Ariel Quartet with Orion Weiss, piano
Sunday, October 1, 4:00PM
Saint Anthony Park United Church of Christ
Read Program Notes
Praised for their visceral performances, the Ariel Quartet will be joined by accomplished pianist Orion Weiss, who returns for his fourth Schubert Club performance in the first captivating concert of the 2023-24 Music in the Park Series.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Formed in Israel as teenagers at their Jerusalem middle school, the Ariel Quartet is now renowned worldwide for their fiery, dynamic performing style and soulful interpretations. In celebration of their 20th anniversary in 2020, the Ariel Quartet was the recipient of the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award, granted by Chamber Music America in recognition of their artistic achievements. Based in Cincinnati, the Ariel Quartet is the Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, where they present a concert series in addition to maintaining a busy touring schedule in the United States and abroad.
Early in their career, the Ariel Quartet racked up a stunning list of top prizes at international competitions, and were championed by violinist Itzhak Perlman, who invited them to serve as Artist-Faculty at his Perlman Music Program for 12 summers. In 2020, they were selected for a historic concert in San Francisco called “The Violins of Hope” which featured a collection of instruments that survived the Nazi Holocaust in the hands of Jewish internees.
Pianist Orion Weiss, one of the most sought-after soloists of his generation, feels a special affinity for playing chamber music. In addition to the Ariel Quartet, he counts among his regular collaborators the Pacifica and Parker Quartets, violinists Augustin Hadelich, Arnaud Sussman and James Ehnes, pianists Michael Stephen Brown and Shai Wosner, and cellist Julie Albers. Weiss is in demand at notable summer festivals across the United States, including Bravo! Vail, Seattle Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla SummerFest, Chamber Music Northwest and the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival.
A recipient of the coveted Gilmore Young Artist Award and an Avery Fisher Career Grant, Weiss has in recent seasons performed with both the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, as well as the San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Israel Philharmonic and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Weiss is an Ohio native who attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Juilliard School, under the tutelage of Emmanuel Ax. This will mark his fourth appearance with the Schubert Club, following concerts with Augustin Hadelich, Julie Albers, and David Finckel and Wu Han.
Fun Fact: Orion Weiss partners with SPCO Principal Cellist Julie Albers in a superb recording of works by Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Schumann, Massenet and Piatigorsky. (Listen on Spotify!)
