The Belcea Quartet makes its fifth appearance at the College’s Concert Series in Memorial Chapel on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m.
The British quartet will perform an all-Beethoven program featuring the Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 74, “Harp”, the complex Große Fuge in B-flat Major, Op. 133 and Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131. The group repeats this program the following night in Carnegie Hall as part of a three-concert cycle at that historic venue.
Established at the Royal College of Music in 1994, the Belcea Quartet was swiftly recognized as an outstanding ensemble by London’s Wigmore Hall, where they were resident quartet from 2001 to 2006 and with which they continue to enjoy a close relationship; and by EMI Classics, with whom they recorded exclusively for many years. They are currently quartet-in-residence at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and have been ensemble-in-residence at the Vienna Konzerthaus since the 2010-11 season.
Highlights in the Belcea Quartet’s 2012-13 season include a 10-city tour of the US, performances of Haydn’s Seven Last Words with Thomas Quasthoff as narrator, Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet with Menahem Pressler, Dvořák’s Piano Quintet with Till Fellner and Strauss’ Metamorphosen with Nicolas Bone, Eckart Runge and Alois Posch to launch their 2012-13 Vienna Konzerthaus season.
Individual tickets are $25 or $10 for students. Subscription packages offer significant savings. For information, call (518) 388-6080 or visit http://www.unioncollegeconcerts.org.