10/3/2020 ECMSA Beethoven String Quartets digital program

2020–2021

MUSIC AT EMORY

This livestream concert is presented by the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts schwartz.emory.edu/virtual-stage Box Office/Audience Information 404.727.5050 • schwartz.emory.edu

Photographs and Recordings Digital capture or recording of this concert is not permitted.

Event and Program Information Available online at schwartz.emory.edu Cover Photo

By Mark Teague Acknowledgment Eternal thanks to Donna and Marvin Schwartz for their many contributions.

The Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta is supported by the Cherry L. Emerson Endowment, the Rebecca Katz-Doft Chamber Music Endowment, the Ethel Orentlicher Gershon Fund, a major gift from Dr. John Cooke, the Office of Educational Programs at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, the Friends of Music at Emory, and by ongoing donations from music lovers like you.

ECMSA Emerson Series Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta William Ransom, artistic director

2020 2021

BEETHOVEN 2020

The Complete String Quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) The Final Two Concerts

The Vega String Quartet David Coucheron, guest first violin; Jessica Shuang Wu, violin; Yinzi Kong, viola; and Guang Wang, cello

Beethoven String Quartet, Cycle V Saturday, October 3, 2020, 8:00 p.m. schwartz.emory.edu/virtual-stage String Quartet in B-flat Major, op. 18, No. 6

Allegro con brio

Adagio ma non troppo

Scherzo: Allegro

La Malinconia: Adagio–Allegretto quasi allegro–Prestissimo

String Quartet in E-flat Major, op. 74, “Harp”

Poco adagio; Allegro

Adagio ma non troppo Presto

Allegretto con variazioni

—Intermission (10 minutes)­— String Quartet in A Minor, op. 132

Assai sostenuto–Allegro

Allegro ma non tanto

Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit,

in der lydischen Tonart: Molto Adagio–Andante

Alla marcia, assai vivace

Allegro appassionato–Presto

“I know no lovelier deligh 4

Beethoven String Quartet, Cycle VI Sunday, November 1, 2020, 4:00 p.m. schwartz.emory.edu/virtual-stage String Quartet in F Minor, op. 95, “Serioso”

Allegro con brio

Allegretto ma non troppo

Allegro assai vivace ma serioso

Larghetto espressivo–Allegretto agitato–Allegro

String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, op. 131

Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo

Allegro molto vivace

Allegro moderato–Adagio

Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile Presto

Adagio quasi un poco andante Allegro

—Intermission (10 minutes)­— String Quartet in E Minor, op. 59, No. 2, “Razumovsky” Allegro

Molto adagio (Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento)

Allegretto–Maggiore: Thème Russe

Finale: Presto

ht than the string quartet.”

—Ludwig van Beethoven 5

The Vega String Quartet David Coucheron, guest first violin; Jessica Shuang Wu, violin; Yinzi Kong, viola; Guang Wang, cello

The Vega String Quartet, quartet-in-residence at Emory, is cultivating a new generation of chamber music lovers through dynamic performances and innovative community engagement. The New York Times raved about its “playing that had a kind of clean intoxication to it, pulling the listener along. . . . the musicians took real risks in their music making,” and the Los Angeles Times praised its “triumphant L.A. debut.” The quartet concertizes both nationally and internationally, most recently in Baltimore, Chicago, Nashville, Sacramento, Berlin, San Miguel, and the Brahms-Saal in Vienna’s Musikverein. Performing projects at Emory have included the complete cycle of Beethoven quartets, as well as pairing Bach’s complete works for solo violin, viola, and cello with the six Bartók quartets. It has also developed a series of Jazz Meets Classics programs, bringing the two genres together.

Tour highlights include a debut at Amsterdam’s famed Concertgebouw; a tour of Denmark, with a performance at the Royal Danish Conservatory; and appearances at El Paso Pro Musica and the Sitka Music Festival.

A unique aspect of the quartet’s residency at Emory is bringing performance into the classroom, collaborating with academic professors to create interdisciplinary parallels and conversations. The quartet also strives to enrich the cultural life of its community, having founded the Emory Youth Chamber Music Program, which gives intensive training sessions in small ensemble playing to advanced pre-college students. The quartet was appointed to the roster of the Woodruff Arts Center’s Young Audience program, engaging thousands of students throughout the greater-Atlanta school system. The quartet has also held residencies in Augusta, Jacksonville, and Juneau that combined traditional concerts with educational outreach, performances in non-traditional venues, and master classes for area students.

The Vega String Quartet has won numerous international awards, including at the Bordeaux String Quartet Competition, as well as top prizes from the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition, the Carmel Chamber Music Competition, and the National Society of Arts and Letters String 6

Quartet Competition. It tours throughout Asia, Europe, and North America, and has appeared at Weill Hall and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Bargemusic, and Duke Hall at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The members of the Vega String Quartet collaborate with some of the world’s finest musicians including Eliot Fisk, Christopher O’Riley, William Preucil, Richard Stoltzman, Robert Spano, Charles Wadsworth, and the Eroica Trio. They also commission, premier, and record works by leading composers. The quartet is a frequent guest at numerous music festivals including Amelia Island, Aspen, Brevard, Highlands-Cashiers, Juneau Jazz and Classics, Kingston, Mostly Mozart, Rockport, San Miguel de Allende, and SummerFest La Jolla.

David Coucheron joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as concertmaster in September 2010. At the time, he was the youngest concertmaster among any major United States orchestra. Throughout his career, Coucheron has worked with conductors Robert Spano, Michael Tilson Thomas, Simon Rattle, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Charles Dutoit, among others. He has performed as soloist with the BBC Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, Sendai Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.

Coucheron has given solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the XIX Olympic Winter Games (Salt Lake What does Vega mean?

City), as well as in Beograd, Chile, The Vega star is the brightest in the China, Hong Kong, Japan, Serbia, Lyra constellation. According to Singapore, and Shanghai. His Greek mythology, this constellation chamber music appearances have represents the lyre, which belonged included Suntory Hall, Wigmore to the legendary musician Orpheus.

Hall, and Alice Tully Hall. He

serves as artistic director for the Kon Tiki Chamber Music Festival in his hometown of Oslo, Norway. He is also on the artist-faculty for the Aspen Music Festival and Brevard Music Festival.

An active recording artist, recordings with sister and pianist Julie Coucheron include David and Julie (Naxos/Mudi) and Debut (Naxos). He is also the featured soloist on the Atlanta Symphony’s recording of Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending, which was released on ASO Media.

Coucheron began playing the violin at age three. He has a bachelor’s degree in music from the Curtis Institute of Music, a master’s degree in music from the Juilliard School, and a master’s degree in musical performance from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, studying with teachers including Igor Ozim, Aaron Rosand, Lewis Kaplan, and David Takeno. Coucheron plays a 1725 Stradivarius, on kind loan from the Anders Sveaas Charitable Trust.

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Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta

Now celebrating its 28th season of excellence, the Southeast’s largest and most active chamber music organization brings together some of the city’s finest resident musicians with internationally known guest artists who are dedicated to performing the most delightful, exciting, and interesting music from the chamber repertoire in some of the most acoustically and visually beautiful spaces in Atlanta. Guests have included Yo-Yo Ma, Richard Stoltzman, Alan Gilbert, Dave Brubeck, William Preucil, Eliot Fisk, Robert Spano, and many others.

The mission of the Chamber Music Society (ECMSA) is to create new generations of passionate and educated music lovers who will cherish and support this great art forever. In addition to presenting an Emerson Series, a Family Series, and the Cooke Noontime Concert Series at Emory, the ECMSA tours, participates in recording projects, commissions new works, and supports numerous community outreach activities. Education is an integral part of the ECMSA’s mission, and members teach in a wide variety of ways throughout the university and greater community, coach student chamber music ensembles, and give private lessons.

Emory’s String Quartet in Residence program, held by the internationally acclaimed Vega String Quartet, lies at the heart of the ECMSA’s mission to spread this great music throughout the Atlanta community, reaching audiences of all ages. The Vega is the first professional string quartet to ever make Atlanta its home base, and as such, it is transforming music education and performance throughout the area.

Until further notice, all ECMSA concerts will be presented online only.

Concerts remain free of charge, but donations are greatly appreciated.

William Ransom, artistic director wransom@emory.edu/404.727.6443 8

More events coming soon to the Schwartz Center Virtual Stage schwartz.emory.edu/virtual-stage Happy Birthday, Mr. Beethoven!

October 18, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday with some special birthday music performed by members of the Vega String Quartet and pianist William Ransom. This concert is part of the ECMSA Family Series. It is also a featured concert of the Beethoven 2020 celebration year.

ECMSA Beethoven String Quartets November 1, 2020 at 4 p.m.

The Vega String Quartet continues their exploration of the complete Beethoven String Quartets including ops. 18, No. 6; 74; and 132 with guest first violin David Coucheron. Award-winning classical music radio host Bill McGlaughlin gives an accompanying lecture.

Third Coast Percussion November 13, 2020 at 8 p.m.

Grammy Award–winning, Chicago-based percussion quartet, Third Coast Percussion has created exciting and unexpected performances that constantly redefine the classical music experience. In this exclusive concert livestreamed from Chicago, the ensemble performs works from Perpetulum, a Philip Glass score the Chicago Tribune calls “rich in musical incident, its meters and textures constantly changing, its embrace of pitched and non-pitched instrumentation immensely appealing to hear.”

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Music at Emory Music at Emory brings together students, faculty, and world-class artists to create an exciting and innovative season of performances and events.

In a typical year, Music at Emory presents more than 150 events across multiple Emory venues; however, in this challenging season, we are committed to coming together virtually for a variety of musical offerings.

Spring 2021 concerts remain as scheduled, but are subject to change based on guidance from Emory University and public health officials.

Please visit music.emory.edu for the most up-to-date schedule and announcements.

404.727.5050 music.emory.edu