The internationally renowned Calder Quartet will present a diverse program spanning classical and contemporary works at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium (332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106) on Sunday, February 2 at 3:30 p.m. The performance showcases the group’s commitment to both traditional repertoire and modern innovation in chamber music, reflecting their mission to bring immediacy and context to musical performances.
“The superb Calder Quartet showed that the time-honored string quartet format still provides fertile ground for innovation and surprise in the hands of imaginative, skillful creators,” wrote The New York Times, highlighting the ensemble’s distinctive approach.
The program features Beethoven’s Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4, Thomas Adès’ The Four Quarters for String Quartet, Op. 28, Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte, and Debussy’s Quartet in G minor, Op. 10. The quartet, comprising violinists Benjamin Jacobson and Tereza Stanislav, violist Jonathan Moerschel, and cellist Eric Byers, has earned acclaim for their interpretations of both classical and contemporary works.
Formed at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, the ensemble continued their studies at the Colburn Conservatory with Ronald Leonard and at the Juilliard School, where they received the Artist Diploma in Chamber Music Studies as the Juilliard Graduate Resident String Quartet. The Calder Quartet has established itself as a leading voice in chamber music, winning the 2014 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2002 Coleman Competition Saunderson Prize.
In 2011, the quartet launched a nonprofit dedicated to furthering their efforts in commissioning, presenting, recording, and education. Their commitment to new music has resulted in premieres of dozens of string quartets by composers including Peter Eötvös, Andrew Norman, Christopher Rouse, Ted Hearne, and Christopher Cerrone.
The Washington Post praised their interpretative skills, noting that “The Calder’s Beethoven was full of flaring drama, furrowed brows and quiet intensity. But, with the tightest of ensemble playing and well-judged balancing of instrumental voices, the piece retained its classical integrity and polished finish.”
The quartet has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Disney Hall, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wigmore Hall, Barbican, Salzburg Festival, Donaueschingen Festival, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Tonhalle Zurich, IRCAM Paris, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, and Sydney Opera House. They have collaborated with renowned musicians including Thomas Adès, Joshua Bell, Menahem Pressler, and Edgar Meyer, while also working with contemporary acts such as Andrew WK, Lord Huron, Vampire Weekend, and The National.
Their media presence extends to television appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel, as well as radio features on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, Performance Today, and NPR. The quartet maintains an active teaching schedule, conducting master classes at leading institutions including the Colburn School, Oberlin School, Juilliard School, and Cleveland Institute of Music.
Tickets are available at https://ci.ovationtix.com/
