Lyris Quartet in World Premiere Performance of Intimate Letters

Sunday, October 8th at 8pm
First Presbyterian Santa Monica

New Quartets by Billy Childs, Bruce Broughton, Kurt Rohde and Peter Knell, and Leos Janacek's Quartet No. 2 

The “radiant” (Los Angeles Times) LA-based ensemble performs repertoire from their inventive new recording Intimate Letters, out today on SACD/CD

Fresh off performing as the virtuosic and unconventional opening act for Kraftwerk at the Hollywood Bowl, the cutting-edge Los Angeles-based Lyris Quartet will perform four world premieres by Billy Childs, Bruce Broughton, Kurt Rohde and Peter Knell alongside the work that inspired them – Leoš Janáček’s Quartet No. 2, “Intimate Letters” – at a concert for the enterprising contemporary music series Jacaranda at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica. The new works were commissioned by the Lyris Quartet for the ensemble’s new album, Intimate Letters (out today on ARS), named for the Janáček quartet that anchors both the recording and the evening’s concerts.  Often referred to as his "manifesto on love", "Intimate Letters" was inspired by the Czech composer's near obsessive devotion to his longtime muse Kamila Stosslova (a married woman 38 years his junior) to whom he wrote more than 700 love letters over 11 years. 

WHO:
The Lyris Quartet – Alyssa Park (violin), Shalini Vijayan (violin), Luke Maurer (Viola) and Timothy Loo (cello) –are known as faithful champions of new music and have built a reputation as one of the most exciting ensembles to emerge from the LA music scene in the past decade.  A regular fixture on multiple chamber music series, the Lyris is equally at home with the warhorses of the string quartet repertoire and the most cutting edge, experimental music of the present day.  They are the founding resident ensemble of the Hear Now Music Festival which focuses on the music of living Los Angeles composers, and this year will mark their fifth season as the resident ensemble of the critically acclaimed series Jacaranda: Music at the Edge.  Notably this season, the Quartet was invited by the LA Philharmonic to perform on their Green Umbrella series and on their tribute concert to composer Steven Stucky, they were the opening act for electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk at the Hollywood Bowl, and they also appeared alongside composer/pianist Billy Childs as part of the LA Phil's Jazz and World Music Series at Disney Hall and with Steve Reich at LACMA's Bing Hall.

WHAT:
Intimate Letters: Presented by Jacaranda, Music at the Edge
Bruce Broughton                   “Fancies”
Peter Knell                            “Intimate Voices”
Kurt Rohde                            “Inside Voice”
Billy Childs                             “Unrequited”
Leos Janáček                         String Quartet No. 2. “Intimate Letters”

WHEN:Saturday, October 8, 2106 at 8pm

WHERE: First Presbyterian of Santa Monica, 1220 2nd Street

TICKETS: Concert RSVP, FREE | VIP After-Party ticket with CD $40 in advance, $50 at the door.  Tickets and information at: http://www.jacarandamusic.org/special-events

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