Dover Quartet

Biography Considered one of the most remarkably talented string quartets ever to emerge at such a young age, the Dover Quartet swept the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition, winning the Grand Prize as well as all three Special Prizes: the R.S. Williams & Sons Haydn Prize for the best performance of Haydn, the Sze kely Prize for the best performance of Schubert, and the Canadian Commission Prize for the best performance of a newly commissioned work. In addition, the Quartet has been named the first Quartet-in-Residence at the venerated Curtis Institute of Music and the Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-In-Residence at the Caramoor Festival for the 2013-14 season. The Grand Prize-winner of the 2010 Fischoff Competition, the Quartet draws from the musical lineage of both the Vermeer and Guarneri Quartets, but brings a youthful enthusiasm and musical conviction to the repertoire that is truly its own. The Strad recently raved that the Quartet is “already pulling away from their peers with their exceptional interpretative maturity, tonal refinement and taut ensemble.” The Dover Quartet won prizes at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, and has taken part in festivals such as Chamber Music Northwest, Artosphere, La Jolla SummerFest, and the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. Recent performances include those for such influential series as the Washington Performing Arts Society, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Peoples’ Symphony, Schneider Concerts, Kneisel Hall, and the Houston Friends of Chamber Music. The Quartet continued their close collaboration with violist Roberto Diaz on

an extensive European tour in spring 2013, which included performances throughout Germany, Austria, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The summer of 2013 featured performances at the Bard Festival, Chamber Music Northwest, and Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival. Highlights of the 2013-14 season include a number of performances at the Curtis Institute of Music and Caramoor Festival, as well as a debut at the Heidelberg Festival in Germany. Members of the Quartet have appeared as soloists with some of the world's finest orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic. The group’s recording of the Mendelssohn and Debussy quartets received high praise: "...the maturity in these interpretations is phenomenal and disproportionate to the age [of the group]." The Dover formed at the renowned Curtis Institute in 2008, when its members were just 19 years old, where they studied with such renowned chamber musicians as Shmuel Ashkenasi, Arnold Steinhardt, Joseph Silverstein, Michael Tree, and Peter Wiley. They recently graduated from the Master of Music in String Quartet program at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, where they were mentored by Kenneth Goldsmith, James Dunham, and Norman Fischer. In addition, the Quartet is an active member of Music for Food, an initiative by musicians to help fight hunger in their home communities. 6/13 – Please do not edit without permission

Program Choices 2014-15 Repertoire

Program I Mozart: Quartet in D Major, K. 499 Viktor Ullman: Quartet No. 3 OR Vivian Fung: Quartet No. 3 ****** Grieg: Quartet in G minor, Op. 27 Program II Beethoven: Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5 Shostakovich: Quartet No. 7 OR Bartok: Quartet No. 1 ****** Dvorak: Quartet in C Major, Op. 61 Program III Haydn: Quartet in G Major, Op. 76, No. 1 Kaija Saariaho: Terra Memoria ***** Beethoven: Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 127

Select Press "The group played with a refinement belying its years." — Rutland Herald, Jim Lowe

"Destined for the company of some of the finest string quartets ever assembled."

— The Birmingham News, Michael Huebner

"The Dover Quartet [...] was sublime." — The Strad, Tim Homfray

FEATURES 2011 // Musical America Worldwide - Young Artists: Thrills of Discovery CONCERT REVIEWS October 2013 // Ionarts February 2012 // Rutland Herald September 2013 // The Calgary Herald August 2010 // The Birmingham News March 2013 // The Wall Street Journal

2011 Young Artists: Thrills of Discovery By Harris Goldsmith

Our indefatigable concertgoer has heard hundreds of budding musicians since his last MA report and tells us now of several more thrilling young artists whose legends have already commenced.

Twice before, in 2004 and 2008, I’ve written in Musical America’s Directory about promising young artists I’ve had the pleasure to hear perform. It’s been particularly gratifying to watch many of these young artists become leaders of their generation. Join me in watching the careers of these thrilling artists whose legends have commenced. We’ll be hearing a lot from them in the future!

Dover Quartet [formerly the Old City String Quartet]   The “old city” is Philadelphia. Violinists Bryan Lee and Joel Link, violist Milena Pajoro-van de Stadt, and cellist Camden Shaw, all students at the Curtis Institute, formed their ensemble in 2008. They were awarded second prize at the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Competition, and Gold Medalist and Grand Prize Winner at the 2010 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. And they have already recorded quartets by Mendelssohn and Debussy on a CD just released last spring by the audiophile label, Unipheye Music. The Quartet’s debut at Rockefeller University last October began with a poised, beautifully balanced account of Ravel’s Quartet in F—astonishing coming from such youthful musicians, and even more so when one realized that this miraculous performance was the group’s first! Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, K. 581, with Moran Katz (serendipitously featured in this same article devoted to young artists) likewise continued the same perfection and elegance. All five protagonists shone as magnificent presences, and Katz’s subtle, unobtrusive embellishments were a joy.

Welcome to the Dover Quartet By Charles T. Downey, October 7, 2013

The winners of the Banff International String Quartet Competition, held every three years, have gone on to be some of our favorite new string quartets. The list includes the Daedalus Quartet (First Prize, 2001), the Jupiter Quartet (First Prize, 2004), the Ensō Quartet (second prize, 2004), and the Belcea Quartet (third place, 1998). Add to that list the Dover Quartet, which made a complete sweep of all the prizes at Banff this year. Naturally, I took the chance to hear the group, formed and trained at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, when they came to the area on Saturday night, at the Candlelight Concert Series in Columbia, Md. One of the prizes that the Dover Quartet won at Banff was for best performance of a Haydn quartet, and their rendition of the composer's "Sunrise" quartet (B--­‐flat major, op. 76, no. 4) showed why. The group gave the piece a warm, glowing sound, especially in the gorgeous slow movement, with no instrument ever forced toward stridency. The third movement had a lively and dancing feel, with the folk--­‐influenced trio particularly vivid in its modal turns and drone--­‐like textures. The fourth movement was witty but understated, [and] violist Milena Pajaro--­‐van de Stadt stood out for her loamy sound every time she came to the fore. The Dover Quartet concluded this concert with a tragic and bracing rendition of Shostakovich's third quartet (F major, op. 73), hands down the best Shostakovich performance by a young string quartet to reach these ears since the Jerusalem Quartet. It was again not an oversized sound, scaled appropriately to the room and its less than stellar acoustic. Pajaro--­‐van de Stadt, in brief spoken comments, listed the programmatic titles that Shostakovich had initially assigned to this quartet's movements, and the group took the business of creating narrative scenes quite seriously. The carefree banality of the first movement was followed by the viola's menacing ostinato and the eggshell staccato waltz in the second movement, evoking layers of anxiety. Almost toneless, scratching clusters underpinned the first violin's frantic melody in the third movement, followed by another incendiary viola solo, leading to a shrieked conclusion that was chilling. The laments and tense funeral march of the fourth movement, all of it beautifully balanced in each pairing, with no instrument ever shouting over the others, led to the eternal questions of the fifth movement, which comes to rest on a major chord, over which the first violin continued its dissonant but sweet inquiries. The middle of the concert was given to the world premiere of a new string quartet by American composer Eric Sessler. It was in a pretty, mostly tonal idiom, with many nice ideas, particularly in the elegiac second movement, and the Dovers gave it a better performance than it probably deserved. Sessler had some nice ideas but seemed to take them nowhere, chewing over some motifs over and over again. The piece could stand significant trimming, possibly the entire third movement, which struck me as too similar in quality to the second and started to wear thin not far into it. It is perhaps unfair to put this work in comparison with Haydn and Shostakovich, but that is the peril of composing string quartets. Even worse for this piece was comparison to the encore, the third movement of Beethoven's final quartet, op. 135, a light--­‐filled performance like a hymn of peace to dispel Shostakovich's fog of war.

The Dover Quartet (USA) has won the 11th Banff International String Quartet Competition, sweeping nearly all the prizes in its path to victory. And why not?

Theirs was not only the best Beethoven performance of yesterday afternoon’s final round, offering up an unforgettably professional second Razumovsky quartet in E minor, but they also took the Haydn prize (R.S. Williams and Sons prize), the Schubert prize (Székaly prize) and the prize for best performance of the Canadian co-commisioned work by Vivian Fung. (The details of their complete prize package are reproduced below, at the end of this review).

By awarding the Dover Quartet such a commanding sweep, the jury clearly showed that they were enamoured with the young group’s trademark sound, a pristine focused blend nearly always earmarked by a fecundity of musical maturity within every piece they interpreted this past week.

Yet, this was also the case for many other groups too, in this prestigious competition, including French second-prize winner Quatuor Cavatine and third prize winner Navarra Quartet (U.K./Ireland/Netherlands), and a host of other fine competitors who did not make the final round.

However, what separated the Dover Quartet from the others was their consistent attention to detail entrenched in an indisputably proficient musicality that frequently communicated itself effectively and powerfully.

Before a sold-out house at the Eric Harvie theatre, Dover was in full command, despite having to follow up two previously exciting and engaging performances of considerable mettle: Quatuor Cavatine played Beethoven’s quartet opus 130 (believed to be the first time heard at this competition in 30 years), complete with a stirring account of the Grosse Fuge as restored finale, and the Navarra Quartet led off the afternoon with a warm and energetic accounting also of the second Razumovsky quartet in E minor. With each passing performance, the anticipation only grew, as the audience buzzed with excitement, asking the question of how the afternoon’s music-making could get any better.

And after the second intermission, the Dover Quartet came out and answered everyone’s questions with a considerably poised, mature response - excellence marked with near perfection in every note they played.

The Dover Quartet made this Razumovsky 2 completely accessible in its lyricism, subtlety

of dynamics, carefully thought-through phrasing, and above all, always displaying that trademark Dover sound that we had all come to love here throughout the week. There were moments where their string timbres seemed to dissolve away and transmute into human vocal utterance.

Their seemingly innate understanding of Beethoven’s language and the intrinsic power it has to communicate was amply demonstrated and perpetually on display in all movements. It was, for all intents and purposes, the afternoon’s acme demonstrating exactly how Beethoven ought to be played.

The group built considerable energy throughout their entire performance, leading up to the bracing finale. The final stringendo change of tempo was itself preluded by an inspired and dramatic tempo change that proved to be a stroke of structural and interpretive genius. In the immediate and fully-warranted standing ovation that followed, the quartet were cheered back onstage twice - not once, as is customary - the only ones on whom that honour was bestowed during the entire competition by an enthusiastically grateful audience with unstinting applause. […]

Dover Quartet’s indisputable proficiency, musical maturity earns them near-sweep of prestigious Banff competition prizes By Stephan Bonfield, September 3, 2013

 

First Sounds of Spring By Barrymore Laurence Scherer, March 27, 2013 […] That night, I attended "Play & Play: An Evening of Movement and Music" by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts, a film palace elegantly decorated with neoclassical designs in the manner of Robert Adam and Josiah Wedgwood. On the first half was "Story," set to Franz Schubert's D-Minor String Quartet ("Death and the Maiden"); on the second was "D-Man in the Waters," set to Felix Mendelssohn's E-Flat String Octet, op.20. Even on a rhythmic level, the choreography of both dances appeared to have little relationship to the romantic, emotional music. But whether you feel that Bill T. Jones ranks among America's most articulate exponents of modern dance, or that he simply talks a good game, his company—strong and attractive—danced with its own kind of panache. Musically the Dover Quartet, formed at the Curtis Institute in 2008, distinguished itself by playing Schubert with a level of nuance unexpected of musicians so young. And when the quartet was joined for the Mendelssohn by four equally youthful members of Ensemble39—two still studying at the Curtis—these eight musicians bespoke the level of artistry being fostered in that venerable Philadelphia conservatory. […]  

Music Review: Young string quartet impresses By Jim Lowe, February 16, 2012

The future of string quartet playing was on display at the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival's annual "A Winter Encore Concert" on Saturday at the Elley-Long Music Center - and it was much more than promising. The Dover Quartet, made up of some very talented 23-year-olds, was the featured ensemble, performing alone and with still-young artists, clarinetist Romie de Guise Langlois and violinist Soovin Kim, the festival's artistic director. Langlois, a Montreal native and veteran of Vermont's Marlboro Music Festival, led the ensemble in the major work of the program, Brahms' Clarinet Quintet, Opus 115. Langlois played with an unusually sensitive expressiveness, varying her pliable tone to move the phrase. Although the performance was a bit too driven to enjoy Brahms' classicism, she delivered the work's lyricism and power effectively and beautifully. The quartet - violinists Joel Link and Bryan Lee, violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt and cellist Camden Shaw - sounded great. Although Link had moments of flawed intonation, and in some of the more rhythmic passages the quartet became a bit overwrought, they delivered this masterpiece convincingly. And, most importantly, supported Langlois' excellent musicianship. The Dover Quartet was founded in 2008 while all of its members were students at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music, and has since won some important prizes, including the 2010 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Its connection to this festival seems to be that Lee, the second violinist, was a student of Kim's. Unusual for a young ensemble, the Dover plays with warmth and lyricism and delivers passion when called for - rather than all of the time, which seems in vogue. In Schumann's A Major String Quartet, Opus 115, the group played with a refinement belying its years. In the slow movement, Adagio, intensity sometimes overpowered the lyricism, but it was largely a compelling performance. The warm expressiveness proved quite moving. The program (which was also performed in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Friday) opened with Kim's own arrangement of J.S. Bach's Partita No. 1 in b minor, BWV 1002, originally for solo violin, for violin and string quartet. It proved quite enjoyable when the solo part was repeated by an arrangement of same by the quartet, but when the two joined together, it subtracted from the power of the original. Although Kim's arrangement was tasteful and sensitive, it would be even greater to hear him play the original - sans accompaniment. He's an insightful and compelling Bach player.

Dover Quartet shows passion, maturity beyond their years By Michael Huebner, August 19, 2010 Those who braved the muggy air and rush hour traffic on Thursday to hear the Dover Quartet's 6 p.m. concert at Altamont School were rewarded with music making that can only be described as astonishing. For these four musicians to have found each other while students at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music is remarkable enough. For them to be performing at such a high level while still in their early 20s, is confounding. Their finely honed sense of ensemble, first revealed in Haydn's Quartet in D major, Op. 76, No. 5, has been molded by robust support in the lower strings combined with even-tempered lyricism in the violins. Together with careful attention to balance and rhythmic precision, the result is a sound that is full and vibrant, yet transparent and pliable. The opening movement was light and graceful. They breezed effortlessly through the Menuetto's offset duple-triple rhythms. The finale was appropriately furious, yet crisp and taut. Bartok's Quartet No. 2 presented more of a technical challenge, but the gritty score was met with passion and breadth in the opening movement, wit and humor in the nearly drunken glissandos and subtle scurrying in the Allegro molto capriccioso, and slowly unfolding intrigue in the Lento. Bryan Lee and Joel Link reversed first and second violin positions in Debussy's String Quartet in G minor, a further indication of this group's flexibility and parity. The largely pizzicato second movement was carefully calculated and meticulously executed, the Andantino muted and ethereal. So where do these young musicians go from here? Unless they opt for solo careers (each is capable), they are destined for the company of some of the finest string quartets ever assembled. But the enthusiastic response at Cabaniss Fine Arts Center could not prompt an encore, suggesting that repertoire building may be in their immediate future.

115 College Street | Burlington, Vermont | (802) 658-2592 | www.melkap.com