Sunday, March 30, 3:00 pm, The Ulysses String Quartet
“A young ensemble that represents the very best the current generation has to offer.”
Concert Program (follow this link for the complete playbill):
Franz Joseph Haydn: “Emperor” Quartet, op. 76/3 in C
*Lera Auerbach: String Quartet No. 3, “Cetera desunt”
Antonin Dvořák: String Quartet in A-flat Major, Op. 105
Christina Bouey, violin; Rhiannon Banerdt, violin; Peter Dudek, viola; Grace Ho, cello
Sponsored by John and Pamela Hanold in honor of musical institutions everywhere.
Founded in 2015, the Ulysses Quartet members hail from Canada, the United States and Taiwan and quickly established themselves as prize winners – 1st prize in the Vietnam International Competition in 2019, to name but one. The group’s name pays homage to Homer’s hero Odysseus and his arduous homeward voyage, signifying the constant pursuit of artistic and personal ideals.
Their concert schedule has taken them both near and far: Jordan Hall in Boston, Sociaedad Filharmonica in Bilbao, Spain and a debut in Mexico City in the past year. In the fall of 2023, the Ulysses Quartet became GBH Music’s first-ever quartet in residence, a season-long partnership made possible by a generous contribution from the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation. Ulysses recently released their debut album, Shades of Romani Folklore on the Navona label. The quartet also has two new collaborative albums out: Sea Change Quartets by Grammy-nominated composer Joseph Summer, and A Giant Beside You with guitarist Benjamin Verdery.
The Ulysses Quartet believes intensely in the power of music to inspire, enlighten and bring people together. This is the guiding principle of the Ulysses Quartet Foundation, dedicated to the performance and promotion of classical music of the past and present day to benefit the broadest possible audience of music lovers and potential music lovers by expanding their understanding and appreciation of the musical arts. Ulysses aims to use this platform to raise the voices of underrepresented BIPOC and female composers. The quartet also offers interactive programs and workshops for all ages that serve to demystify the traditional repertoire while introducing audiences to diverse programming. Their programs enable participants to learn about the inner workings of a string quartet and to explore the connections between classical music and our world today. The members of Ulysses hold degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, the Juilliard School, and University of North Texas. The musicians perform on instruments and bows graciously on loan from the Maestro Foundation and private donors.
The Ulysses Quartet is the 2024-25 season’s most “youthful” ensemble and the resultant energy, adventurousness and avidity is unmistakable. They are not afraid to color outside the lines, so to speak, and explore unchartered territory for string ensembles . Check out this link to “Sycorax the Witch: A Horror Music Short Film” below for a glimpse into the Ulysses Quartet’s daring-do.
In Their Own Words
Musician and VCC Board Member Andrea Bonsignore (AB) has put together an e-mail interview with the Ulysses Quartet (UQ). Here are Andrea’s questions and the (UQ) responses in the Their Own Words.
(AB) When you explore the Ulysses Quartet’s website it soon becomes clear that this is a group of musicians embracing a wide range of approaches to performances, projects – and all manner of engagement with the classical music canon. I wanted to learn a bit more about their mindset, their M.O., if you will. The Ulysses members were kind enough to take time out of their very busy schedules and answer a few questions about their unique and exciting work.
It’s impossible not to notice that of all the ensembles in VCC’s 2024-25 season, your website is the “liveliest,” including many photos with costumes and links to adventurous videos. Is there one mastermind behind the dramatic explorations, or do you arrive at these creative choices together? Tell me more about your group’s commitment to presenting yourselves in ways that are not as traditional, hide-bound.
(UQ) We are very lucky to have a creative and talented videographer “in the family”—Christina’s husband Michael Sinicropi. He takes the lead on our video projects and makes them possible, but it’s a collaborative process and we all have fun working together and contributing our own ideas. As a group, we’re really passionate about bringing the music we love to the widest possible audience, and we find that these less traditional presentations often connect us with younger demographics and those who might not have a lot of experience with classical music. Also, we just enjoy creating art together!
(AB) Having performed (oboist) in the Young Audiences organization for decades I am especially interested to hear about highlights from your work in schools, in the community. What repertoire choices excited students (and others) the most? What “clicked” most readily? And please, please – share some memorable stories. I was always buoyed by observations and comments that arose from audience members of all ages in all locales – often insightful, and sometimes hilarious. I would love to hear some of what you have encountered.
(UQ) One of the really fascinating (and also exciting) things about performing for so many young people in schools and other community settings is that we get to see them respond to a wide variety of music, discovering what speaks to them individually. Some had never seen string instruments up close before, and by the end of our shows, they were asking how to hold a bow, how to make a sound. We even have a program that asks students to vote for the funniest composer—Haydn, Mozart, Stravinsky, or Anderson—and we have different winners every time, often in a landslide.
One piece that kids everywhere love is a movement from *DBR’s Quartet No. 5, “Rosa Parks,” called Klap Ur Handz, which gives them the chance to participate in the performance by clapping along.There are a lot of moments that are hard to describe in our work with young people: we have a lot of students ask how they can learn an instrument after they hear us play, or ask if they can hug us as thanks for sharing music with them. At one public high school we visited in Boston, a class sat on stage with us for one of the programs and started a spontaneous drumming and dance circle during a piece by the Danish String Quartet.
(AB) The Ulysses Quartet,In the 10 years or so of your existence, has a notable commitment to featuring music by under-represented composers. Bravo!
The endeavor seems genuine, and not merely a way to “check a box” and appear current. Which of the compositions in this journey of discovery were the most surprising, and the most likely to enter the repertoire and be shared with wider audience going forward? ALSO … given the current fraught climate surrounding any and all considerations of DEI, are you having to shift decisions about future projects, approaches to funding, programming, etc.?
(UQ) When we are putting together programs, it’s important to us that we’re performing music that we love and want to share with others. Our experience has been that audiences are excited to hear the variety of music that we present and that much of it resonates deeply with listeners of all backgrounds. Given that, it would seem a shame to deprive our audience of the opportunity to hear fantastic music from voices they might not encounter elsewhere. Funding for special projects is always challenging, but we believe there will continue to be those who support the performance of great music.
* Daniel Bernard Rumain – check out Klap Ur Handz from his Quartet No.5, Rosa Parks on Youtube. Fantastic!
More about the Ulysses
Ulysses Videos:
http://www.ulyssesquartet.com/videos
Mendelssohn, from the Ulysses Quartet YouTube:
https://youtu.be/1zIbNA2zK1w
Artist’s Biographies:
https://www.ulyssesquartet.com/individualbios
*More about Lera Auerbach:
The Human Journey: Lera Auerbach on Composing ARCTICA