NFoM Season Finale Will Be St Petersburg String Quartet, Sunday Afternoon

From St Petersburg, Russia, via Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, and now to Newtown, a Russian string quartet of exceptional quality will close the 29th season of concerts presented by Newtown Friends of Music. A concert is scheduled for Sunday, April 29, at 3 pm, at Edmond Town Hall.

The foursome of Russian musicians, known for their impeccable technique, their vast repertoire and their abandon in performance style, thrilled Newtown audiences once before and it is only fitting that they should have been invited to perform on the 29th day of April to close the 29th season of “exquisite music – superbly performed.”

One of the world’s leading string quartets, the St Petersburg was founded as the Leningrad Quartet by Alla Aranovskaya (first violin), Alla Krolevich (Goryainova; second violin) and Leonid Shukayev (cello), all three graduates of the Leningrad Conservatory. Today the quartet is completed with violist Boris Vayner.

The quartet blazed a trail through international chamber music competitions, winning first prize at the All-Soviet Union String Quartet Competition, the silver medal and a special prize at the Tokyo International Competition of Chamber Ensembles, first prize and both special prizes at the Vittorio Gui International Competition for Chamber Ensembles in Florence, Italy, and first prize and the Grand Prix Musica Viva at the International Competition for Chamber Ensembles in Melbourne, Australia.

When the city of Leningrad resumed its historic name, the quartet likewise changed its name to the St. Petersburg String Quartet. The quartet has continued its ascendancy, building a reputation of worldwide proportions including a Grammy nomination, Best Record honors in both Stereo Review and Gramophone magazines, and the Chamber Music America/WQXR Prize for Best CD of 2001. The quartet held the respected position of Quartet-in-Residence at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music from 1999 to 2003.

For their performance in Newtown they have chosen a program of quartets by Mendelssohn (Opus 13 Quartet in A minor), Shostakovich (Opus 83 No.4 quartet in D Major)  and Tchaikovsky (String Quartet  No.1, Opus 11, in D Major).

Tickets for the concert will be available by advance reservation or at the box office on the day of the concert.  Ticket prices are $18 for adults and $16 for seniors (age 65 and older).

Children between the ages of 5 and 14 are welcome and admitted free of charge, when accompanied by a ticket holding adult. The box office will open at 2 pm.

Parking is free and Edmond Town Hall is handicapped accessible. The audience is invited to meet the artists at an informal reception following the concert.

For further information and ticket information call Newtown Friends of Music at 426-6470 or visit NewtownFriendsOfMusic.org.