Artists Unite Issue

Nachtmusik, Music at Our Saviour’s Atonement’s new series of free Friday evening concerts, launches on October 26 at 8 p.m. with the Los Angeles based Formalist Quartet. The string quartet, making their New York concert debut as part of their first East Coast tour, opens the program with a chorale by J.S. Bach, followed by string quartets from three compositional giants of the 20th century – Dmitri Shostakovich, Leos Janacek and Igor Stravinsky. Also on the program are works by Ori Barel, Aaron Helgeson, Ryan Tanaka, and David T. Little originally premiered by the ensemble.

The Formalist Quartet is an ensemble dedicated to performing a variety of works, ranging from baroque music to world premieres. Their debut performance, on September 25, 2006, marked the 100th birthday of Dmitri Shostakovich, honoring his music and his memory. Since then the quartet has performed many of Shostakovich’s works as part of an ongoing project to perform all fifteen string quartets. Past performances include Roy O. Disney Hall at Calarts, Valencia; REDCAT at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles; the University of California, San Diego; the University of Nevada, Reno; Stanford University; the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts in Eagle Rock, CA, and the Villa Aurora. Upcoming activities in include residencies at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Stanford University. They are currently on their first tour of the East Coast.

Nachtmusik concerts bring rising classical musical talents to Northern Manhattan. Seating for the concerts is theater-in-the-round, putting the performers literally at the center of attention. Light refreshments, available for donation, add to the intimate, lounge-like atmosphere.

CONCERT DETAILS – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 at 8 PM
Doors open at 7:40 PM

J.S. Bach - Wir glauben all’ an einen Gott , BWV 680
Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 11 (1966)
Aaron Helgeson - Five pieces for String Quartet (2007)
David T. Little - Music for The Musical Illusionist (2007)
Ori Barel - Step variation (2006)
Ryan Tanaka - Cadences (2006)
Igor Stravinsky - Trois pieces pour quatuor a cordes (1914)
Leos Janacek - String Quartet No. 1 “The Kreutzer Sonata”

FORMALIST QUARTET
Andrew McIntosh, violin/viola
Mark Menzies, violin/viola
Andrew Tholl, violin
Ashley Walters, cello