Sarasota Concert Association presents
The Takács Quartet
With Joyce Yang, piano
March 17, 8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Recognized as one of the most eloquent ensembles in the string quartet world, the Takács Quartet brings its unique blend of musical drama, warmth and humor to Sarasota with a program of landmark works by Haydn, Debussy and Dvořák.
“The Takács Quartet is a world-class ensemble at the height of its powers.”
Lawrence A. Johnson, Chicago Classical Review
(Sarasota, Florida) The Sarasota Concert Association (SCA) continues its 70th season with the renowned Takács Quartet, with pianist Joyce Yang, Tuesday, March 17, 8 p.m. The program includes Haydn’s String Quartet, Opus 76, No. 3, for (“Emperor”); Debussy’s String Quartet in G Minor, the composer’s sole string quartet, and Dvořák’s Piano Quintet, acknowledged as one of the masterpieces in chamber music literature. The concert, part of SCA’s “Great Performers Series,” is at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, in Sarasota. Individual tickets are $40, $50, $60, and $70. Tickets and information for the Great Performers Series are available by calling 941-225-6500 or online at www.scasarasota.org.
Recognized as one of the world’s great ensembles, the Takács Quartet plays with a unique blend of drama, warmth and humor, artfully mingling four distinct musical personalities to bring a constantly fresh insight into the string quartet repertoire. The Quartet has gone through several manifestations in its four-decade history. It began as an all-Hungarian ensemble in 1975, distinguished for its performances of the works of compatriot composer Bela Bartok. The Quartet acheived even greater international recognition when two of the original members were replaced by a pair of gifted British musicians (first violinist Edward Dusinberre and violist Roger Tapping). In 2012, the Takács Quartet was the sole string quartet to be inducted into the Grammophone Hall of Fame, alongside such legendary artists as Jascha Heifetz, Leonard Bernstein and Dame Janet Baker. Today, the accolades continue to roll in for the nearly 40-year old ensemble. Last fall, critic Lawrence Johnson of the Chicago Classical Review hailed current Takács members (violinists Dusinberre and Károly Schranz, violist Geraldine Walther, and cellist András Fejér) as “the finest team to date.” In December, the Quartet’s recording of Brahms’ String Quintets was one of the Boston Globe’s picks for the 10 best classical albums of the year.
Blessed with “poetic and sensitive pianism” (Washington Post) and a “wondrous sense of color” (San Francisco Classical Voice), at age 27 pianist Joyce Yang has already established herself as one of the leading artists of her generation. Yang first came to international attention in 2005 when her virtuosity, lyricism and magnetic stage presence earned her the silver medal at the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, along with two other awards. She also appears in the film, In the Heart of Music, a documentary about the 2005 Van Cliburn Competition, and is also a frequent guest on America Public Media’s nationally syndicated radio show, “Performance Today.”
“The classical music world has been buzzing with critical acclaim for the Takács Quartet this season,” says Joy McIntyre, president of the Sarasota Concert Association. “This ensemble is clearly at the peak of its powers and we’re thrilled to present them here in Sarasota, performing a program of uniquely compelling chamber works, just days before they take it to Lincoln Center.”
The SCA’s 2015 Great Performers Series season concludes on March 25, at 8 p.m., with the eminent pianist Murray Perahia, performing in Sarasota for the first time. In the more than 40 years that he has been performing on the concert stage, Perahia has become one of the most sought-after and cherished pianists of our time.
All concerts are at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. Individual tickets are $40 – $75. For tickets and information, call 941-225-6500 or visit www.scasarasota.org.
SCA also presents “Munchtime Musicales,” a series of free concerts featuring performances by high-caliber, area-based artists. The series is designed to offer a wide variety of musical genres, including classical, folk, and jazz, featuring both vocal and instrumental performers. The 2014-15 concert season continues with Studio Artists from the Sarasota Opera, Sarasota’s ambassadors of opera who bring this musical form to stages beyond the walls of the Sarasota Opera House (March 18, 2105); and the State College of Florida Chamber Choir, an 18-person vocal ensemble that performs repertoire spanning from Renaissance madrigals to contemporary jazz (April 8, 2015). All performances are at noon at the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. The series is free and open to the public. Seating is open; no reservations taken. For more information about Munchtime Musicales, call 941-351-7467 or visit www.scasarasota.org.
About the Sarasota Concert Association
The Sarasota Concert Association (SCA) exists to foster the development of an appreciation for the musical arts by sponsoring professional presentations that are not otherwise available in the community, through a not-for-profit, organized-audience plan. SCA aims to set reasonable fees for all performances. The organization is not designed to make a profit but does intend to be self-supporting. It provides outreach to all members of the regional community by offering a series of free concerts, Munchtime Musicales, held every year. For more information about SCA, visit www.scasarasota.org.
