Overview
Program:
Haydn: String Quartet Op. 20 No. 5
Hough: String Quartet
Brahms: Quintet for Piano and Strings in F minor, Op. 34
Sini Simonen, violin
Daniel Roberts, violin
Ruth Gibson, viola
Steffan Morris, cello
“The quartet’s playing is nothing short of a revelation in its lucidity of line and sheer beauty of sound." - BBC Music Magazine
"A feisty group, with a real personality and strong interpretative ideas" – The Guardian
“Wonderful, almost miraculous. There isn’t a colour, weight of attack or nuance of phrasing or rhythm that passes Hough by.” – The Times (London)
Great artists from Great Britain make for a dynamic evening of chamber music when the brilliant pianist and composer Sir Stephen Hough joins the Castalian Quartet!
Named by The Economist as one of Twenty Living Polymaths, Sir Stephen Hough combines a distinguished career and a longstanding international following as a pianist with those of composer and writer. He is the first classical performer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and only classical pianist to be knighted this century. One of the most distinctive artists of his generation, Hough’s awe-inspiring range and command is even more astonishing live, worthy of every superlative that he’s been given.
Since its formation in 2011, the London-based Castalian Quartet has distinguished itself as one of the most dynamic, sophisticated young string quartets performing today. Appointed the inaugural Hans Keller String Quartet in Residence at the Oxford University Faculty of Music in 2021, they are also the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s 2019 Young Artists Award. The Quartet is gaining international acclaim as they take their talents abroad, having performed at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Konzerthaus, Carnegie Hall, and the Spoleto USA Festival, among many other esteemed venues worldwide. Their name is derived from the Castalian Spring in the ancient city of Delphi. According to Greek mythology, the nymph Castalia transformed herself into a fountain to evade Apollo’s pursuit, thus creating a source of poetic inspiration for all who drink from her waters.
Musicianship of the highest order is guaranteed when Sir Stephen Hough and the Castalian Quartet combine for this exquisite (or shall we say blimey-good) performance.
