Verona Quartet, string quartet

We invite you to attend the third concert for the 2020-2021 Online Concert Series for The Artist Series of Tallahassee, featuring Verona Quartet, string quartet. Listen and watch this fabulous concert from the comfort of your home on our website, www.theartistseries.org!

Delicate craftsmanship, luminous sound and a dramatic poise are all hallmarks of the virtuosity that fuses together violinists Jonathan Ong, Dorothy Ro, violist Abigail Rojansky and cellist Jonathan Dormand to create the Verona Quartet. The group’s singular sense of purpose earned them Chamber Music America’s coveted Cleveland Quartet Award 2020, and a reputation as an “outstanding ensemble…cohesive yet full of temperament.”- The New York Times. Deeply committed educators, the Verona Quartet serves as Quartet-in-Residence at the Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio.

A string quartet for the 21st Century, the Verona Quartet champions the storied history of the string quartet alongside music that reflects the current world in which we live, including those commissioned and written for them by composers Julia Adolphe, Sebastian Currier, Corey Dundee, Texu Kim and Michael Gilbertson. The VQ has cultivated a dynamic approach to collaboration and programming that includes cross-cultural and interdisciplinary enterprises. Recent projects feature performances with dancers from Brooklyn’s Dance Heginbotham, artistic exchanges with traditional Emirati poets in the UAE and collaborations with Grammy-winning folk supergroup I’m With Her.

The Verona Quartet has appeared across four continents enchanting audiences at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall and Melbourne Recital Hall, in addition to appearing at festivals including La Jolla Summerfest, Chamber Music Northwest, Caramoor, Bravo! Vail, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. As Ensemble-in-Residence with the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle in North Carolina, the VQ curates the UpClose Chamber Music Series, bringing the visceral energy of classical music to diverse audiences in venues ranging from concert halls to craft breweries.

In addition to their Oberlin residency, the Verona Quartet holds residency positions at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance (Lunenburg, NS) as well as Indiana University Summer String Academy (Bloomington, IN). Each year, reaching thousands of people, the Verona Quartet’s community and educational workshops inspire new listeners and performers through the joys of chamber music.

The Verona Quartet rose to international prominence after rapidly sweeping top prizes at the Wigmore Hall, Melbourne, Osaka, M-Prize International Chamber Music Competitions and the Concert Artists Guild Competition.

The ensemble’s “thoughtful, impressive” performances (Cleveland Classical) emanate from the spirit of storytelling; the Quartet believes that the essence of storytelling transcends genre and therefore the name “Verona” pays tribute to William Shakespeare, one of the greatest storytellers of all time.

NOTE: Due to COVID-19 some player and program selection substitutions have been made. Thank you for understanding.

PROGRAM
Quartet in F major, No. 12, Op. 96 “American”
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Jonathan Ong and Dorothy Ro, Violins
Abigail Rojansky, viola
Dmitry Kouzov, cello
Allegro ma non troppo
    Lento
    Molto vivace – Trio
    Finale. Vivace ma non troppo

Sonata for Cello and Piano No.1 in B flat Major, Op. 45
Felix Mendelssohn (1909-1847)
Jonathan Dormand, cello
Samuel Grodin, piano
Allegro vivace
     Andante
     Allegro Assai

String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Jonathan Ong and Dorothy Ro, Violins
Abigail Rojansky, viola
Jonathan Dormand, cello

Allegro non troppo

    Andante moderato

    Quasi minuetto, moderato

    Finale. Allegro non assai