Alexander String Quartet

Sunday, May 7, 2023, 7 p.m.

Zakarias Grafilo and Frederick Lifsitz, violin
David Samuel, viola; Sandy Wilson, cello

Having just celebrated its 40^th anniversary, the Alexander String Quartet has performed in the major music capitals of five continents, securing its standing among the world’s premier ensembles and a major artistic presence in its home base of San Francisco. The quartet has served since 1989 as Ensemble in Residence of San Francisco Performances and Directors of The Morrison Chamber Music Center Instructional Program at San Francisco State University. They have established themselves as important advocates of new music, commissioning dozens of works from composers including Jake Heggie, Cindy Cox, Augusta Read Thomas, Robert Greenberg, Cesar Cano, Tarik O’Regan, Paul Siskind, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Wayne Peterson. Samuel Carl Adams’s “Quintet with Pillars” was premiered and has been widely performed across the U.S. by the Alexander with pianist Joyce Yang. The ASQ’s distinguished discography of Mozart, Shostakovich, Beethoven, Dvořák and Mahler songs now includes a veritable Brahms compendium with a recording of the three string quartets, plus a recently re-recorded Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118, No. 2, transcribed by Zakarias Grafilo.

6:00 PM – Pre-concert talk by Christopher Costanza, Cellist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Artist in Residence, Lecturer, Stanford University

7:00 PM – Concert

9 PM – Celebrate with a complimentary glass of wine and dessert!

About Alexander String Quartet

The Alexander String Quartet, established in 1980, has performed in the major music capitals of five continents, securing its standing among the world’s premier ensembles, earning critical praise for concert performances and numerous recordings alike. The quartet retains a major artistic presence in its home base of San Francisco, serving since 1989 as Ensemble in Residence for San Francisco Performances and as Directors of The Morrison Chamber Music Center Instructional Program at San Francisco State University. They have established themselves as important advocates of new music commissioning dozens of works from composers including Jake Heggie, Cindy Cox, Augusta Read Thomas, Robert Greenberg, Cesar Cano, Tarik O’Regan, Paul Siskind, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Wayne Peterson. Samuel Carl Adams’ new “Quintet with Pillars” was premiered and has been widely performed across the U.S. by the Alexander with pianist Joyce Yang. Their distinguished discography of Mozart, Shostakovich, Beethoven, Dvořák and Mahler songs now includes a veritable Brahms compendium with a recording of the three string quartets, plus a newly re-recorded Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118, No. 2, transcribed by Zakarias Grafilo.

Program

Mozart: Viola Quintet in B-flat Major, K. 174 with Paul Yarbrough (ASQ violist emeritus)
Kodaly: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10
Brahms: String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 18