The Opus 76 Quartet – December 4, 2021

From it’s hometown of Kansas City, The Opus 76 Quartet has become recognized in journals worldwide for its entertaining and energetic interpretations of the classics. The Strad reviewed a recent performance, commenting “a beautiful Sunrise from [the] Opus 76 Quartet…you’re still allowed to watch [the performance], in fact we insist that you do.” The Spectator (London), reviewing a recent performance of a Late Beethoven Quartet lauded the group, remarking: “a brilliant young string quartet…[a] luminous performance.” In the USA, The Kansas City Star recently described the group’s complete Beethoven Cycle as “certainly passionate performances, fully expressing all of Beethoven’s many emotions from the the lighthearted and jocular to the feverish and intense.”

Artists-in-residence at the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College, The Opus 76 Quartet perform 50 concerts a year nationwide. 

In 2021, the Quartet made their debut with orchestra, and will appear as guest artists with the Kansas City Ballet, performing works by Philip Glass in the Ballet’s season opening performance of “Wunderland” at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. They will also be making a recording of the Six Quartets dedicated to Haydn by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for Kansas Public Radio. As artists-in-residence at The Midwest Trust Center, they will perform a series of concerts in Kansas City, as well as on other concert series at venues across the United States. The Quartet will be giving masterclasses at the Juilliard School and at the Royal Academy of Music.

During the Pandemic of 2020, The Opus 76 Quartet performed and recorded all 18 Beethoven String Quartets in front of a live audience over a six week period. These performances were broadcast statewide on Kansas Public Radio. The ensemble released complete recordings of these works in association with KPR digitally on iTunes and physically on their own label, available for purchase in their online shop. The group established a Digital Residency at the Midwest Trust Center, performing an innovative new streaming Concert Series “Eat, Drink & Play!” pairing staples of the classical repertoire with regionally sourced fine food and drink – in documentary format. 

In addition to upcoming performances with The Kansas City Ballet, the Quartet has collaborated with a number of celebrated artists and groups, including “The Priests” on a tour of the USA, American clarinetist David Krakauer, as well as Norwegian pianist Julie Coucheron and French ‘cellist Noemie Golubovic. In addition to the Beethoven Quartets, the ensemble’s discography includes Schubert’s C Major Quintet, Mendelssohn’s op.44 no.1 and Brahms’s F minor Piano Quintet.

The Opus 76 Quartet is fully committed to improving society through music – and its non-profit foundation, The Friends of the Opus 76 Quartet, oversees its charitable works in the community of Kansas City. The foundation’s goal is to improve society’s ability to listen to one another calmly, and promote greater understanding for the different perspectives on life we all have. Providing interactive educational programmes and learning resources, such as workshops, podcasts and digital presentations, has helped deliver advocacy for the problems the Kansas City community faces. It’s encouraged volunteerism and donations to sister organizations which directly serve those in need, particularly during the Pandemic of 2020, and has worked to demonstrate awareness of the common dignity we all share as human beings – irrespective of social or economic status.

The Opus 76 Quartet continues to be mentored by retired founding member of the Takács Quartet, Károly Schranz.

www.opus76.org

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