Finalists chosen for USC Chamber Music Day and Competition for high school string quartets
The Boston Globe called the Parker Quartet "intense, virtuosic, utterly assured." The School of Music welcomes back the University of South Carolina’s quartet-in-residence for master classes and coaching, public events, school outreach and special opportunities for chamber music enthusiasts.
For the third year, USC music students and advanced high school string quartets will have the remarkable opportunity to work with the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet. The Columbia community benefits with public programs offered.
Parker Quartet concerts take place in the new Johnson Performance Hall in the Darla Moore School of Business on Tues., March 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Sun., March 22 at 5:00 p.m. Purchase tickets securely online for the Tuesday concert or call 803-576-5763. Sunday’s concert is free and no tickets are needed for this exceptional opportunity to hear world-class musicians in the beautiful new hall.
See the full schedule here.
Chamber Music Day and Competition
Eight high school string quartet finalists take part in the 2nd annual Chamber Music Day and Competition on Sat., March 21, chosen from 16 applicants to the program. They will spend the day at USC playing chamber music, coached by the Parker Quartet members and the USC string faculty. That evening in the School of Music Recital Hall at 7:30, the quartets perform, and there will be a competition for the best group, with monetary awards. Everyone attending the concert chooses an audience favorite award. Join us for the free event and support these outstanding young musicians.
William Terwilliger, program director, said, “I look forward to working with these talented high school string players who have such a love and commitment for the great art of string quartet playing. It is my hope that this year’s event will be as successful as last year’s, which generated so much enthusiasm for an incredibly high level of string quartet playing rarely seen among high school students.”
Selected quartets for the 2015 USC Chamber Day
- The Biscopink String Quartet - Dorman HS (sponsor), Spartanburg SC
- The Cantella String Quartet - Chapel Hill, NC
- The Havillten Quartet - Columbia, SC
- The West End Quartet - The Greenville Fine Arts Center, Greenville, SC
- The Potter Quartet - The Greenville Fine Arts Center, Greenville, SC
- The Beauvais String Quartet - North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, GA
- The Fuoco String Quartet - North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, GA
- The Jolly String Quartet - Nashville, TN
"The coaches’ words of experience, their critique, as well as words of encouragement not only helped our quartet to challenge ourselves and experiment with different musical concepts during the workshop/competition, but they also instilled within us a lasting goal of trying to understand the music on a deeper level.” – 2014 attendee
String Quartet Residency Challenge Gift
The School of Music has received an anonymous $100,000 challenge gift to create a permanent Endowment for this String Quartet Residency. Our goal is to match this gift dollar for dollar in order to receive the full amount, bringing the total Endowment to $200,000. If you are interested in helping us meet this challenge, please contact Ann Graber at 803-777-4337.
See the full schedule here
Parker Quartet public events
Tues., March 17, 7:30
Parker Quartet Concert
Johnson Performance Hall (Darla Moore School of Business, level 1 (1014 Greene St.).
Program:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Quartet in B Flat Major, "Hunt"
Jörg Widmann - Quartet No.3 Jagdquartett
Johannes Brahms - Quartet in B Flat Major
$15 adults; $10 seniors, military, USC faculty & staff; $5 students. Call 803-576-5763 for tickets or buy online.
Sat., March 21, 7:30
Chamber Music Day Competition
School of Music Recital Hall (USC School of Music Recital Hall, 813 Assembly St.)
Advanced high school string quartets compete. FREE
Sun., March 22, 5:00
Parker Quartet Concert
Johnson Performance Hall (Darla Moore School of Business, level 1 (1014 Greene St.)
Program:
Erwin Schulhoff - Five Pieces for String Quartet
Franz Schubert - Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, "Death and the Maiden"
FREE