On Feb. 15, the St. Lawrence String Quartet will perform works by Mozart, Shostakovich and Schafer at Libby Gardner Concert Hall.
The quartet has been astounding audiences and critics since its inception 16 years ago. In 1992, the quartet was named the winner of not only the Banff International String Quartet Competition but also the Young Concert Artists Auditions. The group’s first recording won Canada’s Juno Award and the German award Preis der Deutschen Shallplattenkritik. The St. Lawrence String Quartet received two Grammy nominations in 2002 for its recording of music by composer Osvaldo Golijov. The group most recently put out a recording of string quartets by Christos Hatzis, titled Awakening.
This quartet is well acquainted with traditional repertoire but is dedicated to playing contemporary music by living composers.
In addition to a rigorous performance schedule, the foursome has been the Ensemble in Residence at Stanford University since 1998. The quartet has also maintained its position as visiting artists to the University of Toronto for the past 11 years and was recently appointed a new visiting residency at the University of Arizona.
As educators and innovative performers, the St. Lawrence String Quartet will assuredly present audiences with a fascinating concert. Training with the Emerson, Tokyo and Julliard String Quartets, they promise a high level of commitment and quality, and the variety of composers represented in their performance will suit the tastes of any classical enthusiast.