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Katonah, NY ~ 5/21/2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: Cohn Dutcher Associates
Lois Cohn, 917.339.7187, lcohn@cohndutcher.com
Dan Dutcher, 917.339.7157, ddutcher@cohndutcher.com
Laura Malick, 917.339.7183, lmalick@cohndutcher.com
David Mayhew, 203.533.5621, david@davidmayhew.net
CARAMOOR INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
Presents
Hugo Wolf Quartett
Thursday, June 26, 7:30 p.m.
First Performance in the 2008 Festival's
"Quartet of Quartets"
Katonah, New York - Caramoor International Music Festival opens its 2008 string quartet program - "Quartet of Quartets" - with Austria's celebrated Hugo Wolf Quartett on Thursday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Spanish Courtyard. The other performances in the series this summer are the Escher String Quartet, Caramoor's 2007-08 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence which will give the world premiere of Pierre Jalbert's String Quartet No. 4, commissioned by Caramoor, on July 10; the Daedalus Quartet on July 17; and the Emerson String Quartet on July 20.
For its Caramoor debut, the Hugo Wolf Quartett presents an exploration of three centuries of Viennese string quartet repertoire: Haydn's String Quartet in C Major, Op. 33, No. 3 (The Bird); Webern's 5 Sätze, Op. 5; and Schubert's String Quartet in G Major, D. 887.
Within just a few short years the Hugo Wolf Quartett - Sebastian Gürtler and Régis Bringolf, violins; Gertrud Weinmeister, viola; and Florian Berner, cello - developed from a chamber music lover's insider tip to one of the most sought-after string quartets of its generation. The Quartett was founded at the Vienna University of Music. Shortly thereafter, the four young musicians won the Fifth International String Quartet Competition in Cremona and took First Prize at the 45th International G.B. Viotti Chamber Music Competition, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Special Prize, and the European Cultural Award for Chamber Music.
In their west coast debut, John Henken in the Los Angeles Times wrote, "[They] play without fear. Urgent and impassioned, yes, but with an absolute commitment to the ideal values of every note. Their personalities are clearly defined yet well-meshed, with no technical weakness anywhere." In their more than ten years together the Hugo Wolf Quartett has performed in the most prominent concert halls and renowned festivals throughout the world, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Philharmonie Berlin, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, London's Wigmore Hall, and Carnegie Hall in New York. Festival appearances have included the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Edinburgh Festival, L'été musical dans la vallée du Lot, Colmar Festival, and many others.
The name was granted to the quartet by the International Hugo Wolf Society of Vienna. The late Romantic composer Hugo Wolf was situated between the great Viennese music tradition and its departure into the modern period. His name is thus used as a symbol for a performing repertoire stretching from the Western Classical Period and far beyond the Second Viennese School.
Tickets for the Hugo Wolf Quartett are $15 and $25 and may be ordered by calling the Caramoor Box Office at 914.232.1252 or online at www.caramoor.org.
QUARTET OF QUARTETS
In continuing with Caramoor's great tradition of chamber music, the 2008 Summer Festival will include the "Quartet of Quartets" on Thursday, July 10 with the Escher String Quartet, Caramoor's 2007-08 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, which will give the world premiere of Pierre Jalbert's String Quartet No. 4, commissioned by Caramoor. Jalbert was recently the recipient of the Elise L. Stoeger Prize for composition. The program also includes Zemlinsky's String Quartet No. 3, Op. 19; Bartók's String Quartet No. 3 in C sharp Major, Sz. 85; and Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96 (American).
On Thursday, July 17, the Daedalus Quartet, Grand Prize winner of the 2001 Banff International String Quartet Competition and Caramoor's 2003-04 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence will be heard in a program featuring Haydn's Quartet No. 27 in D Major, Op. 20, No. 4, Hob. III:34; Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73; and the String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56 (Voces Intimae) by Sibelius.
The Emerson String Quartet returns to Caramoor on Sunday, July 20, with a rarely-heard program of Brahms' string quartets: Quartet in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2; Quartet in B flat, Op. 67; and Quartet in C minor, Op. 51, No.1. Their performance in the Venetian Theater is also designated as a Caramoor Al Fresco performance, offering audiences the opportunity to enjoy the sounds of the concert from the picnic grounds for only $9.00 per ticket.
ABOUT CARAMOOR
Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built the great house and filled it with their treasures. Walter Rosen was the master planner for the Caramoor estate, bringing to reality his dream of creating a place to entertain friends from around the world. Their musical evenings were the seeds of today's International Music Festival. Realizing the pleasure their friends took in the beauty of Caramoor - the house with its art collection, the gardens, and the musical programs on summer evenings - the Rosens established a Foundation to open Caramoor to the public in perpetuity.
Lucie Rosen survived her husband by seventeen years. During those years, she expanded the Music Festival: the Spanish Courtyard was used as a setting for musical events, as it is today, and, under her direction, the great stage of the Venetian Theater was built.
Caramoor is a Garden of Great Music. "We invite people to come early, explore our beautiful grounds, take a tour of the House Museum, visit our gift shop, enjoy a pre-concert picnic, and discover beautiful music in a relaxed setting," advises Paul Rosenblum, Caramoor's Managing Director. With its unique heritage, Caramoor remains a place where magical summer days and nights are shared and enjoyed by thousands. "Caramoor is the loveliest Festival of them all." - The New York Times
Art and Gardens
Concerts take place in two outdoor theaters: the large, acoustically superb Venetian Theater and the more intimate, romantic Spanish Courtyard. Caramoor is more than just music - there is beauty at every turn. The House Museum, the former summer home of Caramoor's founders, Lucie and Walter Rosen, contains a vast collection of Renaissance, 18th-century, and Eastern art objects, including furniture, tapestries, sculpture, paintings, textiles, porcelain, and jade in twenty rooms that are open to the public. There are entire rooms that were imported from European palaces and villas. In fact, Caramoor is one of just five mansions in the country that incorporate entire rooms into its collection. On Thursdays and Fridays, afternoon tea is served in the Summer Dining Room overlooking the charming Spanish Courtyard.
Caramoor's gardens are also well worth the visit and include nine unique perennial gardens. Among them are a Sense Circle for the visually handicapped, a Butterfly Garden, Tapestry Hedge, and an Iris and Peony Garden, which may be enjoyed on one?s own or seen on a guided tour.
Enjoy a Picnic at Caramoor
Extend your Caramoor experience by arriving for concerts early and enjoying a picnic amidst the beautiful gardens. Bring your own picnic or pre-order from Great Performances® by calling 212.337.6055.
House Museum
Guided tours of the House Museum are provided from Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. with the last tour at 3:00 p.m. On Saturdays, during the Festival, tours are given from 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., with the last tour at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 (children 16 and under free).
GETTING TO CARAMOOR
Caramoor is easy to get to by car and mass transportation.
By car from the West Side of Manhattan and New Jersey, take the Saw Mill River Parkway north to Katonah. Exit at Route 35/Cross River. Turn right and, at the first traffic light, make a right turn onto Route 22 south. Travel 1.9 miles to the junction of Girdle Ridge Road. Follow the signs to Caramoor. (For detailed directions call 914.232.5035 and press 2, or online at www.caramoor.org). Parking at Caramoor is free.
By train, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available.
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"QUARTET OF QUARTETS"
Thursday, June 26 HUGO WOLF QUARTETT
7:30 p.m. Sebastian Gürtler, violin
Spanish Courtyard Régis Bringolf, violins
$25, $15 Gertrud Weinmeister, viola
Florian Berner, cello
Haydn String Quartet in C Major, Op. 33, No. 3 (The Bird)
Webern Sätze, Op. 5
Schubert String Quartet in G Major, D. 887
Thursday, July 10 ESCHER STRING QUARTET
7:30 p.m. 2007-08 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence
Spanish Courtyard Adam Barnett-Hart, violin
$25, $15 Wu Jie, violin
Pierre Lapointe, viola
Andrew Janss, cello
Zemlinsky String Quartet No. 3, Op. 19
Jalbert String Quartet No. 4 (Caramoor commission and
World Premiere)
Bartók String Quartet No. 3 in C sharp Major, Sz. 85
Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96 (American)
Thursday, July 17 DAEDALUS QUARTET
7:30 p.m. 2003-04 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence
Spanish Courtyard Min-Young Kim, violin
$25, $15 Kyu-Young Kim, violin
Jessica Thompson, viola
Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
Haydn Quartet No. 27 in D Major, Op. 20, No. 4, Hob. III:34
Shostakovich String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73
Sibelius String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56 (Voces Intimae)
Sunday, July 20 EMERSON STRING QUARTET
4:30 p.m. Eugene Drucker, violin
Venetian Theater Philip Setzer, violin
$40, $32.50 Lawrence Dutton, viola
$25, $17.50 David Finckel, cello
Al Fresco $
Brahms Quartet in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2
Brahms Quartet in B flat, Op. 67
Brahms Quartet in C minor, Op. 51, No
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CREDITS
Performances are made possible, in part, by Westchester Arts Council, with funds from Westchester County Government
Performances are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
TICKETS
Tickets may be ordered by calling the Box Office at 914.232.1252 or online at www.caramoor.org. (For opening night Gala tickets, including cocktail reception, dinner, concert, and post-concert dessert and dancing, email events@caramoor.org or call 914.232.1492.)
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, New York.
ALL PROGRAMS AND ARTISTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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Press Tickets:
Laura Malick
917.339.7183
lmalick@cohndutcher.com
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