Fulton Street Chamber Players: Dvořák & Haydn
$30 ($25 Folio & MLG members)
- Artur Girsky, violin
- Natasha Bazhanov, violin
- Rachel Swerdlow, viola
- Walter Gray, cello
Franz Joseph Haydn — String Quartet in C major, Hob. III:39, Op. 33, No. 3 "The Bird"
Folio is pleased to announce the return of a notable chamber ensemble, the Fulton Street Chamber Players, in two live, in-person concerts this spring!
The Seattle-based Chamber Players, anchored by two Seattle Symphony players, Walter Gray, cello, and Rachel Swerdlow, viola, invite noted other professional musicians to fill out the ensembles. Performances are in the round, which puts audience members close enough to read the music on the stands. This is the sixth season of the Players at Folio. All audience members are invited to join the musicians for a wine reception.
February's concert features Antonín Dvořák's beloved "American" Quartet, which Dvořák wrote in 1893 while in residence at the Czech settlement in Spillville, Iowa. It exemplifies Dvořák's use of American folk material, also prominent in his "New World" Symphony. Dvořák had been invited to America, where he taught and composed from 1893-95; missing his homeland of Czechoslovakia, he spent about a year in Iowa among Czech-Americans. Joining Swerdlow (viola) and Gray (cello) for this performance will be Artur Girsky and Natasha Bazhanov, violins, in a repeat visit to Folio.
Franz Joseph Haydn's string quartet in C major, Op. 33, No. 3, "The Bird", will be the second performance of the evening. The Op. 33 String Quartets were written by Joseph Haydn in the summer and Autumn of 1781 for the Viennese publisher Artaria. This set of string quartets has several nicknames, the most common of which is the "Russian" quartets, because Haydn dedicated the quartets to the Grand Duke Paul of Russia and many (if not all) of the quartets were premiered on Christmas Day, 1781, at the Viennese apartment of the Duke's wife, the Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna.
COVID-19 Protocol: Limited seating. Proof of vaccination or a 72 hours negative test is required to attend this event.
About Fulton Street Chamber Players
The Fulton Street Chamber Players are an ensemble drawn from the best and most dedicated chamber musicians in the Seattle area, supplemented with fantastic colleagues from across the country. Founded in 2015 by Rachel Swerdlow and Walter Gray, Fulton Street performances have been enjoyed throughout the Northwest, in both eclectic venues and house concerts. The ensemble’s love of chamber music and their enjoyment of performing in intimate settings brings audiences to the historic roots of chamber music.