Saratoga Springs, NY
The Viano String QuartetSun, Aug. 10, 2025, 3:00 pm
Spa Little Theatre, Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Two hours with intermission
The young dynamic Viano Quartet traces the evolution of the string quartet, from classical elegance to modern complexity. It opens with Haydn’s Quartet in D Major, Hob. III:79, Op. 76, No. 5, a lively and inventive work by the "father" of the string quartet, whose wit and mastery of form define the genre. Next is Mendelssohn’s Quartet in D Major, Op. 44, No. 1, blending lyrical beauty with energetic drive, showcasing the composer’s Romantic expressiveness. Webern’s Langsamer Satz for String Quartet offers lush, expressive lines from the Austrian composer, known for his atonal works but here showcasing his lyrical side. The program concludes with Shostakovich’s Quartet No. 9 in E-flat Major, Op. 117, a poignant, emotionally charged work that deepens the string quartet form with the composer’s signature depth and complexity.
Program
Joseph Haydn
(1732–1809)Quartet in D major for Strings, Hob. III:79, Op. 76, No. 5
(1797)Felix Mendelssohn
(1809–1847)Quartet in D major for Strings, Op. 44, No. 1
(1838)Anton Webern
(1883-1945)Langsamer Satz for String Quartet
(1905)Dmitri Shostakovich
(1906–1975)Quartet No. 9 in E-flat major for Strings, Op. 117
(1964)
Viano Quartet
Praised for their “virtuosity, visceral expression, and rare unity of intention” (Boston Globe), the Viano Quartet are one of the most sought-after young ensembles today and current members of CMS’s Bowers Program. Since soaring to international acclaim as winners of the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition, they have performed at major venues across the globe.
During the 2024–25 season, the quartet makes its debut in Alice Tully Hall, followed by appearances at series including Wolf Trap, Tuesday Evening Concert Series, Northwestern University, Four Arts, MoCA Westport, Chamber Music Yellow Springs, and the chamber music societies of Dallas, Salt Lake City, and Carmel. In November, the quartet makes its debut in David Geffen Hall with Sir Stephen Hough for the world premiere of his new piano quintet. The quartet can be heard in Canada this season with debuts at the Cecilian Chamber Series as well as the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and Isabel Bader PAC in Kingston in a program with guitarist Miloš Karadaglic. As the inaugural June Goldsmith Quartet-in-Residence for the Music in the Morning series through the 2024–25 season, the quartet will return to Vancouver this March for concerts and community engagement initiatives.
In addition to their busy touring schedule, the quartet are also dedicated advocates of music education, and have worked with students at Music@Menlo, SUNY Buffalo, the Colburn Academy, Duke University, University of British Columbia, Northern Michigan University, Utah State University, University of Denver, and Virginia Commonwealth University. This season they will be returning to University of Victoria for several weeks of residency. The quartet has previously held graduate quartet residencies at Curtis and Colburn and were also the Peak Fellowship Quartet-in-Residence at Meadows School of the Arts at SMU.
The Viano Quartet has collaborated with world-class musicians including Emanuel Ax, Inon Barnatan, Fleur Barron, James Ehnes, Mahan Esfahani, Marc-André Hamelin, Bridget Kibbey, Paul Neubauer, David Shifrin, and Elisso Virsaladze. 2023 marked the release of the quartet’s first album, Portraits, on the Curtis label, featuring pieces by Schubert, Florence Price, Tchaikovsky, and Ginastera.
Before their career-defining achievement at the Banff International String Quartet Competition, they also received major prizes at the Wigmore Hall, Osaka, Fischoff, ENKOR, and Yellow Springs Chamber Music competitions. Each member of the quartet is grateful to the interminable support from their distinguished mentors at the Curtis Institute and Colburn Conservatory, including members of the Dover, Guarneri, and Tokyo string quartets.