New Paltz, NY – The young, prize-winning Harlem Quartet will appear in concert at the State University of New York at New Paltz on Tuesday, February 17th in McKenna Theatre at 8:00 p.m. A pre-concert lecture/demonstration by the quartet is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the theatre. Under the sponsorship of the Davenport Residency Program, this internationally applauded quartet will be in residence at the college February 17 – 20.
The Harlem Quartet made an acclaimed appearance in the fall of 2006 at the Sphinx Organization’s Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall, earning rave reviews from The New York Times. In November 2008, The New York Times showcased the ensemble (noting its members of black American and Hispanic heritage) as an exciting example of an emerging group on the current music scene. Other appearances have been at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, on WNBC, CNN and the Today Show. In addition to being avid chamber musicians, each member of the Harlem Quartet is a seasoned solo artist, having appeared with the New York Philharmonic, the Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Sinaloa de las Artes (Mexico) and Baltimore Symphonies and the Boston Pops, among others. The quartet’s highly praised members include violinists Ilmar Gavilan and Melissa White, violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez, and cellist Desmond Neysmith.
The evening’s program will feature a wide variety of works including Pastorale by David Baker, a noted jazz artist and educator, Duke Ellington’s A-Train, and Lyric for Strings by George Walker, who in 1996 became the first African-American artist to win the Pulitzer Prize. Also on the program will be Quartet No. 1 by Walter Piston and the Quartet in C minor of Johannes Brahms.
The Davenport Residency Program was established to honor the memory of Kenneth and Mary “Whitt” Davenport, great friends and generous philanthropists for the arts at SUNY New Paltz and throughout the Hudson Valley region. Residencies are designed to connect fine young performing ensembles from today’s new music world with SUNY New Paltz students and the community.
Celebrate Black History Month by attending the Harlem Quartet concert, and enjoy the extraordinary talents of its members and the music of the composers they will perform.
Tickets will be available at the Box Office, located in Parker Theatre (845-257-3880), Monday – Friday 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. beginning February 2. Ticket prices are $10 general admission, $8 seniors/staff, $6 students. Call the Box Office to purchase tickets and for additional information.
