Candlelight Concert Society January Schedule

Cypress String Quartet

Cecily Ward, violin
Ethan Filner, viola
Tom Stone, violin
Jennifer Kloetzel, cello

The Cypress String Quartet has performed to great acclaim at prominent venues worldwide, including appearances at the Kennedy Center, the Chautauqua Institute, the Ravinia Festival, and Stanford Lively Arts. Quartet members Cecily Ward and Tom Stone, violins; Ethan Filner, viola; and Jennifer Kloetzel, cello, have been widely celebrated for their virtuoso performances, innovative programming and sincere dedication to education and outreach. Praised by the Los Angeles Times for their “assured, mature and thorough” interpretations of the classical repertoire, the Cypress is reaching out in new ways, with bold programming that ignites interest in chamber music.

with Special Guest Artist

Atar Arad, viola

Atar Arad, born in Tel Aviv, was drawn to the viola by its deep, warm sound and its broad but mostly unfamiliar repertoire. In July 1972, in his first appearance as a violist, he won the City of London Prize. Numerous concerts followed -- as soloist with major orchestras, and in recitals at some of Europe's most prestigious festivals. Arad's recordings for Telefunken are widely acclaimed; his album in collaboration with pianist Evelyne Brancart, was praised by High Fidelity Magazine as being "...perhaps the best-played viola recital ever recorded".

Program:

String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76, No. 3 “Emperor” ..….

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

String Quartet No. 6 (East Coast Premiere) …...…...........

Benjamin Lees (b. 1924)

String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111 …...…........…...

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

for the group and individual member Bios, click here or scroll down the page.

The Cypress String Quartet is represented by the
Cypress Performing Arts Association, San Francisco, CA
www.cypressquartet.com

Atar Arad can be contacted at
Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music
www.atararad.com

The Cypress String Quartet

Cecily Ward, violin

Ethan Filner, viola

Jennifer Kloetzel, cello

Tom Stone, violin

Since its inception in 1996, the Cypress String Quartet (CSQ) has commissioned and premiered over 25 works from many of America’s leading composers. Two of the last three composers commissioned by the Cypress have been nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Classical Composition: Benjamin Lees (2003) and Jennifer Higdon (2004), and four of the Cypress-commissioned works made Chamber Music America’s list of “101 Great American Ensemble Works”. The CSQ makes their commissions part of their regular touring repertoire, working closely with each composer, bringing this exciting new music into schools and recording each new composition. The Cypress recently won the Aaron Copland Award in recognition of their work for commissioning and championing contemporary music.

In honor of Cypress’ 10^th Anniversary season, the Quartet will premiere a new commission from American composer and 2005 Grawemeyer Award-winner, George Tsontakis - his first string quartet since 1989. Additional highlights of recent seasons include performances at Wolf Trap, MIT, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, University of Maryland, El Paso, Honolulu and San José Chamber Music Societies, and tours celebrating the 150^th anniversary of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with a co-commission of a quartet by American composer, Dan Coleman.

Equally at home on the concert stage and in the classroom, the Cypress String Quartet’s deep commitment to education and outreach is clear in its diverse efforts across the nation. As Quartet-in-Residence at San José State University, the Cypress’ strengths in performance and education combine to serve the University and the greater Silicon Valley community. Named an “Exemplary Arts Educator” by the California Arts Council, the Quartet’s groundbreaking “Call & Response” program has impacted thousands of students in dozens of Bay Area schools. The CSQ has reached an estimated 100,000 students through educational activities including Native Americans in rural New Mexico and inner-city students in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago. In September 2004, the CSQ was awarded the “McGraw-Hill Companies’ Robert Sherman Award for Music Education and Community Outreach” to honor their commitment to education.

While maintaining a rigorous national touring schedule, Cypress Quartet members are also active volunteer leaders in their communities, working on local boards, competitions and committees such as the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music and the Klein International Strings Competition. Violinist Tom Stone was recently appointed Artistic Director of Centrum Chamber Music Workshop in Port Townsend, Washington, where the Quartet serves as Ensemble-in-Residence.