UMS Concert Program, October 5, 2017 - Emerson String Quartet & Calidore String Quartet

Emerson String Quartet and Calidore String Quartet Emerson String Quartet Eugene Drucker / Violin Philip Setzer / Violin Lawrence Dutton / Viola Paul Watkins / Cello Calidore String Quartet Jeffrey Myers / Violin Ryan Meehan / Violin Jeremy Berry / Viola Estelle Choi / Cello Thursday Evening, October 5, 2017 at 7:30 Rackham Auditorium Ann Arbor Ninth Performance of the 139th Annual Season
55th Annual Chamber Arts Series This eveningÕs performance is made possible by endowed support from the Ilene H. Forsyth Chamber Arts Endowment Fund, which supports an annual UMS Chamber Arts performance in perpetuity. Media partnership is provided by WGTE 91.3 FM and WRCJ 90.9 FM. The Emerson String Quartet appears by arrangement with IMG Artists. The Calidore String Quartet appears by arrangement with Opus 3 Artists. In consideration of the artists and the audience, please refrain from the use of electronic devices during the performance. The photography, sound recording, or videotaping of this performance is prohibited. PROGRAM Richard Strauss Capriccio, Op. 85 (excerpt) String Sextet Calidore String Quartet, Mr. Dutton, Mr. Watkins Anton Bruckner         String Quintet in F Major, WAB 112Ê(excerpt) Adagio Emerson String Quartet, Mr. Berry Dmitri Shostakovich Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11 Prelude: Adagio Scherzo: Allegro molto Calidore String Quartet, Emerson String Quartet Intermission Felix Mendelssohn Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20     Allegro moderato con fuoco
Andante
Scherzo: Allegro leggierissimo
Presto Emerson String Quartet, Calidore String Quartet CAPRICCIO, OP. 85 (EXCERPT) (1941...Ð42) Richard Strauss Born June 11, 1864 in Munich, Germany Died September 8, 1949 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen UMS premiere: Moscow Virtuosi conducted by Vladimir Spivakov; 
February 1996 in Rackham Auditorium. Snapshots of HistoryÉIn 1942: á The movie Casablanca premieres in New York City á 13-year-old Anne Frank makes the first entry in her diary á The majority of Japanese Americans are forcibly relocated to internment camps An opera about the relationship between music and words in opera? On the face of it, this sounds like a sure recipe for disaster; yet in Richard StraussÕs hands, what started out as a treatise on music and drama became a living piece of music and drama in its own right. In Capriccio, the characters spend a lot of time discussing what is more important in opera, the music or the words. But the discussion is not entirely academic, as the protagonist, a beautiful young Countess, is wooed by a Poet and a Composer, and could really use some help from art theory in deciding which man to choose. DonÕt expect a definite answer to the dilemma, though. With inimitable elegance and grace, Strauss leaves the issue open at the end of the opera. Still, if one listens carefully to the music and reads between the lines of the libretto, one may get the impression that after all is said and done, the CountessÕs feelings about the composer Flamand may be just a few Fahrenheit degrees warmer than her friendship with the poet Olivier, tipping the balance, ever so slightly, in the direction of StraussÕs own art form. Strauss wrote the libretto of the opera himself, in collaboration with the conductor Clemens Krauss. They were inspired by an 18th-century original by Giovanni Battista Casti, set to music by Antonio Salieri and performed as a double bill with MozartÕs Impresario (Der Schauspieldirektor) in 1786. CastiÕs libretto, titled Prima la musica e poi le parole (First the music, and then the words) was brought to StraussÕs attention by the famous writer Stefan Zweig, who had come across it at the British Library in London. Zweig, who had been StraussÕs operatic collaborator after the death of Hugo von Hofmannsthal in 1929, was barred from working with the composer after the rise of the Nazis to power. Nevertheless, he was willing to help out from behind the scenes by suggesting subjects and placing them at the disposal of librettists who were not blacklisted. In the hands of StraussÕs official librettist, Joseph Gregor, however, the opera did not progress to the composerÕs satisfaction and was temporarily set aside in favor of other projects. Eventually, Strauss returned to the idea with KraussÕs help; in 1941Ð42, the composer, then in his late seventies, completed what would remain the last of his 15 operas. In the final version, incidentally, almost nothing of CastiÕs story was retained, beyond the fact that there were a poet and a composer onstage. Capriccio begins with a prelude scored, most unusually in opera, as a string sextet. The inclusion of a piece of chamber music in a stage work has its own symbolic meaning. As the first scene of the opera makes clear, this music is being played, as a work by Flamand, to entertain the Countess and her guests, including the Theater Director, who sleeps through the whole performance. The sextet represents ÒabsoluteÓ music, without words or program, which doesnÕt interest the man of the theater, although the sensitive Countess is deeply moved by it. The parts of the six string instruments in the prelude are woven together in a rich polyphonic tapestry that anticipates StraussÕs masterpiece from 1945, Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings. The sextet is on a smaller scale, yet equally intriguing in its juxtaposition of distant chords and its combination of broad cantabile (singing) melodies with more tempestuous episodes. The action of the opera takes place in a ch‰teau near Paris around 1775 (well before the French Revolution), and the music contains numerous allusions to the music of that period. At the same time, Strauss remained faithful to his own post-Romantic idiom, which no one handled more beautifully or more convincingly than he. STRING QUINTET IN F MAJOR, WAB 112 (EXCERPT) (1879) Anton Bruckner     Born September 4, 1824 in Ansfelden, Austria Died October 11, 1896 in Vienna     UMS premiere: This piece has never been performed on a UMS concert. Snapshots of HistoryÉIn 1879: á The University Musical Society is founded in Ann Arbor and the Michigan Wolverines compete in their first season of intercollegiate football á Thomas Edison applies for the patent for his incandescent light bulb á Canadian engineer Sandford Fleming proposes the concept of worldwide Standard Time It was between his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies that Anton Bruckner composed the only major chamber work of his mature years. Those who call the String Quintet a Òsymphony in disguiseÓ may be exaggerating, yet there are many moments in the piece where the composer was clearly thinking in orchestral terms. In BrucknerÕs lifetime, the Quintet was more successful than many of the symphonies; it was published immediately and it even inspired BrucknerÕs great rival Brahms to compose his own first string quintet, in the same key of F Major no less 
(Op. 88), just a few years later. Of this grandiose four-movement work, we shall hear the ÒAdagioÓ tonight Ñ a movement that originally stood in second place but was later switched with the scherzo, which preceded it in the published score. The ÒAdagioÓ opens with a quietly meandering, hymn-like melody Ñ or rather a highly idiosyncratic combination of melodic phrases that evolve in an utterly unpredictable manner. Bruckner was famous for his highly-advanced tonal language in which distant keys may be juxtaposed in startlingly novel ways. His mastery of imitative counterpoint is also amply in evidence, as is his predilection for great dynamic contrasts and mighty fortissimo climaxes followed by sudden retreats into pianissimo. Like BrucknerÕs great symphonic slow movements, the ÒAdagioÓ of the String Quintet covers an enormous ground from intense introspection to powerful dramatic outbursts before it concludes in a whisper. TWO PIECES FOR STRING OCTET, OP. 11 (1924Ð25) Dmitri Shostakovich Born September 25, 1906 in Saint Petersburg, Russia Died August 9, 1975 in Moscow UMS premiere: This piece has never been performed on a UMS concert. Snapshots of HistoryÉIn 1925: á The Chrysler Corporation is founded á Mount Rushmore National Memorial is dedicated in South Dakota á Adolf Hitler publishes Volume I of Mein Kampf ÒHe made a sour face and expressed the hope that, when I turn 30, I will no longer write such wild music.Ó This is how 19-year-old Dmitri Shostakovich related to his friend, pianist Lev Oborin, what Maximilian Steinberg, his professor of composition at the Leningrad Conservatory, had said about the Two Pieces for String Octet. Composed around the same time as the First Symphony, which made Shostakovich internationally famous, these two short works are certainly wild enough. The young composer positively relished being Ònaughty,Ó piling up unusual harmonic and rhythmic irregularities that were bound to upset his teacher but appealed to an artistic audience in the young Soviet Union that was hungry for innovation. The ÒPreludeÓ begins with a solemn but completely unpredictable adagio section and continues with faster music, intensely chromatic and filled with nervous energy. There are bits of imitative counterpoint and some virtuosic riffs for the first violin before the opening adagio returns. The ÒScherzoÓ ratchets up the dissonance level even higher as a vigorous rhythmic idea (only briefly interrupted by a mysterious slow passage) goes on a breath-taking journey through some fantastic imaginary scenery. The journey ends rather abruptly, with the music stopping dead in its tracks, just after the excitement has reached its highest point. HEROES ON SPEED-DIAL by Doyle Armbrust ÒWho was your teacher?Ó ItÕs one of those inescapable questions every professional musician is asked regularly, in addition to, ÒHow much did your instrument cost?,Ó ÒHow old were you when you started playing?,Ó and ÒAre you sure thatÕs going to fit in the overhead compartment?Ó The more revealing query is, ÒWho is/was your mentor?Ó A mentor is more than a pedagogue who spends an hour a week admonishing you for johnny-come-lately intonation or taser-style vibrato. They are that favorited contact you keep on speed dial and donÕt think twice before ringing at 11pm to post-mortem a particularly messy break-up. Figuratively, or maybe-this-actually-happened-in-real-life-to-definitely-positively-not-me. Mentors are proxy-parents, they are sometimes cautionary tales, they are facilitators that materialize opportunities that a young musician may never have had access to, regardless of talent. This business is not a meritocracy, and while diligence and perseverance are necessities, not all worthy talents make the cut without the shepherding and generosity of a mentor. During my undergrad years, I was stagnating with a teacher with whom, as a first-generation musician, I didnÕt have the knowledge or worldview to know to leave. As luck would have it, another university snatched him up and violist luminary Donald McInnes was flown in every other week from the University of Southern California to cover the transition. There is not a shred of doubt in my mind that without his persistent and sometime merciless provocations during lessons, the doors he opened, or the empathetic and collegial martinis at his home Ñ just talking about life Ñ I would not be the musician I am today. Mentorship is essential, and as it turns out, not the easiest concept to define. I made calls to violist Lawrence Dutton of the Emerson Quartet and violinist Ryan Meehan of the Calidore Quartet, to try and tease out what makes this relationship so vital in this crazy show-business of the string quartet. LAWRENCE DUTTON (EMERSON) DA: What drew me to your concert was one word from the UMS concert blurb: Òmentor.Ó ItÕs a word that has always resonated for me. What is the difference between a teacher and a mentor? LD: I think you have to look at the context of our role in the history of string quartets. Mentoring has been a part of that process for a very long time. You could look at the Guarneri Quartet, and their mentors were, of course, the Budapest Quartet. For us, our mentors were the Juilliard Quartet, mainly. It happens because it needs to happen. A mentor can be a teacher too. ItÕs a combination of the two. ThereÕs no question about that. Probably one of the most important mentors to the Emerson Quartet was Oscar Shumsky, who Gene and Phil studied with. I did everything I could to be in his presence, like playing in a small chamber orchestra that he was conducting, or going to his recitals. This is the early 1970s, so IÕm really dating myself. Shumsky was a mentor to all of us. HeÕs one of the primary reasons the Emerson Quartet exists! We looked up to him. We wanted to play like that. You can be a teacher and not a mentor. I think you can only mentor when you have people that want something very much and have the talent to try and follow in your footsteps. DA: When I think of my mentor, I think of someone for whom the distance that exists in a teaching relationship narrows Ñ something that becomes personal. Also, someone who created opportunities that I wouldnÕt have otherwise had access to because I showed my own motivation. LD: I would say thatÕs true. WeÕve worked with the Calidore Quartet for several years now and theyÕve had unbelievable success. ThatÕs their doing, not ours, but weÕve done our best to help them, for instance by inviting them to play with us, as weÕre doing at UMS. DA: Is it the kind of thing where a mentee texts you out of the blue to ask about something other than how to play a high ÔFÕ in a Beethoven quartet? LD: Without question. WeÕre happy to give our perspective and experience, because thatÕs what we have. DA: In terms of taking on that more hands-on approach, is that something you feel internally compelled to do?
LD: ItÕs the natural order of things. These groups are showing immense promise and desire, and we want to do everything we can to push them and support their career. This is not a large pool weÕre talking about Ñ you have to have something special to be out there performing. ItÕs never been exactly easy (laughs). There have been plenty of people that have tried, and I know weÕve been very fortunate, but nobody really knows how you make it. If it were simple, everyone would be doing it. DA: These opportunities donÕt just materialize. YouÕve gotten that personÕs attention because youÕre doing the work. LD: Right. Peter Mennin [then President of Juilliard], Alice Tully, Bobby Mann [Juilliard Quartet], David Soyer [Guarneri Quartet], Felix Galimir, Walter Trampler Ñ they were all big friends and fans, and we had that kind of relationship. DA: When did you realize that Calidore was the kind of group weÕre talking about Ñ one you wanted to mentor? LD: When we first heard them, we were like, ÒWow, they have real personality and something to say about the music!Ó They were already distinguishing themselves. DA: When it comes down to musical mentorship, how do you make room for your menteeÕs own vision for a piece of music? LD: On the level of Calidore, I find myself thinking, ÒI wouldnÕt do it that way myself, but that is really working.Ó ThereÕs no end to interpretation, otherwise there would only be one string quartet out there! DA: Does mentorship need to be nimble, given how different the business is now from when Emerson was coming up? LD: ItÕs challenging for us to even comprehend how itÕs changed. I think that young quartets today have to reinvent themselves to accommodate the needs of whatÕs out there. Think about the fact that it wasnÕt until the Guarneri Quartet in 1965 that a string quartet could make a living without a residency. Emerson came on the scene at the start of the digital age, and we got on the CD bandwagon. ItÕs a very short history, and we lose that perspective. There were guys in the Cleveland Orchestra that were driving cabs in the 1950s. DA: Calidore has really rocketed into a prominent place in the chamber music world. As a mentor, is there any cautionary advice that you find yourself offering them? LD: Well, yeah. Our career was not a skyrocket Ñ it took a while. We only got to Europe in 1983. It was another four years before we signed with Deutsche Grammophon. It was a process, and there is no way to escape that. YouÕre in it for the long term. RYAN MEEHAN (CALIDORE) DA: For you, what is the delineation between a teacher and a mentor? RM: I guess they can go hand-in-hand, and I think a teacher is almost always a mentorÉat least all the music teachers IÕve had. Mentorship is about the bigger picture Ñ goals, advice, and wisdom. TheyÕre someone you can turn to for extra-musical help, whether that be business or personal. Teaching is the exchange of musical ideas. The Emersons have certainly been both to us. They really treat us like they do each other. ThereÕs never the feeling that weÕre the students and theyÕre the teachers, which is really inspiring for us. WeÕve had many meals with them on the road, which have been some of my favorite memories of my life, actually. I mean, here are these people that I worshipped on recordings and on stage for so many yearsÉand now IÕm riding home with them in the car. ThatÕs mentorship. DA: Do you ever find yourself sending a late-night text to one of them, like, ÒOh crap this thing just happened, what do I do?Ó RM: WeÕre all very comfortable reaching out to any of them. For instance, we know weÕll always get an extremely thoughtful and thorough response from Gene to the most seemingly mundane question we might ask. Larry and Paul Ñ actually all of them Ñ have this insanely humorous side. Phil really considers teaching as important as performing, and he will be the one that will help us focus in on what we need to consider next in a piece. DA: WhatÕs an example of something non-musical that youÕve asked these guys about? RM: Everything from the business, like, ÒShould we have a publicist?Ó Even these concerts that weÕre playing with them Ñ that was their idea and we were like, ÒOh my God, I canÕt believe you would do that for us!Ó DA: So paint the picture for me, how 
did this all get started? RM: We were at the Colburn School and we said, weÕre leaving here next year and weÕre not sure what weÕre doing. Five days later we got a call from the head of Stony Brook University, saying [former Emerson cellist] David Finckel had recommended us for a position studying with the Emersons and teaching the undergrads. We were dumbfounded! To be mentored by the Emersons? We had to say yes. We hadnÕt met them as a group yet, but I remember that summer I went to Aspen [Music Festival] to visit, and I went backstage after their concert and said, ÒHi, IÕm Ryan.Ó They said ÒNice to meet you.Ó Then I said, ÒIÕm in the Calidore Quartet and weÕre looking forward to meeting you in the fall,Ó and then all of them immediately gave me a big hug, and it felt like weÕd known each other a long time. DA: One of the things that fascinates me about mentorship is that there is, by necessity, a generation gap. The game is different now than it was for the Emerson Quartet. How do you see them navigating those differences when they offer advice? RM: Some things are the same. Certain etiquette, like that you should be the last people to leave the post-concert reception. DA: Also, donÕt be a jerk. RM: Yeah. People donÕt want to work with jerks. All these insider tips that are relevant to a performing ensemble today are ones they can impart to us, regardless of their generation. DA: What does that rehearsal process look like, with the octet? There are decisions to be made and youÕre rehearsing with people that have been around the block for four decades. RM: I think what has kept them going for 40 years is that they are always thinking about the repertoire, even if rehearsal time is limited. They will find some small way to reinvent it. DA: And you feel like you, Ryan, can die on a hill for your preferred tempo in the fourth movement of the Mendelssohn Octet, without bringing the wrath of God down upon yourself? RM: IÕm pretty vocal in our own rehearsals, but with the Emerson Ñ I donÕt know Ñ they listen on another level. Their wealth of experience rehearsing with each other and other collaborators allows you to not have to speak too much. You just show your intent and they get itÉwithout words. DA: LetÕs finish with something grand. What is that golden nugget piece of advice you envision handing down to a group you mentor in the future? RM: Two things. From a musical point of view, I think you need to know how to give quick, efficient criticism and analysis. That goes hand-in-hand with the most important thing, which is that, whatever your opinion, it is secondary to getting along and treating your colleagues with respect Ñ which the Emersons personify. Doyle Armbrust is a Chicago-based violist and member of the Spektral Quartet. He is a contributing writer for WQXRÕs Q2 Music, CrainÕs Chicago Business, and Chicago Tribune. OCTET IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 20 (1825) Felix Mendelssohn Born February 3, 1809 in Hamburg, Germany Died November 4, 1847 in Leipzig UMS premiere: Stratford Festival Orchestra of Canada with violinist and director Oscar Shumsky; July 1967 at the Fair Lane Festival in Dearborn. Snapshots of HistoryÉIn 1825: á The US House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams as President after no presidential candidate receives a majority of electoral votes á The Erie Canal opens á The Stockton and Darlington Railway, the worldÕs first modern railway, opens in England Mendelssohn wrote his Octet in 
1825, the same year Beethoven composed his String Quartet in B-flat Major (Op. 130) with its original last movement, the Great Fugue. At 55, Beethoven was nearing the end of his career; the 16-year-old Mendelssohn was just starting his. Much ink has been spilled over who was ÒmodernÓ and who was Òconservative,Ó who was ÒClassicalÓ and who was ÒRomantic.Ó Mendelssohn never tried to explode Classical forms the way Beethoven did in his late quartets, which broke the conventions at every turn. Yet the younger composer infused those traditional forms with a new energy in ways that were absolutely unheard of. He also invented a whole new genre with his Octet, which calls for what can be considered either a large chamber group or a small orchestra. Mendelssohn noted in his manuscript: This Octet must be played by all instruments in symphonic orchestral style. Pianos and fortes must be strictly observed and more strongly emphasized than is usual in pieces of this character. Yet there were really no other Òpieces of this characterÓ of which to speak. True, Louis Spohr, a composer who was counted among the greatest at the time, had written some works for eight string players, but those were double quartets, conceived as dialogs between two separate groups. Mendelssohn, on the other hand, treated his eight players as a single, integrated unit, which was a quite different story. As for the young prodigyÕs 
melodic style, one need only 
compare the OctetÕs opening with 
the ÒsunriseÓ theme at the beginning 
of HaydnÕs String Quartet in B-flat 
Major, Op. 76, No. 4, which has a comparable melodic shape. HaydnÕs theme is to MendelssohnÕs what a sunrise would be to a solar flare. The Octet opens with a true stroke of genius, and the continuation is in every way worthy of those exceptional first measures. In all four movements, Classical gestures are similarly magnified and expanded upon. The second movement, in c minor, begins and ends in a gentle pianissimo, evoking a nocturnal mood, but there are some extremely powerful emotional outbursts in between. The third movement is the first in a long line of light-footed ÒfairyÓ scherzos by Mendelssohn, a type of movement to which the composer frequently returned in later years. This time, however, he used a modified sonata form, so, the movement is a scherzo only in character and not in terms of its structure (among other things, it lacks a contrasting trio or middle section). In the concluding ÒPresto,Ó finally, Mendelssohn pulled out all the stops. He wrote a brilliant fugue, as a bow to the music of the Baroque which he had already begun to study and which would play such an important role in his later life. The quote from HandelÕs Messiah (ÒAnd He shall reign for ever and everÓ) cannot be missed. But there is also plenty of playfulness in the movement, along with some harmonic surprises that would have made Handel Ñ and probably Beethoven, too Ñ raise his eyebrows in disbelief mixed with admiration.   Program notes by Peter Laki. ARTISTS The Emerson String Quartet has amassed an unparalleled list of achievements over four decades: more than 30 acclaimed recordings, nine Grammy Awards (including two for ÒBest Classical AlbumÓ), three Gramophone Awards, the Avery Fisher Prize, Musical AmericaÕs ÒEnsemble of the Year,Ó and collaborations with many of the greatest artists of our time. The arrival of Paul Watkins in 2013 has had a profound effect on the Emerson Quartet. Mr. Watkins, a distinguished soloist, award-winning conductor, and devoted chamber musician, joined the ensemble in its 37th season, and his dedication and enthusiasm have infused the Quartet with a warm, rich tone and a palpable joy in the collaborative process. The reconfigured group has been praised by critics and fans alike around the world. The 2016Ð17 season marked the Emerson QuartetÕs 40thÊanniversary, and highlights of the milestone year reflected all aspects of the QuartetÕs venerable artistry with high-profile projects and collaborations, commissions, and recordings. Universal Music Group reissued their entire Deutsche Grammophon discography in a 52-CD boxed set. After recent engagements together at the Kennedy Center and Tanglewood, illustrious soprano RenŽe Fleming joined the Emerson at Walt Disney Concert Hall, performing works by Alban Berg and Egon Wellesz from their first collaborative recording, released by Decca in fall 2015. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center programmed celebratory concerts at Alice Tully Hall, the Calidore Quartet teamed up with the Emerson for the Mendelssohn Octet, and the Emerson gave the New York premiere of Mark-Anthony TurnageÕsÊShroudÊ(co-commissioned by CMS). Former Emerson cellist David Finckel appeared as a special guest for SchubertÕs Quintet in C Major. In April, the Quartet released its latest album, Chaconnes and Fantasias: Music of Britten and Purcell, the first release on Universal Music ClassicsÕ new US classical record label, Decca Gold. Formed in 1976 and based in New York City, the Emerson was one of the first quartets whose violinists alternated in the first chair position. The Emerson Quartet, which took its name from the American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, is Quartet-in-Residence at Stony Brook University. In spring 2016, full-time Stony Brook faculty members Philip Setzer and Lawrence Dutton received the honor of Distinguished Professor, and part-time faculty members Eugene Drucker and Paul Watkins were awarded the title of Honorary Distinguished Professor. In January 2015, the Quartet received the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award, Chamber Music AmericaÕs highest honor, in recognition of its significant and lasting contribution to the chamber music field.Ê The Calidore String Quartet, one of the most acclaimed and sought-after chamber ensembles of their generation, has been heralded as Òthe epitome of confidence and finesseÓ (Gramophone), and Òa miracle of unified thoughtÓ (La Presse, Montreal). The Quartet made international headlines as the Grand Prize winner of the 2016 and inaugural M-Prize International Chamber Music Competition, the largest prize for chamber music in the world. Other major highlights of 2016 include being named a BBC Next Generation Artist for the 2016Ð18 seasons and becoming the first North American ensemble to win the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship. Additionally, the Quartet begins a three-year residency with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two for the 2016Ð2019 seasons. In fall 2016, the Quartet was named Visiting Guest Artists at the University of Delaware and will serve as Visiting Artists-in-Residence at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. The Calidore String Quartet regularly performs throughout North America, Europe, and Asia and has debuted in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center, SeoulÕs Kumho Arts Hall, Schneider Concerts (NYC), and at many significant festivals including Verbier, Ravinia, Mostly Mozart, Rheingau, East Neuk, and Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In addition to winning the M-Prize, the Calidore String Quartet won grand prizes in virtually all the major US chamber music competitions, including the Fischoff, Coleman, Chesapeake, and Yellow Springs competitions, and captured top prizes at the 2012 ARD Munich International String Quartet Competition and Hamburg International Chamber Music Competition. As protŽgŽs of the Emerson Quartet, the Calidore String Quartet was featured in a performance of MendelssohnÕs Octet with the Emerson Quartet presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to commemorate the EmersonÕs 40th anniversary season. As a passionate supporter of music education, the Calidore String Quartet is deeply committed to mentoring and educating young musicians, students, and audiences. From 2014Ð16 the Calidore served as artists-in-residence at Stony Brook University. The Quartet has conducted master classes and residencies at Princeton, Stanford, the University of Michigan, UCLA, and Mercer University as well as at Chamber Music Connection in Columbus, Ohio. The Calidore was previously on the faculty of the Ed and Mari Edelman Chamber Music Institute at the Colburn School. Using an amalgamation of ÒCaliforniaÓ and ÒdorŽÓ (French for ÒgoldenÓ), the ensembleÕs name represents a reverence for the diversity of culture and the strong support it received from its home of origin Ñ Los Angeles, California Ñ the Ògolden state.Ó The Calidore String Quartet aims to present performances that share the passion and joy of the string quartet chamber music repertoire. For more information about 
the Calidore String Quartet, please visit
www.calidorestringquartet.com and 
www.facebook.com/calidorequartet. UMS ARCHIVES This eveningÕs performance marks the Emerson String QuartetÕs 17th performance under UMS auspices, following the QuartetÕs UMS debut in March 1989 at Rackham Auditorium. The Emerson Quartet most recently appeared at UMS in September 2014 at Rackham Auditorium. The Calidore String Quartet makes its second UMS appearance this evening, following its UMS debut as winners of the inaugural M-Prize Chamber Arts competition in February 2017 at Rackham Auditorium. THIS EVENINGÕS VICTOR FOR UMS: Ilene H. Forsyth Chamber Arts Endowment Fund Supporter of this eveningÕs performance by the Emerson String Quartet and the Calidore String Quartet. MAY WE ALSO RECOMMEND... 10/29    Sphinx Virtuosi 11/7    China NCPA Orchestra 11/12    The Knights Tickets available at www.ums.org. ON THE EDUCATION HORIZONÉ 10/13    Post-Performance Q&A: ThŽ‰tre de la VilleÕs State of Siege     (Power Center, 121 Fletcher Street)     Must have a ticket to the 10/13 performance to attend. 10/20    Post-Performance Q&A: Ragamala Dance Company     (Power Center, 121 Fletcher Street)     Must have a ticket to the 10/20 performance to attend. Educational events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.