St. Lawrence String Quartet to Play at Segerstrom Center, 2/19

The adventurous St. Lawrence String Quartet marks its third Segerstrom Center appearance with an exciting program that includes a world premiere of composer James Matheson's new string quartet commissioned for the Center's Chamber Music Series by long-time subscribers Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting. The evening's program also includes Haydn's String Quartet in E Flat Major as well as his "Emperor" quartet and Korngold's String Quartet No. 3. The St. Lawrence String Quartet includes Geoff Nuttall and newly appointed Mark Fewer, violin; Lesley Robertson, viola and Christopher Costanza, cello. The quartet has selected Fewer to succeed the departing Scott St. John, beginning on January 1, 2014.

The St. Lawrence String Quartet will play at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts - Samueli Theater on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 at 8 p.m. There will be a free Preview Talk with Herbert Glass will take place at 7:15 p.m. in Samueli Theater (615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

Program:
Haydn: String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op.20, No. 1
Korngold: String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 34
Matheson: String Quartet (world premiere)
Haydn: String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76, No. 3 "Emperor"

Tickets - Start at $29 and can be purchased in person - The Box Office (600 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily), online at SCFTA.org, by phone at (714) 556-2787 open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily

"Everything about our February 2014 Costa Mesa program is exciting to us," expresses Christopher Costanza. "The combination of works is unique and innovative, and we're especially fired up about the new quartet we'll be premiering by James Matheson. The Korngold 3rd quartet, a rarely heard gem composed right at the end of World War II, marks Korngold's first offering of concert music after a long period of composing film scores."

Tickets for St. Lawrence String Quartet start at $29 and are now available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. A free Preview Talk with musicologist and author Herbert Glass will take place at 7:15 p.m. in Samueli Theater.

The St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ) The St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ) has established itself among the world-class chamber ensembles of its generation. Its mission: bring every piece of music to the audience in vivid color, with pronounced communication and teamwork, and great respect to the composer. Since winning both the Banff International String Quartet Competition and Young Concert Artists International Auditions in 1992, the quartet has delighted audiences with its spontaneous, passionate, and dynamic performances. Alex Ross of The New Yorker magazine writes, "the St. Lawrence are remarkable not simply for the quality of their music making, exalted as it is, but for the joy they take in the act of connection."

Whether playing Haydn or premiering a new work, the SLSQ has a rare ability to bring audiences to rapt attention. They reveal surprising nuances in familiar repertoire and illuminate the works of some of today's most celebrated composers, often all in the course of one evening. John Adams has written two critically-acclaimed works expressly for the quartet, including "String Quartet" (2009) and "Absolute Jest" (2012), which they premiered with the San Francisco Symphony in 2012. In 2011, SLSQ premiered "Qohelet," a work by Osvaldo Golijov, also composed for them.

SLSQ maintains a busy touring schedule. Some 2013/14 season highlights include visits to Vancouver, Princeton, Portland, OR, Toronto, Philadelphia, Ann Arbor, Palm Beach, Washington, DC, and will premiere a new work by George Tsontakis in Carmel, CA. They will perform "Absolute Jest" with the Toronto Symphony, and also on a European tour with the San Francisco Symphony. During the summer season, SLSQ is proud to continue its long association with the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC.

Since 1998 the SLSQ has held the position of Ensemble in Residence at Stanford University. This residency includes working with music students as well as extensive collaborations with other faculty and departments using music to explore myriad topics. Recent collaborations have involved the School of Medicine, School of Education, and the Law School. In addition to their appointment at Stanford, the SLSQ are visiting artists in residence at Arizona State University at Tempe. The foursome's passion for opening up musical arenas to players and listeners alike is evident in their annual summer chamber music seminar at Stanford and their many forays into the depths of musical meaning with preeminent music educator Robert Kapilow.

Lesley Robertson and Geoff Nuttall are founding members of the group, and hail from Edmonton, Alberta, and London, Ontario, respectively. Christopher Costanza is from Utica, NY, and joined the group in 2003. Mark Fewer, a native of Newfoundland, begins his first season with the quartet in 2014, succeeding violinist Scott St. John. All four members of the quartet live and teach at Stanford, in the Bay Area of California.

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