Recital: Balourdet Quartet
The Balourdet Quartet, NEC's current quartet in residence in the Professional String Quartet Program, presents a live performance at Jordan Hall.
The quartet members study with Nicholas Kitchen, Donald Weilerstein, Miriam Fried, Martha Strongin Katz, and Paul Katz.
About the Balourdet Quartet
The Balourdet Quartet, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is currently in residence at New England Conservatory’s Professional String Quartet Program. The quartet received the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, as well as prizes in international competitions including the Banff, Paolo Borciani, and Carl Nielsen competitions. They were also awarded the Gold Medal at the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the 2021 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition.
Highlights of the Balourdet’s 2022-23 season include appearances at Chamber Music Detroit, the Grand Piano Series in Naples, FL, Merkin Hall, and Wigmore Hall. Summer 2022 also saw the Balourdet performing at festivals including Bravo! Vail, Music Mountain, and Strings Music Festival. Additionally this season, the quartet is thrilled to premiere a new commissioned work by celebrated composer Karim Al-Zand, made possible through Chamber Music America’s Classical Commissioning Grant.
The Balourdet has performed at festivals and series including Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, La Jolla Music Society Summerfest, the Dame Myra Hess Concerts, Montgomery Chamber Music, Santa Fe ProMusica, and the Schneider Concert Series. Committed to sharing their musical values with the next generation, the quartet has given masterclasses and coachings at New England Conservatory Preparatory Department, Fischoff Chamber Music Academy, Upper Valley Chamber Music, and Wright State University, as well as a residency teaching and performing at the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival.
The Balourdet Quartet was formed in 2018 at Rice University in Houston, Texas under the tutelage of James Dunham, Norman Fischer, and Cho-Liang Lin. It currently works primarily with Paul Katz at New England Conservatory, as well as Miriam Fried and members of the Cleveland and Borromeo Quartets. The quartet takes its name from Antoine Balourdet, chef extraordinaire at the Hotel St. Bernard and beloved member of the Taos School of Music community.
The NEC Professional String Quartet Training Program
Once every two years, NEC admits a single string quartet into its Professional String Quartet Program, led by NEC faculty and Cleveland Quartet cellist Paul Katz. In addition to full tuition scholarships and living stipends, the program provides intensive training and coaching to exceptional, pre-existing groups who demonstrate the talent and commitment necessary to pursue a concert career. Previous graduates of the program include the Kuss, Jupiter, Parker, Ariel, Harlem, Biava, Omer, and Verona Quartets.
Hugo Wolf | Italian Serenade (1887)
Karim Al-Zand | Strange Machines (2022)
Boston Premiere
Alberti Machine
Goldberg Machine
Mannheim Machine
The commissioning of Strange Machines by Karim Al-Zand was made possible by the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program, with generous funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Felix Mendelssohn | String Quartet No. 4 in E Minor, op. 44 no. 2 (1837)
Allegro assai appassionato
Scherzo: Allegro di molto
Andante
Presto agitatoINTERMISSION
Ludwig van Beethoven | String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, op. 130 with Große Fuge, op. 133 (1825–26))
Adagio, ma non troppo
Presto
Andante con moto, ma non troppo – Poco scherzoso
Alla danza tedesca: Allegro assai
Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo
Große FugeWe would like to extend our most sincere thanks
to all of our incredible mentors over the past three years:
Paul Katz, Nicholas Kitchen, Donald Weilerstein,
Miriam Fried, Martha Strongin Katz, Mai Motobuchi, and John Heiss.
They all have gone so above and beyond for us
with their time, energy, and passionate dedication.
Thank you as well to President Kalyn, Provost Sosland,
and all of the NEC Administration and Staff for helping make
our amazing time in the Professional String Quartet Program possible.