Ulysses Quartet to Perform Live From Music Mountain, June 21

For the 91st summer in a row, Music Mountain is once more the favorite place to be at on Sunday afternoons for chamber music fans. The big difference this year is that there is no commute, since the venue at Music Mountain remains closed due to COVID-19. Instead, music lovers worldwide can enjoy Live From Music Mountain from the comfort of their living room by simply visiting the Music Mountain website, musicmountain.org. Live From Music Mountain includes conversations with leading artists, musical excerpts, and more. Music Mountain invites the public to submit questions for the artists in advance or in real time.

This Sunday, Live From Music Mountain presents the Ulysses String Quartet, praised for their "textural versatility," "grave beauty," "the kind of chemistry many quartets long for, but rarely achieve" (The Strad) and "avid enthusiasm ... [with] chops to back up their passion" (San Diego Story), "delivered with a blend of exuberance and polished artistry" (Buffalo News).

The Ulysses Quartet will join remotely, in observance of physical distancing guidelines, to share their recent recordings of Beethoven's Song of Thanksgiving (third movement of Beethoven's String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132), Ravel's String Quartet in F Major (third movement), Janáček String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters" (fourth movement), and selections from individual recitals the members of the quartet have performed in the time of COVID-19.

The Ulysses Quartet offered a spectacular fall concert at Music Mountain last year and were slated to perform their Music Mountain debut concert this summer. Music Mountain takes great pride in mentoring talented young string quartets. Thirty-one years ago, the Shanghai Quartet performed at Music Mountain for the first time at Isaac Stern's recommendation, and continued to return every year for 30 years, performing a glorious Beethoven string quartet cycle in 2018. The Ulysses Quartet has been very active in the time of COVID-19, and the conversation on Sunday promises to be inspiring, as well as an opportunity to learn about the many ways in which artists continue to share their passion for music with audiences today.

Live From Music Mountain is supported by Herrington's and Northwest Corner Gives, a COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund made possible by the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation from anonymous and discretionary Community Foundation funds, including the Draper Foundation Fund, Khurshed Bhumgara Fund, Marion Wm. & Alice Edwards Fund, The Echo Valley Foundation Fund, Keroden Endowed Fund, Edward W. Diskavich Fund, Lucia Tuttle Fritz Fund, Nolin Selby Fund, and the Miriam Mason Cable Trust Fund; through the Melville Charitable Trust, through generous gifts from community members, and in partnership with Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

Live From Music Mountain starts at 3 pm ET on Sunday, June 21, 2020, at musicmountain.org, on YouTube and on Facebook Live. Questions can be submitted in advance via email to info@musicmountain.org.