Town Music: Catalyst Quartet – Celebrating 10 years of musical innovation
$25 online or in-person (ages 22 & under free)
Terry Riley — Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector
Anton Webern — Langsamer Satz
John Cage — 4'33"
Joan Tower — Selected works
Andy Akiho — Selected works
Billy Childs — Selected works
Angélica Negrón — Selected works
Kevin Puts — Selected works
Kaoru Ishibashi (Kishi Bashi) — Selected works
Caroline Shaw — Selected works
Paquito D'Rivera — Selected works
Jessie Montgomery — Selected works
In its first 10 years, the Catalyst Quartet has made itself an essential part of the chamber music landscape by feasting on the full buffet of string quartet repertoire and adding fresh new flavors of its own; it is no wonder that The New York Times declared them “beautiful to watch, like a family in lively conversation at the dinner table: anticipating, interrupting, changing subjects.” The group pivots effortlessly from the refined music of Vienna in its first and second glory days (represented by Haydn and Webern) to West Coast mavericks John Cage and Terry Riley, and even to a collection of new birthday tributes from 10 diverse composers, co-commissioned by Town Hall Seattle.
About CQ MINUTE (2021): To mark its 10th anniversary, the Catalyst Quartet has commissioned 10 composers to write miniature string quartets: stand-alone compositions featured as individually unique music videos that will comprise a Video Album, representing the way most people experience music today.
Nine composers are committed to the project; the 10th will be decided through a national competition focused on new and emerging talent. The final piece will be 1-2 minutes in length, the final part of a larger narrative that chronicles the 10 years of the Catalyst Quartet.
The Catalyst Quartet believes that art can thrive in the digital age, and be a continued source of inspiration and innovation.
COVID-19 Protocols: Masks and proof of vaccination are required for in-person attendance through May 31, 2022. Click here to read about Town Hall Seattle's in-building safety policies: https://townhallseattle.org/plan-your-visit/building-policies/
About Catalyst Quartet
Hailed by The New York Times at its Carnegie Hall debut as "invariably energetic and finely burnished… playing with earthy vigor," the Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet was founded by the internationally acclaimed Sphinx Organization in 2010. The ensemble (Karla Donehew Perez, violin; Abi Fayette, violin; Paul Laraia, viola; and Karlos Rodriguez, cello) believes in the unity that can be achieved through music and imagine their programs and projects with this in mind, redefining and reimagining the classical music experience.
The Catalyst Quartet, known for "perfect ensemble unity" and "unequaled class of execution" (Lincoln Journal Star), has toured widely throughout the United States and abroad, including sold-out performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., at Chicago's Harris Theater, Miami's New World Center, and Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in New York. The quartet has been guest soloists with the Cincinnati Symphony, New Haven Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, and has served as principal players and featured ensemble with the Sphinx Organization's featured ensemble, the Sphinx Virtuosi, on six national tours. They have been invited to perform at important music festivals such as Mainly Mozart in San Diego, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Sitka Music Festival, Juneau Jazz and Classics, Strings Music Festival, and the Grand Canyon Music Festival, where they appear annually. The Catalyst Quartet was ensemble-in-residence at the Vail Dance Festival in 2016 and in the 2021-22 season were in residence with San Francisco Performances where they presented the complete series of works from their Uncovered Project. In 2022, the Catalyst Quartet was named ensemble in residence for the Chamber Music Northwest Festival in Portland and for the Met Museum's LiveArts series in NYC.
The Catalyst Quartet members hold degrees from The Cleveland Institute of Music, Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard School, and New England Conservatory.
http://www.catalystquartet.com/