ASO River Rhapsodies tonight: The Rockefeller String Quartet

Rockefeller Quartet

Baker, Reynolds, BeDell, Cline

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra River Rhapsodies concert series continues tonight with a program to celebrate the Rockefeller String Quartet’s 10th anniversary.

They will perform Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in D Major, Op. 44 No. 1; Glass’s String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) and Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major.

The concert takes place at 7pm at the Clinton Presidential Center. A limited number of tickets are available at the door. But the concerts usually sell out.

The Rockefeller String Quartet consists of Christian Baker, violin; Darby BeDell, violin; Katherine Reynolds, viola; and Daniel Cline, cello.

Christian M. Baker joined the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Rockefeller Quartet in September 2004. Chris’s doctoral research resulted in the publication of a book: “Violin Artists & Pedagogues: Their Schools and Pedagogical Influences in Historical Perspective (VDM Publishing House, 2009).

Darby BeDell, a native of Illinois, is in his fifth season as a member of the Rockefeller Quartet, and he has regularly participated in summer festivals including, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, Weathersfield, and Vermont.

Katherine Reynolds joined the ASO as principal violist and a member of the Rockefeller Quartet in 2000. Katherine also holds principal positions in the Conway Symphony and the Pine Bluff Symphony.

Daniel Cline is currently a member of the Rockefeller Quartet, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and the faculty at Hendrix College. He is also a pilot, skydiving enthusiast, and runner – having completed six marathons.

Philip Mann is the music director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

ASO River Rhapsodies Continues Tonight with DUOS

Tonight at 7pm, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s second concert of the Parker Lexus River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series will features duos of ASO Musicians. The concert will be held at the Clinton Presidential Center.

The program is an intimate showcase of the ASO’s musicians, in duo format and features ASO Associate Conductor Geoffrey Robson, co-concertmaster Drew Irvin, Quapaw Quartet members David Gerstein and Ryan Mooney, principal bassist Barron Weir, principal violist Kater Reynolds and violist Tatiana Kotcherguina.

General Admission tickets for River Rhapsodies concerts are $22, and Student tickets are available for $10. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ArkansasSymphony.org, over the phone at (501) 666-1761 or at the door.

The program will include

Mozart’s Duo No. 1 in G for Violin and Viola, K. 423 featuring Irvin and Mooney
Rossini’s Duetto for Cello and Bass featuring Gerstein and Weir
Frank Bridge’s Lament for Two Violas with Kotcherguina and Mooney
Kodály’s Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 featuring Gerstein and Robson

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 47th season in 2012-2013 under the leadership of Music Director Philip Mann. ASO is the resident orchestra of Robinson Center Music Hall, and performs more than thirty concerts each year for more than 42,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, ACXIOM Pops LIVE! Series and River Rhapsodies Chamber Series, in addition to serving central Arkansas through numerous community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education to over 24,000 school children and over 200 schools.

ASO Chamber Series starts Tuesday, October 2

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2012-2013 Parker Lexus River Rhapsodies Chamber Music series tomorrow night.  Violinist Augustin Hadelich joins ASO musicians on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Clinton Presidential Center.

The program will feature Haydn’s “String Quartet in C Major, Op. 54 No. 2,” Webern’s “Langsamer Satz,” Ysaye’s “Solo Violin Sonata in E Major, Op. 27 No. 6” and Tchaikovsky’s “Sextet, Op. 70 ‘Souvenir de Florence.’”

In addition to Mr. Hadelich, the musicians will include Kiril Laskarov, co-concertmaster of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra; the Quapaw Quartet – consisting of Eric Hayward, violin; Meredith Maddox Hicks, violin; Ryan Mooney, viola; David Gerstein, cello – and the Rockefeller Quartet – consisting of Christian Baker, violin; Darby BeDell, violin; Katherine Reynolds, viola; Daniel Cline, cello.

ASO announces River Rhapsodies for 2012-2013

On the heels of the recent announcement of the 2012-2013 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra MasterWorks and Pops series, the ASO has unveiled next season’s River Rhapsodies Chamber Series.

It will kick off on October 2 when Augustin Hadelich will perform.  He will be featured on September 29 and 30 with the MasterWorks series as the Richard Sheppard Arnold Artist of Distinction.  Joining him on the program will be the Quapaw String Quartet, the Rockefeller String Quartet and violinist Geoffrey Robson.  The works to be performed include Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 54 No. 2; Webern’s Langsamer Satz; Yasye’s Violin Sonata in d minor, No. 3 “Ballade” and Tchaikovsky’s Sextet, Op. 70 “Souvenir de Florence.”

Appropriately the second concert of the series is entitled Duos.  On October 30, the concert will feature David Gerstein, cello; Andrew Irvin, violin; Tatiana Kotcherguina, viola; Ryan Mooney, viola; Geoffrey Robson, violin and Barron Weir, contrabass.  The program will feature Mozart’s Duo No. 1 in G for Violin and Viola; Rossini’s Duetto for Cello and Bass; Bridge’s Lament for Two Violas and Kodaly’s Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7.

On November 13, the concert is entitled Masterworks and will feature the Quapaw String Quartet, Louis Menendez on piano and violinist Geoffrey Robson.  They will perform Ravel’sPiano Trio in a minor and Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 130 and Op. 133.

The Rockefeller String Quartet’s 10th anniversary will be highlighted in the fourth concert of the series.  They will perform Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in D Major, Op. 44 No. 1; Glass’s String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) and Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major.

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Composer of the Year Jennifer Higdon will be featured on February 26, 2013.  The musicians performing that night will be David Gerstein, cello; Kelly Johnson, clarinet; Kiril Laskarov, violin; Susan Bell Leon, bassoon; Meredith Maddox-Hicks; violin; Diane McVinney, flute; David Renfro, horn; Tatiana Roitman, piano and Beth Wheeler, oboe. The musical selections include Barber’s Summer Music; Higdon’s Piano Trio and Autumn Music and Shostokovich’s Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67.

Spring in Little Rock will be celebrated with Appalachian Spring on April 16.  A host of musicians will play a program including Crumb’s Voice of the Whale; Debussy’s Sonate en trio for Flute, Viola and Harp; Higdon’s Amazing Grace and Copland’s Appalachian Spring.  The performers will be Carl Anthony, piano; Carolyn Brown, flute; Daniel Cline and David Gerstein, cello; Alisa Coffey, harp; Leanne Day-Simpson, Eric Hayward, Andrew Irvin and Kiril Laskarov, violin; Kelly Johnson, clarinet; Susan Bell Leon, bassoon; Ryan Mooney and Katherine Reynolds, viola and Barron Weir, contrabass.

The concerts will take place at 7pm at the Clinton Presidential Center.  Philip Mann is the music director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.