“The joy the Parker Quartet brings to the music-making process is infectious, and their residency at USC has become a Columbia treasure.” –Daniel Sweaney, associate professor of viola
Inspiring performances, luminous sound and exceptional musicianship are hallmarks of USC’s Chamber Music Residency.
The University of South Carolina School of Music's Quartet-in-Residence brings a week
of public concerts, master classes, community outreach and special opportunities for
chamber music enthusiasts each fall and spring. Boston’s world-renowned Parker Quartet
spends much of each week working with student chamber ensembles, coaching them in
sessions throughout the week, and conducting a master class on Friday evening that
is open to the public to observe.
As with every residency week with the quartet, Sunday’s performance is a free family
concert. This concert, on March 20, includes Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence,”
one of the composer’s rare chamber music works written in 1890 after he spent time
in the Italian Renaissance city of Florence. It has remained one of the most popular
works in the chamber music literature since its creation and abounds with gorgeous
melodies, eliciting a nearly-orchestral sound from the six string players. Joining
the quartet on this piece is USC faculty members Robert Jesselson, professor of cello, and Daniel Sweaney, associate professor of viola. The concert takes place in the new Johnson Performance Hall on level 1 of the Darla
Moore School of Business.
Robert Jesselson says the Tchaikovsky is one of his favorite chamber music pieces.
“It is almost symphonic in scope, and runs the complete gamut in its range of emotions
and moods. It is a piece that has probably never been played here in Columbia – so
it is worth the chance to hear this incredible piece.”
Also on the Sunday program is a fascinating work by one of the leading American composers,
Grammy Award-winning Augusta Read Thomas. The science-meets-music work, "Helix Spirals," celebrates the Meselson-Stahl DNA
replication experiment and celebrates that music can be an abstract and intellectual
expression of nature. The work was given its world premiere one year ago by the Parker
Quartet at Harvard University.
The concert on Tuesday, March 15 takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the USC School of Music
Recital Hall. The program is bracketed by quartets by two of the established masters
of the medium, Beethoven and Bartok – Beethoven’s Quartet in G Major, Op.18, No.2
and Bartok’s Quartet No.1. Anton Webern’s Five Movements for String Quartet, Op.5
is also on the program. Tickets for this concert are on sale now: Adults $15; DISCOUNTS:
seniors, USC faculty & staff, and military $10; students $5. Purchase tickets at the door or online here.
USC Chamber Music Day and Competition
During each spring residency, the USC Chamber Music Day and Competition is an exceptional
opportunity for advanced high school string quartets from around the Southeast to
be mentored and coached by the acclaimed Parker Quartet and members of the USC string
faculty. Intensive coachings and master classes throughout the day lead to a performance
and competition with cash prizes in the evening. This year, eight quartets from North
Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia will participate and perform in a gala concert
at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 19.
William Terwilliger, professor of violin and director of the USC Chamber Music Day said, “USC is happy
to announce the eight quartets who were chosen as finalists in the 2016 USC Chamber
Day and Competition with the Parker Quartet. We are quite impressed with the level
of the groups this year.”
The high school quartets
• Jacksonville High School Cardinal Quartet - Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville,
North Carolina
• Montclair String Quartet - Charleston School of the Arts, Charleston, SC
• Bob Jones Academy String Quartet - Bob Jones Academy, Greenville, SC
• River Bluff High School String Quartet - River Bluff High School, Lexington,
SC
• Fuoco 2.0 Quartet - North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, GA (Atlanta metro)
• Song Quartet - North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, GA (Atlanta metro)
• Brotherhood 2.0 Quartet - North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, GA (Atlanta metro)
• Siciliana Quartet - South Carolina Governor’s School, Greenville, SC
Public Events
Tues., March 15, 7:30 p.m.
Parker Quartet Concert
USC School of Music Recital Hall
Beethoven- Quartet in G Major, Op.18, No.2
Anton Webern- Five Movements for String Quartet, Op.5
Bartok- Quartet No.1
Adults $15; senior citizens, USC faculty & staff, and military $10; students $5.
Purchase tickets at the door or online here.
Fri., March 18, 7:30 p.m.
Parker Quartet Master Class
USC School of Music, room 006
Open for the public to observe.
Saturday, March 19, 7:30 p.m.
Chamber Music Day Participants Gala Concert
USC School of Music Recital Hall – Free
Sun., March 20, 5:00 p.m.
Free Parker Quartet Family Concert
Johnson Performance Hall, Darla Moore School of Business, level 1 - map
Augusta Read Thomas- “Helix Spirals”
Tchaikovsky- Sextet "Souvenir de Florence" with School of Music faculty Daniel Sweaney,
viola, and Robert Jesselson, cello.
Learn more about the Parker Quartet Chamber Music Residency.
Visit the Parker Quartet website.