This month we are are looking forward to meeting Latvian composer Peteris Vasks, whose String Quartet No. 4 we played in 2007 for our New York debut. We had studied the work with the Kronos Quartet (who commissioned the work) and enjoyed the piece’s scope — its crushing sense of loss, the bristling energy of its Toccatas, and the beauty of its final movement, Meditation. When Park Avenue in New York asked us to play the Vasks in a program with Paul Vasile playing two of his organ pieces, we jumped at the chance to meet with Peteris and to play the piece through for him. The concert is May 8th at Park Avenue Christian Church.

The month of May sees the Quartet working towards our performances at the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, where we play three Mozart Viola Quintets with Barry Shiffman and Michael Tree. To discover these pieces with artists of this calibre and expertise is a treat. The Quartet is also preparing for our recording of three Beethoven Quartets at The Banff Centre in June as well as our summer programming and projects. “People in my apartment building may find our rehearsal repertoire interesting these days,” says Adrian. “They will hear Mozart, Vasks’ intensely beautiful Quartet, and then, an hour later, the rock-and-roll energy of Elvis’ music.”

More news about Elvis and our summer next month, but if you’d like a hint at what’s to come, check out the Events page for program details.