Tesla Quartet Announces A Bartók Journey, an In-Depth Exploration of the Six String Quartets March–June 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katy Salomon | Morahan Arts and Media
katy@morahanartsandmedia.com | 863.660.2214 

Tesla Quartet Announces A Bartók Journey,
An In-Depth Exploration of the Six String Quartets March–June 2021

Featuring Expert Discussions, Virtual Open Rehearsals, 
Enriching Social Media Content, and Live Stream Performances 

“superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless 
of era, style or technical demand”  – The International Review of Music

 www.teslaquartet.com/bartok-journey 
 

New York, NY (March 4, 2021) — The Tesla Quartet announces A Bartók Journey, an exploration of the complete string quartets of Béla Bartók over six weeks in March–June 2021. Each week will focus on one string quartet and features live expert discussions with authors, members of eminent string quartets, and composers; live virtual open rehearsals; enriching social media content; and live stream performances. Guest speakers and experts include Dr. Dániel Péter Biró, Professor of Composition at University of Bergen, Norway; Mark Steinberg, first violinist of the Brentano String Quartet; Dániel Hamar, co-founder of Muszikás; Nicholas Kitchen, first violinist of the Borromeo String Quartet; Károly Schranz, founding second violinist of the Takács Quartet; and composer Gabriela Lena Frank. Audience members will immerse themselves in the unique characteristics of each work and trace the development of Bartók’s style throughout his career through six weeks of live events hosted on the Tesla Quartet’s YouTube Channel, plus additional content on the quartet’s social media platforms. 

Week 1 of A Bartók Journey, sponsored by Friends of Chamber Music of Troy, NY, celebrates Bartók’s String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 7. The first virtual, interactive public event will take place on Wednesday, March 10 at 3:00pm EST, when the Tesla Quartet will host composer Dr. Dániel Péter Biró, co-editor of The String Quartets of Béla Bartók: Tradition and Legacy in Analytical Perspective for an in-depth discussion about the historical context and musical ideas in the First String Quartet. Viewers will be invited to participate in a Q&A following the discussion. On Friday, March 12 at 1:00pm EST, the Tesla Quartet will hold a virtual open rehearsal live stream, where viewers will get a behind-the-scenes sneak peek into the quartet’s rehearsal process as they prepare the quartet for performance. Viewers will learn about the Tesla Quartet’s approach to phrasing, ensemble, and musical character and be invited to participate in a post-rehearsal Q&A. Week 1’s activities will culminate in a live stream performance on Saturday, March 13 at 7:30pm EST of Bartók’s String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 7. Viewers will be invited to a Zoom chat after the performance to share their thoughts on the week’s activities. 

A Bartók Journey Week 2 celebrates the composer’s String Quartet No. 2, Sz. 67 and begins on Wednesday, March 17 at 7:00pm EST with a virtual, interactive discussion with Mark Steinberg, first violinist of the Brentano String Quartet. Audiences can view and participate in Tesla's Virtual Open Rehearsal on Friday, March 19 at 1:00pm EST and hear the final performance of the work in an interactive live stream on Saturday, March 20 at 7:30pm EST.

Tesla Quartet highlights Bartók’s String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85 in Week 3, sponsored by Grand Valley State University.  On Wednesday, March 24 at 3:00pm EST, Tesla Quartet will host a discussion with Dániel Hamar, co-founder of the Hungarian folk music group Muszikás. The Virtual Open Rehearsal takes place on Friday, March 26 at 1:00pm EST and the week will culminate with a live streamed performance on Saturday, March 27 at 7:30pm EST that features Bartók’s String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85 and Tesla Quartet violinist Ross Snyder’s arrangement of the composer’s Romanian Folk Dances.

Week 4 – a deep dive into Bartók’s String Quartet No. 4, Sz. 91 – begins on Wednesday, May 26 at 1:00pm EST with a live Zoom chat with Nicholas Kitchen, first violinist of the Borromeo String Quartet. The Tesla Quartet’s Virtual Open Rehearsal will take place on Friday, May 28 at 1:00pm EST and audiences can hear the final live streamed performance of Bartók’s fourth quartet on Saturday, May 29 at 7:30pm EST.

A Bartók Journey Week 5 celebrates String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 110, opening with a live Zoom chat on Tuesday, June 1 at 1:00pm EST with Károly Schranz, founding second violinist of the Takács Quartet. A Virtual Open Rehearsal on Friday, June 4 at 1:00pm EST prepares the audience and quartet for a live streamed performance of the fifth quartet on Saturday, June 5 at 7:30pm EST. 

Tesla Quartet completes the full cycle of A Bartók Journey in Week 6 with a week focused on composer’s String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 119. Tesla Quartet members chat live with composer Gabriela Lena Frank on Wednesday, June 9 at 1:00pm EST and invite audiences to view a Virtual Open Rehearsal on Friday, June 11 at 1:00pm EST. The series culminates on Saturday, June 12 at 7:30pm EST with the final live streamed performance of Bartók’s final quartet, String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 119.

A Bartók Journey Schedule Of Events
Registration Link: https://www.teslaquartet.com/bartok-journey-viewer-registration
Free and Open to the Public with Donations Welcome. Content for Weeks 1-3 will Remain Online.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teslaquartet 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/teslaquartet 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/teslaquartet 
YouTube: www.youtube.com/teslaquartet  

Week 1: String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 7
Sponsored by Friends of Chamber Music of Troy, NY
- Wednesday, March 10 at 3:00pm EST - Zoom Discussion with Dr. Dániel Péter Biró, Professor of Composition at University of Bergen, Norway, and Co-Editor of The String Quartets of Béla Bartók: Tradition and Legacy in Analytical Perspective
- Friday, March 12 at 1:00pm EST - Virtual Open Rehearsal
- Saturday, March 13 at 7:30pm EST - Live Stream Performance of String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 7

Week 2: String Quartet No. 2, Sz. 67
- Wednesday, March 17 at 7:00pm EST - Zoom Discussion with Mark Steinberg, First Violinist of the Brentano String Quartet
- Friday, March 19 at 1:00pm EST - Virtual Open Rehearsal
- Saturday, March 20 at 7:30pm EST - Live Stream Performance of String Quartet No. 2, Sz. 67

Week 3: String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85
Sponsored by Grand Valley State University
- Wednesday, March 24 at 3:00pm EST - Zoom Discussion with Dániel Hamar, Co-Founder of the Hungarian Folk Music Group Muszikás
- Friday, March 26 at 1:00pm EST - Virtual Open Rehearsal
- Saturday, March 27 at 7:30pm EST - Live Stream Performance of String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85 and Romanian Folk Dances (arr. Ross Snyder) 

Week 4: String Quartet No. 4, Sz. 91
- Wednesday, May 26 at 1:00pm EST - Zoom Discussion with Nicholas Kitchen, First Violinist of the Borromeo String Quartet
- Friday, May 28 at 1:00pm EST - Virtual Open Rehearsal
- Saturday, May 29 at 7:30pm EST - Live Stream Performance of String Quartet No. 4, Sz. 91

Week 5: String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 110
- Tuesday, June 1 at 1:00pm EST - Zoom Discussion with Károly Schranz, Founding Second Violinist of the Takács Quartet
- Friday, June 4 at 1:00pm EST - Virtual Open Rehearsal
- Saturday, June 5 at 7:30pm EST - Live Stream Performance of String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 110

Week 6: String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 119
- Wednesday, June 9 at 1:00pm EST - Zoom Discussion with Composer Gabriela Lena Frank
- Friday, June 11 at 1:00pm EST - Virtual Open Rehearsal
- Saturday, June 12 at 7:30pm EST - Live Stream Performance of String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 119

About Tesla Quartet
A string quartet for the ages, Tesla Quartet is known the world over for their “superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless of era, style, or technical demand” (The International Review of Music). From cutting edge contemporary works to established masterpieces, the Tesla Quartet’s emotive and thoughtful interpretations reveal the ensemble’s deep commitment to the craft and to their ever expanding repertoire. The quartet recognizes the power of their platform to amplify underrepresented voices and to encourage the proliferation of an equitable and just future for society as well as a hospitable climate for posterity.

Now entering its second decade, the quartet performs regularly across North America and Europe, with recent highlights including their debut at New York’s Lincoln Center, a return to London’s Wigmore Hall, and performances at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall as winners of the prestigious John Lad Prize. Other recent international engagements include tours of Brazil, China, and South Korea. Notable festival appearances include the Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival; the Joseph Haydn String Quartet Festival at the Esterházy Palace in Fertod, Hungary; the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival in Germany; and the Festival Sesc de Música de Câmara in São Paulo, Brazil. Having served as the Marjorie Young Bell String Quartet-in-Residence at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada from 2016-2017, the Tesla Quartet also recently completed a four-year community residency in Hickory, North Carolina that included performances and workshops at local colleges, universities, and in the public school system, as well as a dedicated chamber music series.

Remaining true to their ethos, the Tesla Quartet has proved unwavering and resilient in the face of global depression. From the safety of their own homes, they overcame technological hurdles in order to cheer on the healthcare heroes of the New York Presbyterian Hospital network with weekly concerts throughout the city’s darkest hours. Addressing the needs of those within the music community, the Quartet commissioned 12 works by composers from across North America for their online series Alternating Currents, an homage to Beethoven and a celebration of diverse voices. Tesla Quartet has also helped pioneer ImmerSphere, an immersive augmented reality virtual concert experience, bringing familiar community stages directly into the homes of concert-starved audiences. With renewed hope for a brighter future, the Tesla Quartet is focusing its efforts in the coming seasons on inspiring climate action with the commissions of several full length works for string quartet that touch on different aspects of the climate crisis and recovery, in addition to premiering Jeff Nytch’s piece decrying deforestation Song of the Lorax. 

In 2018, the Tesla Quartet released its debut album of Haydn, Ravel, and Stravinsky quartets on the Orchid Classics label to critical acclaim. BBC Music Magazine awarded the disc a double 5-star rating and featured it as the “Chamber Choice” for the month of December and Gramophone praised the quartet for its “tautness of focus and refinement of detail.” They released their second disc on the Orchid Classics label in October 2019, Joy & Desolation, a collaboration with clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein featuring quintets by Mozart, Finzi, John Corigliano and Carolina Heredia. The Classic Review raved, “From the outset, the quartet plays as a single instrument. Their sound is balanced across registers, their timbres and articulations matched" and The ArtsFuse called it “a compelling, diverse album from one of the best chamber ensembles (and clarinetists) out there.”

The Tesla Quartet builds upon years of early success at numerous competitions including multiple top prizes at the prestigious 2016 Banff International String Quartet Competition, 2015 International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition, and 2012 Wigmore Hall London International String Quartet Competition. The group originally formed at The Juilliard School in 2008 and quickly established itself as one of the most promising young ensembles in New York, winning Second Prize at the J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition only a few months after its inception. From 2009 to 2012, the quartet held a fellowship as the Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where they studied with the world-renowned Takács Quartet. They have also held fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival’s Center for Advanced Quartet Studies, the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program, and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.

The Tesla Quartet is Ross Snyder (violin), Michelle Lie (violin), Edwin Kaplan (viola), and Serafim Smigelskiy (cello). Learn more at www.teslaquartet.com. 

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