Lecture-Concert Series presents The Parker String Quartet
Daniel Chong, Ken Hamao, Kee-Hyun Kim and Jessica Bodner
JONESBORO – The Lecture-Concert Series at Arkansas State University will present the Grammy Award-winning Parker String Quartet on Tuesday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Riceland Hall, Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Dr. Admission is free.
“The Parker Quartet is one of the finest and most exciting string quartets you will hear anywhere. We are thrilled to have them back once again to share their imaginative music with our university and community,” stated Dr. Timothy Crist, chair of the Lecture-Concert Committee.
The concert is presented with funding support from the A-State Diversity Program, College of Liberal Arts and Communication, Department of Music, String Society, and the music outreach program.
Members of the group are Daniel Chong, violin, Ken Hamao, violin, Jessica Bodner, viola, and Kee-Hyun Kim, cello.
Inspiring performances, luminous sound, and exceptional musicianship are the hallmarks of the group. Renowned for its dynamic interpretations and polished, expansive colors, the group has rapidly distinguished itself as one of the preeminent ensembles of its generation. In demand worldwide, the quartet has appeared at the world’s most important venues since its founding in 2002.
Following a 2017 summer season that had the ensemble crossing North America for appearances at music festivals including the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine and the Strings Music Festival in Colorado, the Parker Quartet will begin its fourth year in-residence at Harvard University with the new prestigious title of Preceptor.
Recent highlights include the project “Schubert Effect” in collaboration with pianist Shai Wosner at the 92nd Street Y, the premiere of a new string quartet by American composer Augusta Read Thomas as part of the Quartet’s four-concert series at Harvard University, and appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, the Slee Series in Buffalo, and New York’s Lincoln Center Great Performers series.
The Quartet also continues to be a strong supporter of violist Kim Kashkashian’s project "Music for Food" by participating in concerts throughout the United States for the benefit of various food banks and shelters.
Founded and currently based in Boston, the Parker Quartet’s numerous honors include winning the Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Grand Prix and Mozart Prize at France’s Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, and Chamber Music America’s prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award. The Parker Quartet’s members hold graduate degrees in performance and chamber music from the New England Conservatory of Music and were part of the New England Conservatory’s prestigious professional string quartet training program from 2006–2008.
The Lecture-Concert Series serves Arkansas State and the surrounding communities by bringing notable guest speakers and performers of diverse backgrounds and wide appeal to the campus, Crist added.
For more details about the series, interested individuals may visit the Lecture-Concert Series website, AState.edu/lectureconcert, or contact Crist, tcrist@AState.edu, (870) 972-2094.
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