Mississippi State University will welcome one of the world’s premier chamber music ensembles into the McComas Hall theatre Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The Blair String Quartet will perform a combination of classical and modern music as part of the university’s continuing Lyceum Series.
The Blair String Quartet hails from the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. The musical ensemble has received critical acclaim from all over the world as a result of their numerous traveling performances and recordings.
Complimenting a recent performance by the quartet, the Houston Post said, “The Blair String Quartet is a composer’s dream. As an ensemble, it is capable of nearly flawless performances characterized by personal commitment, a keen intellectual grasp of even the most complicated scores and a wide range of tonal capabilities.”
The ensemble’s recording, “The Blair String Quartet, from Mozart to Ravel,” is produced and distributed by the popular Warner Bros. Records company, and the album has compiled a rather impressive portfolio of praises from such publications as Gramophone, Stereo Review, American Record Guide and Fanfare.
The quartet is composed of violinists Christian Teal and Cornelia Heard, cellist Felix Wang and violist John Kochanowski. Teal, Heard and Kochanowski studied at the highly regarded Juilliard School, while cellist Felix Wang holds a doctorate of musical arts from the University of Michigan.
Mississippi State University is very excited at the realization of hosting such an esteemed group of musicians. Adelayda Funes, graduate assistant of the Lyceum Series, said that the music and art departments are both thrilled to have the quartet visit MSU.
“The ensemble has been together for a long time. As a result, they perform with great coherence in presentation,” Funes said. “They really compliment each other and project enormous enthusiasm in their program, and we are equally enthused at the idea of having them here.”
The quartet also possesses a great overall understanding of the music. Their program consists of a wide range of music from the likes of classical Beethoven and Bartok to that of contemporary American composers such as George Tsontakis, Michael Alec Rose and Ellsworth Milburn.
“The quartet performs cycles of Beethoven and Bartok, as well as contemporary composers, which makes for a great show with great range. This should provide an excellent show for anyone interested in music,” Funes said.
The presentation at McComas Hall will be open to all interested. Tickets will be available at the door only. Prices are $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and $4 for children ages 3-12. MSU students are allowed free admission with their student ID. Everyone is encouraged to attend.
“Hopefully it’ll be a great show, and we encourage everyone to come out and enjoy,” Funes said.
For more information on tickets call Funes or Neely Wilbourn at 325-4201 or visit the Web site at www.msstate.edu/dept/lyceum.