A string quartet goes electric in the next set of the alumni concert series at the University of Victoria.
The Emily Carr String Quartet performs George Crumb’s electric string quartet Black Angels.
The quartet features Victoria residents Müge Büyükçelen and Cory Balzer (violins), violist Mieka Michaux (B.Mus ’98) and cellist Alasdair Money (M.Mus ’03).
Black Angels premiered at the University of Michigan in 1970 and was described as “one of the most important events of the season” (Ann Arbor News). One of B.C.’s finest ensembles, the Emily Carr String Quartet, will plug in their instruments for a performance of Black Angels on Jan. 29.
Kirk McNally, UVic School of Music audio specialist, recently dug up the original program as well as newspaper reviews from the premiere in his preparation for this performance.
“We are doing a proper version of the quartet using equipment that is the contemporary equivalent of what was used in the premiere,” McNally said. “Unfortunately, the recording from the premiere is still on reel-to-reel tape, so it isn’t available as a reference.”
The quartet will also perform works by Shostakovich, Osvaldo Golijov, and School of Music alumna Cassandra Miller (B.Mus ’05).
Emily Carr String Quartet performs Thursday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. in the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall at UVic.
Tickets are $18/$14 and available at the door or through the UVic Ticket Centre at tickets.uvic.ca or 250-721-8480.
cvanreeuwyk@oakbaynews.com