Argus Quartet: 2016-17 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence

Selected as Caramoor’s 2016-17 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, the Argus Quartet brings exciting perspectives staunchly devoted to new music. These perspectives reimagine the chamber concert experience and enhance relationships with local students in Caramoor’s Student Strings mentorship program, who respond directly and enthusiastically to new music.

About a year ago, the Argus Quartet had the special privilege of seeing the new music ensemble Eighth Blackbird perform “Hand Eye,” a concert of works by the Sleeping Giant composers collective. They were so moved by the performance, that they had the idea to put together their own Sleeping Giant program.

The six members of the Sleeping Giant composers collective — all Yale alumni — are some of today’s most sought after young composers. Their works have been performed by the world’s most prestigious ensembles, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the JACK Quartet. The pieces in this special program represent six distinct voices that challenge our notions of a string quartet’s sound and musical capacity in very different ways. The compositions extend over a vast artistic and emotional range: from the dark sonic immersion of Jacob Cooper’s “Bad Black Bottom Kind” to the sparse, brooding portrait of depression in Christopher Cerrone’s “How to Breathe Underwater,” to the playful wit of Andrew Norman’s “Peculiar Strokes.” The program runs approximately 75 minutes in length.

Program

Sleeping Giant Collective
Cerrone / How to Breathe Underwater
Honstein / Arctic
Cooper / Bad Black Bottom Kind
– Intermission –
Andres / Early to Rise
Hearne / For David Lang
Norman / Peculiar Strokes