Spektral Quartet
| Spektral Quartet | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Spektral Quartet in 2015 (photo: Drew Reynolds) (left-to-right: Wulliman, Armbrust, Lyon, Rolen) | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Spektral Quartet |
| Origin | Chicago, United States |
| Genres | Classical, Contemporary classical music |
| Occupation(s) | String quartet |
| Instruments | 2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Sono Luminus, Azica Records, Parlour Tapes+ |
| Website |
www |
| Members |
Clara Lyon (violin) Austin Wulliman (violin) Doyle Armbrust (viola) Russell Rolen (cello) |
| Past members | Aurelien Fort Pederzoli (violin) |
Spektral Quartet is a string quartet based in Chicago comprising Clara Lyon (violin), Austin Wulliman (violin), Doyle Armbrust (viola) and Russell Rolen (cello).[1] It is the ensemble-in-residence at the University of Chicago's Department of Music, where it has served since 2012.[2]
The New York Times said of a 2016 performance of Beat Furrer's String Quartet No. 3 and Hans Thomalla's Bagatellen for string quartet, "The quartet proved that they have everything: a supreme technical command that seems to come easily [and] a capacity to make complicated music clear..."[3]
The quartet is perhaps most widely known for its 2014 project Mobile Miniatures, in which 47 composers including Nico Muhly, David Lang, and Anna Thorvaldsdottir were commissioned to write ringtone-length pieces that were then recorded by Spektral Quartet and made available for download as ringtone, alarms, and text-message alerts on mobile devices.[4]
The group recorded its debut album, Chambers (on Parlour Tapes+),[5] in 2013 in collaboration with composers Hans Thomalla, Marcos Balter, LJ White, Chris Fisher-Lochhead, and Ben Hjertmann. Also in 2013, the group released From This Point Forward (on Azica Records),[6] with bandoneon/accordion virtuoso Julien Labro and saxophone player Miguel Zenón. The band appeared on Swiss violin soloist Rachel Kolly d'Alba's 2015 record, Fin de siècle (Aparté),[7] performing Ernest Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet and is featured on albums from composers Augusta Read Thomas and Ryan Ingebritsen. In 2016, the group released Serious Business (on Sono Luminus),[8] an album that explores humor in classical music through the compositional lenses of Josef Haydn, Sky Macklay, Chris Fisher-Lochhead, and David Reminick. The Strad magazine said of the album, "these are superb performances, vivid and strongly felt, convincingly argued and full of rich, characterful detail."[9]
Albums
- Chambers (2013) Parlour Tapes+[10]
- From This Point Forward (2013) Azica Records
- with Julien Labro (bandoneon/accordion)
- with special guest Miguel Zenón[11]
- Serious Business (2016) Sono Luminus[12]
Albums featuring Spektral Quartet
- Fin de siècle (2015) Aparté[13]
- Of Being is a Bird (2016) Nimbus Records[14]
Articles and Reviews
- Chicago Reader: Spektral Quartet give difficult music a friendly face (Jan 20, 2016)
- New York Times: Review: Frequency Festival Offers in Chicago Offers the Complicated and Compelling (Mar 1, 2016)
- Boston Globe: For Spektral Quartet, modern music mixes well with humor (Mar 11, 2016)
- WQXR Q2 Music: Humor and Fiendish Difficulty in Spektral Quartet's 'Serious Business' (Jan 18, 2016)
- WQXR Q2 Music: 10 Imagination-Grabbing, Trailblazing Artists of 2014 (Dec 15, 2014)
- Pitchfork: Mobile Miniatures: Download Ringtones Composed by Nico Muhly, Julia Holter, Dirty Projectors' Olga Bell, and More (May 13, 2014)
- Chicago Tribune: Spektral Quartet dials up micro-symphonies for cellphone (Nov 26, 2013)
References
- ↑ "Ensemble". Spektral Quartet. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- ↑ "Spektral Quartet | University of Chicago Presents". chicagopresents.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- ↑ Allen, David (2016-03-01). "Review: Frequency Festival in Chicago Offers the Complicated and Compelling". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- ↑ "Mobile Miniatures". Spektral Quartet. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
- ↑ "CHAMBERS, by Spektral Quartet". Parlour Tapes+. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- ↑ "Julien Labro & the Spectral QuartetFrom this Point Forward | Azica Records Online". azica.com. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
- ↑ "Chausson – Franck | Aparte Music". www.apartemusic.com. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
- ↑ "Sono Luminus - Serious Business". www.sonoluminus.com. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
- ↑ "Serious Business. Fisher-Lochhead: Hack. Haydn: String Quartet in E flat major op.33 no.2 'Joke'. Macklay: Many Many Cadences. Reminick: The Ancestral Mousetrap Spektral Quartet - The Strad". The Strad. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
- ↑ "CHAMBERS, by Spektral Quartet". Parlour Tapes+. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ↑ "Julien Labro & the Spectral QuartetFrom this Point Forward | Azica Records Online". azica.com. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ↑ "Sono Luminus - Serious Business". www.sonoluminus.com. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ↑ "Chausson – Franck | Aparte Music". www.apartemusic.com. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ↑ "Augusta Read Thomas: Of Being Is A Bird". www.wyastone.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-06-22.