Cypress String Quartet to Perform at Lebanon Valley College

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The Cypress String Quartet

ANNVILLE, PA (10/07/2010)(readMedia)-- The Cypress String Quartet (Cecily Ward, violin; Tom Stone, violin; Ethan Filner, viola; and Jennifer Kloetzel, cello) will return to Lutz Hall at Blair Music Center on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. The quartet continues its residency at Lebanon Valley College with this concert, which includes Mozart's String Quartet in C Major, K. 465; Stravinsky's Concertino and Elena Ruehr's Quartet No. 3. Admission is free and open to the public.

This varied program is a brilliant example of the Cypress Quartet's commitment to many styles of classical music. Each piece is an iconic example of the respective composer's voice. Mozart's String Quartet in C Major, K. 465, also known as his "Dissonant" Quartet, is the last in a set of six quartets written and dedicated to Mozart's friend and mentor Joseph Haydn. Written in 1785, it is one of Mozart's most famous and beloved quartets. The quartet was given the nickname "Dissonant" due to a dissonance that appears in the second bar, which prompted publishers and musicians alike to change it for years, thinking that Mozart had made a mistake. This powerfully emotional chromatic opening leads the listener into sunny and upbeat music.

Stravinsky's Concertino, a short, six-minute work known for its virtuosic first violin part, was written in 1920 while the composer was living in France. Though Stravinsky is one of the most important composers of the 20th century, this work remains an often-overlooked gem. Boston-based composer Elena Ruehr wrote her String Quartet No. 3 in 2001, when she was studying a variety of types of music including African drumming, the music of Hildegard von Bingen, and pan flutes from South America. Each influence wove its way into this remarkable work, which has been championed by the Cypress and recorded by them on an all-Ruehr album released last year, called How She Danced (review copies available).

Known for their elegant performances, the Cypress's sound has been called "beautifully proportioned and powerful" by The Washington Post, and the ensemble has been singled out by Chamber Music Magazine as "a Generation X ensemble to watch." The Cypress formed in 1996 in San Francisco and during its first rehearsals together created a now-signature sound through intense readings of J.S. Bach's Chorales. Built up from the bottom register of the quartet and layered like a pyramid, the resulting sound is clear and transparent, allowing the texture of the music to be discerned immediately.

The Cypress is recording the six quartets written by Beethoven between 1822 and 1826 (historically known as Beethoven's Late Period) for commercial release. The second disc of this three-volume set includes Beethoven's String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130 and the Große Fuge, Op. 133, and was released Aug. 3, 2010. Volume one of the set was released in August 2009. Gramophone praised the disc as "revealing artistry of uncommon insight and cohesion." The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, "The Cypress players converse with such rare sincerity as to make long-familiar music sound utterly fresh." The album was featured as one of The Denver Post's "Best discs of 2009." Volume three is scheduled for release in 2011.

About the Cypress Quartet: The Cypress String Quartet's unusual approach to their career is informed by their fierce dedication to the ensemble. Violinists Cecily Ward and Tom Stone were studying in San Francisco when the quartet came together. Jennifer Kloetzel and Ethan Filner relocated to San Francisco to form the group, and the foursome made a commitment to each other to only perform as a quartet (meaning that they would not take on teaching or freelance jobs as orchestral members or with other chamber ensembles). They realized early on that they needed to create their own performance opportunities and organized as a non-profit – the Cypress Performing Arts Association. Eventually, they hired a small administrative staff.

This independent spirit is evident in their music as well. Cecily Ward explains, "We found our common ground in the music. Because we had not all gone to school together and had no common past or anyone shepherding us along, we were forced to find out who we are as an ensemble on our own – both in how we made a career and in how we create our sound."

Now, on top of a busy schedule of over 90 concerts each year at venues across the US and internationally, including major concert halls and series such as the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Stanford Lively Arts, Krannert Center and Ravinia Festival, the Cypress String Quartet is a vibrant member of the San Francisco arts community and is dedicated to reflecting and enriching the city's cultural landscape. This season, the quartet returns for the fourth year to the Montalvo Arts Center for its signature Salon Series, which seeks to demystify classical music by exploring one work per concert through performance and discussion. Through its Call & Response commissioning and outreach program, the Cypress String Quartet has created a dialogue between the old masters and living composers, performing known and loved repertoire in a fresh context and introducing ground-breaking new works to the chamber music genre. Over just a decade, the Cypress String Quartet has commissioned and premiered more than 30 new works, four of which are now included on Chamber Music America's list of "101 Great American Ensemble Works."

The Cypress Quartet members trained individually at institutions including The Juilliard School, Interlochen Arts Academy, Cleveland Institute of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal College of Music. They play exceptional instruments, including violins by Antonio Stradivarius (1681) and Carlos Bergonzi (1733), a viola by Vittorio Bellarosa (1947), and a cello by Hieronymus Amati II (1701). The Cypress Quartet takes its name from the set of twelve love songs for string quartet, The Cypresses, by Antonin Dvo?ák.

For more information and the Cypress Quartet's most up to date concert schedule, visit www.cypressquartet.com.