The Dali String Quartet Launches New PRIMAVERA PRESENTS Series

The first Primavera Presents musical event will take place on Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 3 p.m. with a concert by The Dali Quartet, the highly acclaimed string musicians who are known for bringing Latin American quartet repertoire to the Classical and Romantic canon.

The Primavera Fund, a Philadelphia music education organization that provides mentorship and financial support to underserved young classical musicians, presents this event at Benjamin Franklin Hall at the American Philosophical Society, 427 Chestnut Street. Tickets are $100 for the concert and a reception and can be purchased at https://pfpresentsdali.eventbrite.com.

The award-winning Dalí Quartet presents Classical Roots and Latin Soul programming to enthusiastic audiences across the U.S., Canada and South America. Trained by world-renowned artists, members of the Dalí Quartet are from Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the US, and have degrees from esteemed institutions including the New England Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, Juilliard, Indiana University Bloomington, and the Simón Bolivar Conservatory in Caracas, Venezuela. The group is proud to be the 2021 recipient of Chamber Music America's Guarneri String Quartet Residency, funded by the Sewell Family Foundation, and the 2021 Silver Medal at the inaugural Piazzolla Music Competition. The quartet is also the 2019 recipient of the Atlanta Symphony's esteemed Aspire Award for accomplished African American and Latino Musicians.

Ari Isaacman-Beck, a violinist with Dali Quartet, speaks for the group about their respect for the Primavera Fund. He said, "It's an honor to play at the first Primavera Presents concert. We have such respect for their commitment to youth in the underserved community. I've wanted to find other ways to create better equity in arts education, and the Primavera Fund does just that. The opportunities they provide these young musicians will change their lives forever. We are all honored to support them and perform at this concert."

The Primavera Fund was founded in 2014 by Rachel Segal and Kenny Bean who built the program based on the tenet that talent should never be lost because of financial circumstances. Their mission is to promote diversity in classical music through mentoring and financially sustaining the musical ambitions of young promising Philadelphians.

Rachel Segal's career as a violinist had focused on performance and stretching boundaries. In addition to enjoying a successful career as an orchestral musician both at home and abroad, As a Chamber Musician, Rachel has performed both traditional classical and experimental music, and has commissioned and performed new works by living composers and has promoted the work of composers from traditionally less visible communities. She arranges music and is an experienced performer of traditional Argentine Tango music. Kenneth Bean has focused on teaching and youth development. He is the Director/conductor of several orchestras including PYO Music Institute's YMDO (Young Musicians Debut Orchestra), Symphony in C and as Assistant Conductor of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra. Both share the belief that what makes a great musician is the right combination of ability, guidance, and resources.

Named by Rachel Segal for Maestro Joseph Primavera, who was music director of Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) for 51 years. She says, "I was in PYO for six years. The Maestro was the most important musical influence in my life, and he always wanted to see more students from Philadelphia in the PYO. Understanding that many students are not highly resourced, he wanted to encourage more children to have opportunities in the world of classical music. We created the Primavera Fund to help accomplish this goal. He was important to me, to Philadelphia, to many music students throughout his 51 years. I'm proud to further his work under his name."

Students who graduate from high school and are still in the Primavera Fund have 100% acceptance into college and university programs. Recognized by many for their outstanding work, in 2021, in Philadelphia Magazine they were voted "Best of Philly." Eligibility for participation in the Primavera Fund is based on family income and students must have a strong desire to pursue music professionally. The Primavera Fund provides individualized, focused support, education about the music world and career paths and access to the best educational opportunities to ensure that they are prepared for college or conservatory level study. Once accepted, students have access to an instrument from the Norman Holland Hull Instrument Library for the duration of their study and for as long as it useful to them in college and beyond. For more information, visit www.primaverafund.org

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