Cypress Quartet
Feb 2010: Cypress Quartet premieres new piece based on Patchett's Bel Canto; releases new album
February 26, 2010
Cypress String Quartet
Announces 11th Annual Call & Response Concert
Featuring the world premiere of a new string quartet based on Ann Patchett's novel Bel Canto by composer Elena Ruehr
Concert preceded by three FREE public events
Cypress to hold student workshops at 11 Bay Area schools
New CD to be released February 23: How She Danced, String Quartets of Elena Ruehr
**review copies available now upon request**
"Ruehr's voice is as memorable as it is gentle." –Fanfare
For more information: www.cypressquartet.com
Friday, February 26, 2010 at 8pm
San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, Herbst Theatre
401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA
Tickets: $20-$40 Adults / $10-$20 Students & Seniors at www.cityboxoffice.com or 415.392.4400
Concert Program: Mozart's String Quartet in D Major, K.575; Elena Ruehr's Bel Canto (world premiere); Schubert's String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, "Death and the Maiden"
The Call & Response program was born out of the Cypress's commitment to present music as a dynamic and ongoing process of inspiration. Each year, the ensemble selects two works from the standard string quartet repertoire (the call) and commissions a third work (the response) based on inspiration derived from the two older works, exploring how contemporary music is a natural evolution of older works. For Call & Response 2010, instead of drawing inspiration solely from music, the Cypress examines how literature has influenced and inspired music through Elena Ruehr's new work based on the novel Bel Canto.
"When the Cypress asked me to write a new quartet for them, they told me they were programming it with Schubert's 'Death and the Maiden' and wanted me to write a quartet that, like Schubert's, was based on a song, poem or piece of literature," Ms. Ruehr said. "I had read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett when it was published about 10 years ago and was immediately drawn in. Since it depicts the drama of opera – the main character is an opera singer and the plot involves a copious amount of music and music-making – I had it in mind ever since as a possible inspirational source. The Cypress knows that I always travel with a big novel, and in fact, I read for at least an hour every day – it's one of my great pleasures. This string quartet, the Bel Canto, combines my greatest loves: the modern novel, gorgeous songs from the 19th and 20th centuries, and my favorite string quartet, the Cypress."
For the 2010 Call & Response concert, Ms. Ruehr's Bel Canto will be paired with older masterpieces also inspired by literature: Mozart's String Quartet in D Major K. 575 which drew inspiration from Goethe's poem "The Violet," and Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" string quartet, which was inspired by a poem by German poet, Matthias Claudius.
Over just a decade, the Cypress String Quartet has commissioned and premiered more than 30 new works, four of which are now included on Chamber Music America's list of 101 Great American Ensemble Works.
Known for their elegant performances, the Cypress's sound has been called "beautifully proportioned and powerful" by The Washington Post, and the ensemble has been singled out by Chamber Music Magazine as "a Generation X ensemble to watch."
How She Danced¸ String Quartets by Elena Ruehr CD
Call & Response 2010 coincides with the February 23 release of the Quartet's new CD entitled How She Danced, featuring world premiere recordings of Elena Ruehr's String Quartets No. 1 (1991), No. 3 (2001), and No. 4 (commissioned by the Cypress Quartet in 2005). This disc follows the success of the Cypress's recent recording of Beethoven's Late Quartets Op. 131 and 135, which Gramophone magazine praised as "revealing artistry of uncommon insight and cohesion."
How She Danced will be available on iTunes, CDbaby.com, Amazon.com, and other major retailers on February 23. The disc was produced by Cypress first violinist Cecily Ward and Mark Willsher, and recorded at Skywalker Sound.
Call & Response 2010 Additional Public Events
In addition to maintaining an international touring schedule, the Cypress has been a vibrant member of the San Francisco arts community since its founding in 1996. Dedicated to enriching the city's cultural landscape, the Cypress builds a program of free public outreach events and workshops for students in Bay Area schools each year around the Call & Response concert.
This year, on Tuesday, January 26 at 6pm, the Cypress celebrates the release of How She Danced at Le Colonial (20 Cosmo Place, San Francisco) with a CD release concert and party (admission is free). On Saturday, February 6 at 11am, they present a performance and discussion featuring works by Mozart and Schubert and excerpts from Elena Ruehr's Bel Canto entitled "Behind the Music" at the Community Music Center (free admission; 544 Capp Street, San Francisco). On Thursday, February 25 at 6:15pm, the Cypress presents "The Evolution of Bel Canto: A Cycle of Inspiration, from Music to Words to Music" with composer Elena Ruehr at the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch (free admission, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco).
In addition, Elena Ruehr's Bel Canto will receive an encore performance by the Cypress Quartet on Sunday, February 28 at 3pm as part of the Montalvo Arts Center's Villa Chamber Music Series (15400 Montalvo Rd., Saratoga, CA).
Bay Area schools participating in this year's Call & Response workshops include Berkeley High School, Monta Vista High School, Edna Brewer Middle School, West Lake Middle School, KIPP: Bayview Academy, Lowell High School, School of the Arts, University High School, Aragon High School, Davidson Middle School, and Miller Creek Middle School.
For a complete schedule of events open to the public, please see the end of this press release.
About the Cypress Quartet
The Cypress String Quartet formed in 1996 in San Francisco and during its first rehearsals together created a now-signature sound through intense readings of J.S. Bach's Chorales. Built up from the bottom register of the quartet and layered like a pyramid, the resulting sound is clear and transparent, allowing the texture of the music to be discerned immediately.
The Cypress String Quartet's unusual approach to their career is informed by their fierce dedication to the ensemble. Violinists Cecily Ward and Tom Stone were studying in San Francisco when the quartet came together. Jennifer Kloetzel and Ethan Filner relocated to San Francisco to form the group, and the foursome made a commitment to each other to only perform as a quartet (meaning that they would not take on teaching or freelance jobs as orchestral members or with other chamber ensembles). They realized early on that they needed to create their own performance opportunities and organized as a non-profit – the Cypress Performing Arts Association – rather than signing with a management agency. Eventually, they hired a small administrative staff.
This independent spirit is evident in their music as well. Cecily Ward explains, "We found our common ground in the music. Because we had not all gone to school together and had no common past or anyone shepherding us along, we were forced to find out who we are as an ensemble on our own – both in how we made a career and in how we create our sound."
The Cypress maintains a busy schedule of over 90 concerts each year at venues across the US and internationally, including major concert halls and series such as the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Stanford Lively Arts, Krannert Center and Ravinia Festival. During the 2008-2009 season, in addition to several Bay Area performances including a debut on the Cal Performances series in Berkeley, the Cypress returned to the Montalvo Arts Center for a series of concerts exploring the Late quartets of Beethoven and the inspirational influence of visual arts on composers from Debussy to George Tsontakis.
The Cypress Quartet members trained individually at institutions including The Juilliard School, Interlochen Arts Academy, Cleveland Institute of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal College of Music. They play exceptional instruments, including violins by Antonio Stradivarius (1681) and Carlos Bergonzi (1733), a viola by Vittorio Bellarosa (1947), and a cello by Hieronymus Amati II (1701). The Cypress Quartet takes its name from the set of twelve love songs for string quartet, The Cypresses, by Antonin Dvořák. For more information and the Cypress Quartet's most up to date concert schedule, visit www.cypressquartet.com.
About composer Elena Ruehr
Elena Ruehr has been called a "composer to watch" by Opera News, and her music has been described as "stunning . . . beautifully lighted by [a] canny instinct for knowing when and how to vary key, timbre, and harmony" by The Boston Globe. Bel Canto is Ms. Ruehr's second quartet for the Cypress. In 2005, she wrote her String Quartet No. 4 for the ensemble, and The Washington Post called it "music with heart and...a forceful sense of character and expression."
Ms. Ruehr grew up in Michigan's isolated Upper Peninsula, where her musical training began at home with her mother, who sang and played the guitar. Her father, a mathematician, played jazz piano. She began playing piano and composing at age four, and later studied modern dance. Her town of 4,000 was also home to Finnish kantele player and classical composer Melvin Kangas, whom Ms. Ruehr counts as her earliest mentor. She later studied with William Bolcom at the University of Michigan and Vincent Persichetti at The Juilliard School. In addition to her classical studies, she played in the University of Michigan Gamelan and studied West African drumming.
Ms. Ruehr has had commissions from and residencies with leading ensembles and presenters across the country. In addition to the Cypress Quartet, advocates for her music include the Borromeo String Quartet, the Shanghai String Quartet, and baritone Stephen Salters. A faculty member at M.I.T. since 1991, she has lectured at Princeton University, Boston College, Boston Conservatory, Longy School of Music, Berklee School of Music, Eastman School of Music, and Oberlin Conservatory, and was a fellow at Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute, Yaddo, and the Aspen Center for Compositional Studies.
Ms. Ruehr was composer-in-residence with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project from 2000-2005. Her orchestral music has also been performed by the Cincinnati Symphony, the Omaha Symphony, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Available recordings of Ms. Ruehr's music include Toussaint Before the Spirits (Arsis), Jane Wang considers the Dragonfly (Albany), and Shimmer (Albany). A natural collaborator across genres, Ms. Ruehr has worked with the Nicola Hawkins Dance Company on critically-acclaimed performances in New York and Boston. She also wrote the film score for the documentary The Manhattan Trade School for Girls, part of the Treasures from the National Film Archives' Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film. The film was chosen as one of the top six DVDs of the year in 2007 by TIME magazine.
Cypress String Quartet 2010 Call & Response Schedule of Events
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 6pm
How She Danced - Celebrating a new Cypress album
Le Colonial (20 Cosmo Place, San Francisco, CA)
Join the Cypress String Quartet as it celebrates the upcoming release of How She Danced: String Quartets of Elena Ruehr. Meet the composer and enjoy a drink with live music performed by the Quartet. Autographed copies of the new CD will be available at this event. The CD will go on sale to the general public on February 23.
FREE Admission. More information: www.lecolonialsf.com
Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 11am
Behind the Music
Community Music Center (544 Capp Street, San Francisco, CA)
The Cypress String Quartet discusses and deconstructs works by Mozart and Schubert and introduces excerpts from Elena Ruehr's new composition, Bel Canto. An excellent introduction for the novice or the connoisseur to gain insight into the concert program being performed at Herbst Theatre on February 26.
FREE Admission. More information: www.sfcmc.org
Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 6:15pm
The Evolution of Bel Canto: A Cycle of Inspiration, from Music to Words to Music
San Francisco Public Library Main Branch, Koret Auditorium (100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA)
An interactive conversation with the Cypress String Quartet and composer Elena Ruehr about the process of inspiration and the creative synergy between literature and music. This interview-style event will include performances by the Quartet as well as the opportunity for questions directly from audience members.
FREE Admission. More information: http://sfpl.lib.ca.us
Friday, February 26, 2010 at 8pm
Call & Response Concert
Herbst Theatre: San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center (401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA)
Program: Mozart's String Quartet in D Major, K.575; Elena Ruehr's Bel Canto (world premiere); Schubert's String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, "Death and the Maiden"
Tickets: $20-$40 at www.cityboxoffice.com or 415.392.4400
Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 3pm
Montalvo Arts Center: Villa Chamber Music Series (15400 Montalvo Rd., Saratoga, CA)
Program: Elena Ruehr's Bel Canto
Tickets: $20-30 at http://montalvoarts.org/events/cypress_feb28/ or 408.961.5858
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