Telegraph Quartet Will Perform a Virtual Concert as Part of Noontime Concerts

The Telegraph Quartet (Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violins; Pei-Ling Lin, viola; Jeremiah Shaw, cello) will be presented by Noontime Concerts on a virtual program, available to watch beginning Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 12:30pm at www.noontimeconcerts.org. The quartet's performance from Old St. Mary's Cathedral, (660 California Street) will include Florence Price's Five Folksongs in Counterpoint and Beethoven's String Quartet, Op. 132.

In her Five Folksongs in Counterpoint, Florence Price takes the simplicity of American folk songs and spirituals and works those melodies against each other to create a tapestry of counterpoint and interaction. Written around 1951, but only rediscovered in 2009, the work is a powerful contrapuntal rendering of five popular African-American spirituals and folk songs.

While composing his autobiographical masterpiece, String Quartet Op. 132, Beethoven fell ill. When he finally regained his health, Beethoven expressed his gratitude by composing the "Heiliger Dankgesang" or "Song of Thanksgiving," the third movement of the work, and one of the most hopeful and joyous moments in the history of the string quartet repertoire. The work as a whole, shifts between the unrest of doubt and the yearning for salvation.

About the Telegraph Quartet: The Telegraph Quartet (Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violins; Pei-Ling Lin, viola; Jeremiah Shaw, cello) formed in 2013 with an equal passion for the standard chamber music repertoire and contemporary, non-standard works alike. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as "...an incredibly valuable addition to the cultural landscape" and "powerfully adept... with a combination of brilliance and subtlety," the Telegraph Quartet was awarded the prestigious 2016 Walter W. Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Grand Prize at the 2014 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. The Quartet has performed in concert halls, music festivals, and academic institutions across the United States and abroad, including New York City's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, San Francisco's Herbst Theatre, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music's Chamber Masters Series, and at festivals including the Chautauqua Institute, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, and the Emilia Romagna Festival. The Quartet is currently on the chamber music faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as the Quartet-in-Residence.

Notable collaborations include projects with pianists Leon Fleisher and Simone Dinnerstein; cellists Norman Fischer and Bonnie Hampton; violinist Ian Swensen; composer-vocalist Theo Bleckmann; and the Henschel Quartett. A fervent champion of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire, the Telegraph Quartet has premiered works by John Harbison, Robert Sirota, and Richard Festinger.

In 2018 the Quartet released its debut album, Into the Light, featuring works by Anton Webern, Benjamin Britten, and Leon Kirchner on the Centaur label. The San Francisco Chronicle praised the album, saying, "Just five years after forming, the Bay Area's Telegraph Quartet has established itself as an ensemble of serious depth and versatility, and the group's terrific debut recording only serves to reinforce that judgment." AllMusic acclaimed, "An impressive beginning for an adventurous group, this 2018 release puts the Telegraph Quartet on the map.

Beyond the concert stage, the Telegraph Quartet seeks to spread its music through education and audience engagement. The Quartet has given master classes at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Collegiate and Pre-College Divisions, through the Morrison Artist Series at San Francisco State University, and abroad at the Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taiwan Normal University, and in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Telegraph has also served as artists-in-residence at the Interlochen Adult Chamber Music Camp, SoCal Chamber Music Workshop, and Crowden Music Center Chamber Music Workshop. In November 2020, the Telegraph Quartet launched ChamberFEAST!, a chamber music workshop in Taiwan.

The Telegraph Quartet adapted to the challenging times presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and performed virtual concerts presented by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Crowden Chamber Music Workshop, Noe Music, Noontime Concerts, Music in Corrales, and Intermusic SF. For Earth Day 2020 (the 50th anniversary of Earth Day), the National Academy of Science in collaboration with the ClimateMusic Project hosted a virtual performance by the Telegraph Quartet of Richard Festinger's Icarus in Flight. In 2020, Telegraph launched an ongoing online video project called TeleLab, in which the ensemble collectively breaks down the components of a movement from various works for quartet. For more information, visit www.telegraphquartet.com.

About Noontime Concerts: Noontime Concerts is a 501 (c) (3) charitable educational institution dedicated to providing an accessible means for the public to experience, enjoy, learn about, and appreciate the presentation of high-quality classical music performances for free through a program structure that supports promising local and International Artists.

Fulfilling the vision of internationally renowned vocalist Alexandra Ivanoff, Noontime Concerts has remained a treasured Bay Area landmark, presenting hundreds of classical concerts performed by outstanding local and international musicians each Tuesday afternoon in the heart of San Francisco. Founded at Old St. Mary's Cathedral, the series is now in its 30th year and is recognized as a valued local institution that continues to fulfill its mission to enrich the community and cultural life of the Bay Area.

Noontime Concerts are not ticketed but suggested donations are solicited to ensure all can enjoy performances regardless of ability to pay. Low-cost live musical performances are offered at a time convenient for downtown workers, visitors to San Francisco, students, shoppers, and music lovers in general. Currently, Noontime Concerts are presented weekly on Tuesdays at 12:30 in historic Old Saint Mary's Cathedral.

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