Euclid Quartet returns to Sioux City
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, February 22, 2008
The Euclid Quartet used to be a part of the Sioux City music scene. Now the group is based in Ohio.
One of the the first thing Jacob Murphy will do when he returns to Sioux City is head to El Fredo Pizza.
"It's the sauce," confessed the violinist with the Euclid Quartet.
The next concert of the Sioux City Chamber Music Association will feature the Euclid Quartet, the former resident string quartet at Morningside College which now makes Indiana its home.
Formed in Ohio in 1998, the quartet took its name from the famous Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, home to a wealth of artistic and cultural institutions.
In 2001, the Euclid Quartet was appointed Resident Quartet of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. The four musicians earned significant recognition at major competitions, winning Third Place at the Osaka (Japan) International Chamber Music Competition and Grand Prize at the Hugo Kauder International Competition for String Quartets at Yale University.
In 2004, the quartet was appointed Resident String Quartet at Morningside College, where they taught private lessons and coached chamber music. They also presented master classes at Eastern Michigan University, Reed College, and high school music programs throughout the state of Iowa.
But as Murphy acknowledged, the quartet received an "offer they couldn't refuse," the opportunity to be in residence at Indiana University at South Bend.
"It was very sad for all of us to leave behind friends," he admitted. "But we had this incredible opportunity from a larger institution to support us. And also the university has a long tradition of hosting resident string quartets. So we were thrilled to become part of the tradition. It was a real boon for us."
The quartet will bring some traditional favorites to the stage this weekend. They will open with "String Quartet in C Major, Opus 20, #2," by Joseph Haydn, the grandfather of string quartets, Murphy said.
"I think his jovial personality shows through in this work," he said. "And the audience might notice that the Haydn piece sounds a lot like the theme from 'Star Wars,' although not exactly."
Bela Bartok's "String Quartet No. 6" was written in 1939 and Murphy characterized it as a "really powerful musical response" to the devastation of war.
"But it's not all doom and gloom," he clarified. "There's beautiful harmonies as well."
The quartet will perform a perennial favorite, Maurice Ravel's "String Quartet in F major."
"It's an impressionistic work with gorgeous harmonies," he said. "Ravel is very well known for his work, so I'm sure the audience will enjoy this piece."
This will be the first time the quartet will be back on Siouxland soil, but not without some changes. The group has a new cellist David Beem, the replacement for Amy Joseph, who has moved on with her husband to San Francisco last August.
"It'll be a bit of a homecoming concert," Murphy said. "We're still in touch with a lot of the people; it's really the most important thing we've missed about Sioux City -- the people."
The Euclid Quartet will perform as part of the Chamber Music Association's concert season at 3 p.m., Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, 608 Nebraska St. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for students and will be available at the door. For more information, call chamber board member Lois Darrow at 252-1804.
"It's the sauce," confessed the violinist with the Euclid Quartet.
The next concert of the Sioux City Chamber Music Association will feature the Euclid Quartet, the former resident string quartet at Morningside College which now makes Indiana its home.
Formed in Ohio in 1998, the quartet took its name from the famous Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, home to a wealth of artistic and cultural institutions.
In 2001, the Euclid Quartet was appointed Resident Quartet of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. The four musicians earned significant recognition at major competitions, winning Third Place at the Osaka (Japan) International Chamber Music Competition and Grand Prize at the Hugo Kauder International Competition for String Quartets at Yale University.
In 2004, the quartet was appointed Resident String Quartet at Morningside College, where they taught private lessons and coached chamber music. They also presented master classes at Eastern Michigan University, Reed College, and high school music programs throughout the state of Iowa.
But as Murphy acknowledged, the quartet received an "offer they couldn't refuse," the opportunity to be in residence at Indiana University at South Bend.
"It was very sad for all of us to leave behind friends," he admitted. "But we had this incredible opportunity from a larger institution to support us. And also the university has a long tradition of hosting resident string quartets. So we were thrilled to become part of the tradition. It was a real boon for us."
The quartet will bring some traditional favorites to the stage this weekend. They will open with "String Quartet in C Major, Opus 20, #2," by Joseph Haydn, the grandfather of string quartets, Murphy said.
"I think his jovial personality shows through in this work," he said. "And the audience might notice that the Haydn piece sounds a lot like the theme from 'Star Wars,' although not exactly."
Bela Bartok's "String Quartet No. 6" was written in 1939 and Murphy characterized it as a "really powerful musical response" to the devastation of war.
"But it's not all doom and gloom," he clarified. "There's beautiful harmonies as well."
The quartet will perform a perennial favorite, Maurice Ravel's "String Quartet in F major."
"It's an impressionistic work with gorgeous harmonies," he said. "Ravel is very well known for his work, so I'm sure the audience will enjoy this piece."
This will be the first time the quartet will be back on Siouxland soil, but not without some changes. The group has a new cellist David Beem, the replacement for Amy Joseph, who has moved on with her husband to San Francisco last August.
"It'll be a bit of a homecoming concert," Murphy said. "We're still in touch with a lot of the people; it's really the most important thing we've missed about Sioux City -- the people."
The Euclid Quartet will perform as part of the Chamber Music Association's concert season at 3 p.m., Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, 608 Nebraska St. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for students and will be available at the door. For more information, call chamber board member Lois Darrow at 252-1804.
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