would not return to his homeland for 50

years, yet much of his music, including the 3 Pieces, reflects his

cultural roots. As for Beethoven? He was commissioned by

prince Andreas Razumovsky, then the Russian ambassador to

Vienna, to compose the Op. 59 quartets and drew inspiration

from Russian folk tunes.

POETIC LICENSE

Dvořák, Cypress Quartets, “I Know That On My Love”

Mendelssohn, String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13

Kurtág, Officium Breve In Memoriam Andreae Szervanszky, Op. 28

Dvořák, Cypress Quartets, “Death Reigns”

Janáček, String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata”

Program offered September through December, 2011.

The “Poetic License” program features works inspired by the

written word in its many forms, including poetry and prose.

Dvořák’s Cypresses were originally songs for voice inspired

by an unrequited love. He later returned to these songs and

arranged them for string quartet. Mendelssohn’s Op. 13 quartet

also incorporates thematic material from a song that he composed

earlier, “Is it true that you are always waiting for me in the arbored

walk?” Kurtág’s Op. 28 is an homage, not only to the dedicatee

Andreae Szervanszky, but also to Anton Webern, whose

Cantata No. 2, Op. 31 he arranges as the central movement. Janáček

wrote about his “Kreutzer Sonata”: “...I was imagining a poor

woman, tormented and run down, just like the one the Russian writer

Tolstoy describes in his Kreutzer Sonata.” Throughout the work,

one can hear motives in the music that reflect Tolstoy’s story.

MUSICAL FOLKLORE

Haydn, String Quartet Op. 54, No. 2

Janáček, String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata”


Program offered September through December, 2011.

Where would classical music be without folk music? Many

composers heard popular and folk tunes of the day and

incorporated the styles and melodies in their compositions. This

Haydn quartet features a gypsy-inspired Adagio with a melismatic

first violin part that is improvisatory in nature over a chordal

accompaniment, and a Minuet that strongly resembles the very

popular Austrian dance called the Ländler, which eventually

became known as the Viennese Waltz. A leader in folklorist

research in Moravia and Silesia, Leoš Janáček developed a musical

aesthetic based on the study of the fundamentals of folk music,

rather than stylistic imitation. Beethoven draws from a Russian folk

tune in his last movement of this quartet, most likely to appeal to

Andreas Razumovsky, who commissioned the work. Photo: Sergio R. Reyes




program offerings for 2011/12 season (cont.)

METAMORPHOSIS

Haydn, String Quartet in D major, Op. 20, No. 4

Beethoven, Grosse Fuge in B flat, Op. 133


Ligeti, String Quartet No. 1, “Metamorphoses Nocturnes”

Piazzolla, Four for Tango

Program offered January through May, 2012.

The “Metamorphosis” program features composers that created

new sounds and styles for the string quartet. Haydn, nicknamed

the “Father of the String Quartet,” used the construction of

four-part choral harmony to create the string quartet, which

essentially did not exist at that time. Beethoven, who was

Haydn’s pupil, harmonically pushed the envelope of the Classical

era beyond what was thought imaginable in the Grosse Fuge and

lead the way to the Romantic era. Stravinsky, a champion of

poly-tonality and poly-rhythms, also exhibits a unique

imagination for the sounds the instruments can make in his

3 Pieces. Ligeti, too, had an ear for unusual timbral possibilities,

and while his String Quartet No. 1 shows the influence of Bartók,

its extreme character profile, sudden shifts of mood, and form

defy convention. Finally, Piazzolla revolutionized the traditional

Tango into what is known as “Nuevo Tango” by combining the

Tango with elements of jazz and classical music.

EASTERN EUROPE’S LEGACY

Tchaikovsky, String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11

Kurtág, Officium Breve In Memoriam Andreae Szervanszky, Op. 28

Dvořák, Cypress Quartets

Ligeti, String Quartet No. 1, “Metamorphoses Nocturnes”

Program offered January through May, 2012.

This program spans the complexities of the music coming from

Eastern Europe, including composers that hailed from Russia,

Hungary, and the Czech Republic. It is difficult to imagine Russian

music without the influence of Tchaikovsky whose works were

highly passionate, beautiful and full of rich tones. His first quartet,

though light and full of joy, brought author Leo Tolstoy to tears at

its premiere. Czech composer Dvořák took his own songs called

the “Cypresses” – inspired by an unrequited love for one of his

students – and arranged them for string quartet many years later.

Kurtág and Ligeti, both born in Romania, studied in Hungary,

where they met and became close friends. Although they fled the

country shortly after the Soviet Army put down the Hungarian

Revolution, Kurtág to Paris and Ligeti to Austria, both composers

retained their Hungarian flavor, while establishing very distinct

individual styles and musical voices.





concerto offerings

EDWARD ELGAR (1821-1906)Introduction and Allegro in G major, Op. 47,

for string quartet & string orchestra

ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (1874-1951)Concerto for string quartet & orchestra

(after Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Op.6/7)

BOHUSLAV MARTINU (1890-1959)Concerto for string quartet & orchestra, H. 207

additional offerings

School outreach is a specialty of the Bryant Park Quartet. The BPQ

offers a variety of exciting lecture/demonstration programs designed

to teach students about classical music and about the string quartet

as an ensemble. Grade school students will be thrilled and inspired

by the intensity and skill of these musicians, and will love interacting

with the group to learn about the music, the various instruments, and

how ensemble playing works. More advanced music students can

learn about the intricacies of the string quartet repertoire in a master

class setting. The BPQ offers master classes for all levels of string

soloists as well as coachings for string quartet ensembles. The

Bryant Park Quartet has the experience and flexibility to work with the

needs of both student and teacher to create a fun, memorable, and

very educational program. Please see the list of the BPQ’s recent

residencies and outreach programs, enclosed below, to get a sense of

the extraordinary range and diversity of their offerings.




recent residencies & outreach programs

STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY MUSIC PROGRAMSStony Brook, NY

September 2009 – present

As the first Ensemble-in-Residence at the Stony Brook University

Community Music Program, the BPQ presents lecture/demon-

strations, workshops, and coachings for music students in the

Stony Brook area, and recitals at the Staller Center for the Arts.

Through workshops and coachings, the BPQ aims to enrich and

advance the chamber music experience of the young music

students enrolled in the Pre-College Music Program. The quartet

gives lecture/demonstrations to introduce chamber music to

string students in the orchestra programs of local public schools.

The BPQ also hosts a weeklong chamber music camp in August

to provide local music students with an opportunity to engage in

chamber music making, and study, prepare, and perform a work

in one week’s time.

BENNINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLBennington, VT

March 10-13, 2010

The BPQ gave two lecture/presentations to all students, grades

K-5. These presentations introduced the instruments of the string

quartet, explored what a string quartet is, and directed stu-

dents to listen to classical music in new ways. Following these

presentations, the quartet visited each grade in their classrooms

for more interactive activities aimed at replicating certain aspects

of chamber music making without instruments, and to further

students’ knowledge of the violin family. Additionally, 32 students

were selected to experience the instruments firsthand for the first

time during 25 minute lessons in pairs. The residency also includ-

ed a performance for students, parents and community as part

of a celebration of the opening of a new arts wing at the school.

DES MOINES SCHOOLS AND GREATER DES MOINES YOUTH SYMPHONIES RESIDENCYSponsored by Bravo Greater Des Moines

Des Moines and West Des Moines, IA

February 16-21, 2010

The BPQ gave five lecture/presentations to string students,

grades 4-8, of three elementary schools and five junior high

schools in Des Moines and West Des Moines, IA. These

presentations introduced students to string quartet repertoire,

demonstrated how a conductor-less ensemble works together,

and directed students to listen for color, character and emotion. In

addition, the BPQ performed for the string players of the Greater

Des Moines Youth Symphonies, and led rehearsals of two of its

ensembles in a conductor-less setting, encouraging the players to

improve their leading and listening skills, and general

musicianship. The residency concluded with a recital at the Des

Moines Art Center.

SANTA BARBARA YOUTH SYMPHONY AND MUSIC ACADEMY OF THE WEST Santa Barbara, CA

February 22, 2009

The BPQ coached the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony’s Junior

String Orchestra in a conductor-less rehearsal, and presented a

lecture/performance about the string quartet and its repertoire for

the students and their families. The quartet also coached a high

school sextet from the Music Academy of the West’s MERIT

(Music Education Reinforces Intellect and Talent) Extended

Program in a master class.

DES MOINES SCHOOLS AND GREATER DES MOINES YOUTH SYMPHONIES RESIDENCY Sponsored by Bravo Greater Des Moines

Des Moines, IA

January 20-25, 2009

The BPQ gave six lecture/presentations to students, grades 3-5,

at six elementary schools in Des Moines, IA. These presentations

introduced students to the string quartet, demonstrated how a

conductor-less ensemble works together, how rhythm is applied

and translated into dance music, and how to be an imaginative

listener. The BPQ also made a return trip to Roosevelt High School

to give a lecture/demonstration and workshop for the orchestra.

In addition, the BPQ presented a lecture/demonstration about the

string quartet and its repertoire to the string players of the Greater

Des Moines Youth Symphonies, and led rehearsals of each of its

three ensembles in a conductor-less setting, encouraging the

players to improve their leading and listening skills, and general

musicianship. The residency concluded with a recital at the Des

Moines Arts Center.



recent residencies & outreach programs (cont.)

WEST DES MOINES COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH TOURSponsored by Chamber Music America;

jointly organized by BPQ and WDMCS

West Des Moines, IA

September 22-27, 2008

This residency featured lecture/demonstrations, coachings, and

workshops for all string students, grades 5-12, in the West Des

Moines Community Schools, and a community outreach tour

presented by the BPQ and selected student quartets. The lecture/

demonstrations focused on introducing the genre of chamber mu-

sic and exploring its appeal for composers and players. The BPQ

held workshops for each of the high school orchestras focusing

on utilizing chamber music skills in a conductor-less, chamber

orchestra setting. For the outreach tour, the BPQ coached three

student ensembles in presenting their music for the community

and accompanied them to three venues to perform for under-

served audiences in the greater Des Moines area. The residency

concluded with a performance by the three student quartets and

the BPQ.

PORT JEFFERSON SCHOOL DISTRICT RESIDENCY Port Jefferson, NY

January 23, February 7 and 14, 2008

This residency featured lecture/demonstrations and workshops

for orchestra students at Port Jefferson Middle School and Earl L.

Vandermeulen High School. The lecture/demonstrations focused

on the differences between chamber music and orchestral play-

ing, and gave students an introduction to string quartet literature.

During the workshops, the BPQ led students through their music

in a conductor-less, chamber orchestra style while working with

them in improving their leading and listening skills, and general

musicianship. The residency concluded with a concert featuring

the BPQ and a “side-by-side” performance of the BPQ with both

of the school orchestras.

DES MOINES SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY RESIDENCY Sponsored by Bravo Greater Des Moines

Des Moines, IA

January 24-27, 2008

The BPQ gave four lecture/demonstrations to kindergarten

through third grade students at four schools in Des Moines, IA.

The presentations introduced students to the instruments of the

quartet, demonstrated basic concepts such as melody, harmony,

and rhythm, and gave students various tools for listening to

classical music. The BPQ also presented a lecture/ demonstration

and workshop for the orchestra at Roosevelt High School,

focusing on ensemble skills and general musicianship. In

addition, the BPQ performed at the annual gala for Bravo Greater

Des Moines and gave a recital at the Des Moines Art Center.



recent residencies & outreach programs (cont.)

SCHOOL & COMMUNITY OUTREACH TOURSponsored by New Performing Arts

Knott, Pike, Breckenridge, Mercer, Trimble and Jessamine

Counties, KY

October 18-25, 2007

The BPQ presented twenty-four lecture/demonstrations to

kindergarten through twelfth grade students throughout

Kentucky. The presentations featured musical excerpts from the

18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, and incorporated core

concepts as directed by Kentucky’s state-mandated arts

education standards. In addition, the BPQ performed at

convocation for students at Alice Lloyd College, and the quartet

gave a community recital to benefit the Marion County Arts and

Humanities Council.

SCHOOL & COMMUNITY OUTREACH TOUR Sponsored by Darke County Center for the Arts

Darke County, OH

September 10-14, 2007

The BPQ presented ten lecture/demonstrations to kindergarten

through third grade students in Darke County, OH. The

presentations introduced students to the instruments of the

quartet, demonstrated basic concepts such as melody, harmony,

and rhythm, and gave students various tools for listening to

classical music. The BPQ also gave a community recital to benefit

the Darke County Center for the Arts.

HEWLETT-WOODMERE SCHOOL DISTRICT RESIDENCY Hewlett-Woodmere, NY

February 28-March 1, 2007

This residency featured lecture/demonstrations, workshops, and

chamber music coachings for orchestra students at Hewlett-

Woodmere Middle School and High School. The lecture/ demon-

strations focused on the differences between chamber music and

orchestral playing, and gave students an introduction to string

quartet literature. During the workshops, students played without

conductor while the BPQ worked with them on leading, breathing,

and matching skills. The BPQ also attended the school’s all-dis-

trict strings concert, performing as a quartet and side-by-side

with students.

SCHOOL & COMMUNITY OUTREACH TOURSponsored by New Performing Arts

Pike and Whitley Counties, KY

October 16-20, 2006

The BPQ presented twenty-two lecture/demonstrations to

elementary school students in Pike and Whitley Counties, KY. The

presentations introduced the European classical music tradition

and explored how it evolved with American influences after it was

brought to the New World, and incorporated core concepts as

directed by Kentucky’s state-mandated arts education standards.



current & recent concert programs (selected)

MUSIC AND POETRYStravinsky, Three Pieces for String Quartet

Leoš Janáček, String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata”

Schubert, String Quartet No. 14, “Death and the Maiden”

THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADORRachmaninov, String Quartet No. 1 (Unfinished)


Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108


Haydn, Quartet in D Major, Op. 20, No. 4

Stravinsky, Three Pieces for String Quartet

Mendelssohn, String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80

Schubert (arr. Elashvili), “Erlkönig”

Reed (arr. Russell), “Jerry’s Breakdown”

CANTICLESStravinsky, Three Pieces for String Quartet

Ravel, String Quartet in F Major

Schubert, String Quartet in D Minor, D. 810, “Death and the Maiden”

Reed (arr. Russell), “Jerry’s Breakdown”

Mozart, String Quartet in Eb Major, K. 428

Ravel, String Quartet in F Major

Schubert, String Quartet in D Minor, D. 810, “Death and the Maiden”

Traditional (arr. Russell), “Cherokee Shuffle”

FOUR HANDS AND V (with the Mark Morris Dance Group)

Schumann, Piano Quartet in Eb Major

Bartók, Fourth String Quartet

IN MEMORIAMMozart, String Quartet in Eb Major

Kurtág, Officium breve in memoriam Andreae Szervánsky, Op. 28

Mendelssohn, String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80

Traditional (arr. Russell), “Cherokee Shuffle”




recent concert appearances (selected, 2006-2010)

August 7, 2010, Staller Recital Hall,

Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY

April 25, 2010, Con Vivo, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church,

Jersey City, NJ

April 19, 2010, Staller Recital Hall, Stony Brook University,

Stony Brook, NY

March 14, 2010, The Lily Pad, Cambridge, MA

March 13, 2010, Lacasse House Concert, Cambridge, NY

March 11, 2010, Evening Community Performance,

Bennington, VT

February 21, 2010, Levitt Auditorium, Des Moines Art Center,

Des Moines, IA

October 12, 2009, House Concert, Cambridge, MA

October 11, 2009, House Concert, Stockbridge, MA

October 9, 2009, Third Street Music School Settlement,

New York, NY

September 26, 2009, Staller Center for the Arts,

Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY

August 22, 2009, Chamber Music Workshop

at the Perlman Music Program, NY

July 20-21, 2009, Mark Morris Dance Group,

Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga, NY

May 22, 2009, Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, New York, NY

February 25, 2009, Crowell Hall, Biola University, La Mirada, CA

February 24, 2009, Munson Recital Hall,

Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA

February 19, 2009, House Concert, New York, NY

January 24, 2009, Levitt Auditorium,

Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA

October 26, 2008, Christ Episcopal Church, South Country

Concerts, Bellport, NY

September 27, 2008 Indian Hills Junior High,

West Des Moines, IA

September 22-27, 2008, West Des Moines Community Schools

and Community Outreach Tour, West Des Moines, IA

June 27, 2008, The Perlman Music Program,

Shelter Island, NY

May 23, 2008, Paul Recital Hall,

Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, New York, NY

February 29, 2008, Peconic Landing, Greenport, NY

February 14, 2008, Earl L. Vandermeulen High School,

Port Jefferson, NY

January 27, 2008, Levitt Auditorium,

Des Moines Art Center/Des Moines, IA

January 13, 2008, House Concert, Port Jefferson, NY

January 12, 2008, Staller Center Recital Hall,

Stony Brook, NY

October 21, 2007, Community Center, Marion County Arts

and Humanities Council, Lebanon, KY

October 18-25, 2007, School and Community Outreach Tour

Sponsored by New Performing Arts, Knott, Pike,

Breckenridge, Mercer, Trimble and Jessamine Counties, KY

September 13, 2007, The Inn Series,

Darke County Center for the Arts, Versailes, OH

September 10-14, 2007, School and Community Outreach Tour

Sponsored by Darke County Center for the Arts,

Darke County, OH

August 27, 2007, Peconic Landing, Greenport, NY

August 25, 2007, The Perlman Music Program, Shelter Island, NY

June 9, 2007, Mannes Concert Hall, The Mannes Beethoven

Institute, New York, NY

May 17 & 31, 2007, “Thursdays at 5” Concert Series,

Bryant Park, New York, NY

May 22, 2007, Paul Recital Hall,

Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, New York, NY

May 5, 2007, Staller Center Recital Hall, Stony Brook Chamber

Music Festival with the Emerson String Quartet, Stony Brook, NY

April 5, 2007, South Street Seaport Performance Space,

“The Collected:/Emerging Artists,

Emerging Music” Series, New York, NY

March 31, 2007, Windermere on the Hill House Concert,

Stockbridge, MA

March 14, 2007, Berkner Hall,

Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY

March 11, 2007, Nassau County Museum of Art,

Roslyn Harbor, NY

February 25, 2007, Barnes Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

December 19, 2006, Staller Center Recital Hall, Stony Brook, NY

October 16-20, 2006, School and Community Outreach Tour

Sponsored by New Performing Arts,

Pike and Whitley Counties, KY



testimonials



testimonials (cont.)



outreach press & testimonials



outreach press & testimonials (cont.)

W.D.M. GRAD ORCHESTRATES CHANGE IN ATTITUDE TOWARD CLASSICAL MUSICBy TODD ERZEN

A New York City-based string quartet that features Valley High School graduate Adam Meyer was onhand in the West Des Moines school district last week to teach, perform and inspire.

Meyer, who graduated in 1998 and is the brother of district strings teachers Matt Meyer and Abby Crisp, said you don’t have to be a professional musician to have a life that is enriched by music.

“We’re trying to dispel the myth that classical music is stodgy and old-fashioned and boring, but that it is alive,” Meyer said. “It helps students intellectually, artistically and creatively ... there’s just something about a Beethoven symphony if you take the time to understand it.”

The Bryant Park string quartet worked with every string player in the district, from fifth grade through high school, and performed at both Stilwell and Indian Hills junior high schools early last week.

Three select chamber music ensembles, from the elementary, junior high and high school levels, were also put together to receive special training from the quartet before it headed out on community performances Friday.

The group performed at Hillside Elementary School, Blank Children’s Hospital and the Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa.

Bryant Park’s last gift to the community Saturday was a free concert along with the three ensembles at Indian Hills Junior High School.

Stilwell seventh-grader Lexi Brennan played in the junior high ensemble and said the quartet’s members always stressed that difficult training must be balanced with keeping things fun.

“We played a challenging piece, so we had to work hard,” said West Des Moines’ Brennan. “It’s really rewarding.”

Phil Peters, Valley High School’s orchestra director and Meyer’s former teacher, said it was also rewarding for him to see his former pupil care so much about the community he came from.

“Adam was always passionate about things in high school and that capacity hasn’t diminished,” Peters said. “It is enjoyable for me to see his growth not only in terms of his professionalism and his musicianship, but in his willingness to give back.”

Meyer, 29, began taking music lessons when he was 3 years old. He had a youth filled with other activities as well, like basketball and baseball. It all made for being “a well-rounded kid,” said Meyer, whose father is former West Des Moines Mayor Gene Meyer.

Adam, a graduate of the famed Juilliard School of Music in New York City, knew early on there was something special about music and he wanted to explore it in-depth.

“I don’t remember a time when I didn’t think that,” Meyer said. “Music was always a natural part of who I am.”

That’s what he hopes for all of the students he came across last week, no matter what they decide to do for a profession. Meyer’s sister said that helping her students heighten their appreciation for music should be easier now, after the exposure they received from four people who care so much about what they do.

“I haven’t seen much motivation from my students yet this year,” Crisp said, “so this will remind them about how they need to work in order to play an amazing performance like they heard from the quartet.”

September 30, 2008



outreach press & testimonials (cont.)

JOYOUS JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

Bryant Park Quartet played Beethoven for little kids in Darke County and Greenville City Schools last week – and those kindergarten through third grade students not only enjoyed the music, they had fun! Their open minds engaged by the sound of the string quartet, the youngsters simply absorbed the joy, the beauty. They didn’t worry about how others thought they should react to the music, they simply responded – with delight!

And Adam Meyer, Tomoko Fujita, Ben Russell, and Steve Miahky were captivated and energized by their audience. When over two hundred kids sitting on the floor in a sweaty gym offer thunderous applause and lusty shouts of “Bravo,” you can be pretty sure that you’ve made a connection. When the questions from five- to eight-year olds are all about the songs and the instruments, you know that the music has captivated a new generation.

After identifying themselves and divulging their places of birth as well as their favorite things, the musicians who comprise Bryant Park Quartet began their program by displaying and explaining their instruments – two violins, a viola, and a cello. Even this segment of the program won applause as the artists demonstrated the range of notes available to the ensemble by simply playing scales – but the scales were played with skill and beauty.

Rapt attention continued to be paid as the cello laid the foundation for the next song, which one of the students immediately and surprisingly identified as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” long before the melody line was played. Then, the youngsters were invited to sing along, and over 200 little voices sweetly joined the music of the strings to create a moment of magic and beauty.

The students were told that music can be listened to in many different ways. “You can sit quietly, close your eyes, open your ears, your minds, your hearts,” Tomoko said. While the youngsters did just that, the gym was initially filled with serene peaceful flowing sounds. However, the next piece featured skittering phrases and anxious rhythms, dramatically changing the room’s atmosphere. “How did that song make you feel?” Adam asked. “Mad!” “Wild” and “Scared” were the entirely appropriate responses.

Urged to use their imagination while listening, some students saw vibrant colors in the music they heard. Steve pointed out that one of the really cool things about music is that it can evoke diverse thoughts and feelings among those who are listening, but the youngsters seemed to have already figured out that part.

During a question and answer period, one of the students ask about the fragile-looking bow for Adam’s viola - “Will that thing break?” After offering a brief tutorial, Adam delighted the crowd by loosening the bow’s horsehair from the stick so that it hung free, looking exactly like – well – a horse’s tail. Then, Adam revealed that his viola had been made in 1998, and was about the same age as the older youngsters in the room, a fact which clearly impressed the students until they discovered that Tomoko’s cello had been created in 1793! Both instruments sounded full of live as another Beethoven composition closed the show.

The young musicians who make up the Bryant Park Quartet work hard to charm, entertain and educate young audiences. And they love their work, reaching out to those who are not often exposed to live performances of music by the great composers, hoping to inspire audiences to explore the wide world of wonder to be found by simply listening. The little kids in local schools went exploring last week; who knows what will come of all that they discovered?

September 14, 2007THE GREENVILLE OHIO DAILY ADVOCATE

Documents

string quartet - arielartists.comarielartists.com/epk/bpq_presskit.pdfstring quartet program offerings for 2011/12 season THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR Rachmaninov, String Quartet No. 1 (Unfinished)