I remember the first time I heard the Parker Quartet play Schubert. It was back in 2016, where, having just started, I was suddenly in the position of being able to invite guest ensembles. Naturally the first group I thought of was the Parker Quartet. I had always known of them; my brother was close to Dan from school and had often mentioned how “Dan is the best first violinist I know”.
They were a phenom from the get go, making a volcano of an entrance by winning a slew of major chamber music competitions, from the Concert Artists Guild and Grand Prix and Mozart Prize at Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition in 2005, to the Cleveland Quartet award in 2009.
After receiving a Grammy® for their album of the notoriously impossible Ligeti String Quartets, they became cemented as one of the best string quartets performing today.
The Schubert string quartet they performed at their first concert at Garth Newel was “Death and the Maiden”. Standing in the back, I remember becoming completely still as their perfectly balanced swell of sound filled me. There was such a smooth purity of blend that the music ceased to be outside coming in, but part of oneself; organic. Their interpretation was so natural that I had no desire for anything different.
And that’s the beauty of the Parker Quartet. They know each other so well that the music they produce flows with such ease and satisfaction, and their prowess and musicianship are some of the best I’ve witnessed.
So of course, we invite them back every year. They’ve grown to become dear friends, and we’re lucky that they enjoy coming to Garth Newel.
This summer, you’ll get to experience their Schubert with his “Rosamunde” quartet, a quartet famed for its beautiful melodies and with whom Schubert had wanted “to pave the way to the great symphony”. It will be performed on July 25th at 6pm, along with John Adam’s rhythmically exciting Fellow Traveler, as well as Ravel’s glorious string quartet.
On Saturday at 5pm, the Parker Quartet will perform a blockbuster program. The concert will start with a bang with Beethoven’s intense “Serioso” quartet, followed by Shostakovich’s exhilarating 8th Quartet, said to be an autobiographical portrait of the composer’s dramatic life, and end with the balm of Debussy’s String Quartet.
You definitely don’t want to miss what will be two amazing concerts by the masterful Parker Quartet. Make your reservations at:
