“Evolution to Revolution: The Music of Haydn, Fanny Mendelssohn and Shostakovich - Ava String Quartet”

Sat, March 8, 2014 at 1pm

General Admission $21

Program: • Franz Joseph Haydn, Quartet Op. 76 No. 3 in C Major, "Kaiser" • Dmitri Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 8 • Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn, String Quartet in E flat Major

Ava means desired, sound, or breath, representing essential elements in our collaborative creation of music. The passion to perform chamber music, and the conviction that music has the power to enrich the lives of every member of our society, has brought together musicians from Turkey, Canada, Panama, and Venezuela to form the Ava String Quartet in one of the most culturally diverse places in the world, New York City.  Ava’s goal is to bring fresh and honest interpretations of classical and contemporary string quartet repertoire to diverse audiences. They enjoy performing for committed fans of classical music, and also enjoy bringing music to communities through teaching and performance outreach.

FUNDA CIZMECIOGLU (Violin) has had the opportunity to serve as concert-mistress under renowned conductors such as Kurt Masur and Leonard Slatkin, and collaborate with musicians such as Itzhak Perlman, Sharon Isbin, and Yo-Yo Ma. She has also toured with Peter Gabriel, Frank Sinatra Jr., and Johnny Mathis, and appeared on Saturday Night Live with Kanye West. Funda has performed solo recitals at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as well as at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, and is currently principal second violinist in the Albany Symphony Orchestra.

GABRIELA RENGEL (Violin) is a native of Maracay, Venezuela and a dedicated chamber musician. She has performed at venues such as Merkin Concert Hall, The Museum of the City of New York, Flushing Town Hall, City Hall, SummerStage, and the Duke Theater. As a member of the Madison String Quartet, Gabi performed outstanding quartet repertoire by Latino composers at Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula Music Festival and the University of Alaska at Anchorage. Gabi is a tenured member of the Albany Symphony. She has appeared at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. Before coming to the US, she was principal second violin of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Aragua, a member orchestra of El Sistema.

LUIS CASAL (Violin) is a Panamanian concert artist w/both viola and violin, and an accomplished solo, chamber, and orchestral leader musician. Recent performances have included chamber music and solo appearances in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Merkin Hall at Kaufman Center, Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, the Hall of the Americas at the Organization of American States, and the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Recent collaborations have included recitals with pianists Wonsun Bae, Katya Mihailova, Julia Dusman, Judith Fleitas, Juan Martín Etcheverri, the trio LUMINE, and soprano Anna Noggle. With an active chamber music agenda, previous positions have included violist of the Laredo String Quartet, violist of Houston’s Zephyr Ensemble, and currently violist of the Paramount Chamber Players.

Canadian Cellist GWENDOLYN SMITH NGUYEN has performed at prestigious events including a human rights symposium hosted by former president Jimmy Carter and the inauguration of the Governor General of Canada. She has played alongside Mischa Maisky, David Geringas, and Scott St. John, Diana Krall, Michael Bolton, The Stars, and Pink Martini. Gwendolyn has toured Japan with Joe Hisaishi (Miyazaki films) as principal cellist of La Pietà, and through Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean with Rwandan singer Corneille. She has performed at Lincoln Center (NYC), Jordan Hall (Boston), The Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Verbier Festival (Switzerland), Les Victoires de la Musique (French Grammys) in Paris, and the 2011 Juno awards (Canadian Grammys) in Toronto.

LOCATION

Baruch Performing Arts Center
Baruch College: 25th St. (bet. 3rd and Lexington Aves.), NYC
For Tickets (646) 312-5073