Call & Response

Fri, Apr 28
7:00 p.m.
$7 - $25

Come witness the world premiere performance of a new composition by
one of America's leading composers of classical music, Geoge
Tsontakis! The new work, his String Quartet No. 5, was commissioned
and will be performed by the San Francisco based chamber ensemble,
the Cypress String Quartet.

The Cypress String Quartet has performed to great acclaim at venues
worldwide, including appearances at the Kennedy Center, the Ravinia
Festival, and Stanford Lively Arts. Since its inception in 1996, the
Cypress String Quartet has commissioned and premiered over 25 works
from many of America's most prominant composers. Two of the last
three composers commissioned by the Cypress String Quartet have been
nominated for Grammy Awards. In recognition of their work both
commissioning and championing contemporary music, the Cypress
recently won the Aaron Copland Award.

The premiere of Tsontakis's String Quartet No. 5 is part of the
Cypress String Quartet's "Call & Response" program, which presents
music as a dynamic and ongoing process of creative inspiration. The
commission itself is a "response" to two monumental Beethoven String
Quartets, Op. 131 and 135. The public concert on April 29th is
actually the culmination of several weeks of touring Bay Area
schools, giving free presentations to students and spreading the joy
and beauty of chamber music.

The featured composer, George Tsontakis, is the recipient of the 2005
Grawemeyer Award - widely considered the most prestigious
international award for composition. His music has been recorded on
the Hyperion, Koch, Innova, New World, CRI, and Opus 1 labels. He
will be in attendance for the premiere of his String Quartet No.5 at
the Yerba Buena Center, and present on his new work in a pre-concert
talk to audience members who show up and purchase tickets early.

This is the one-and-only chance to see this exciting program in San
Francisco! There will be a repeat performance of the program on
Saturday, April 29th, in San Jose. Please visit the Cypress String
Quartet online at www.cypressquartet.com, or at the MySpace Music
Pages, for more information.

Venue:

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum
701 Mission Street
San Francisco
415-978-2787
http://www.ybca.org

Additional Info: