The Freya String Quartet’s performance at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall will be a musical exploration of the sights and sounds that shaped the ensemble’s musicians. Roots will be performed on Monday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m.
The program opens with a set of folk songs from cellist Katya Janpoladyan’s native Armenia. These tuneful and rhythmically driven pieces evoke the rich musical traditions of a culture dating back nearly 2,500 years.
Spanning thousands of miles, Freya will also perform a work composed expressly for the group by Swedish-American composer Matthew Peterson. The eponymously named Badlands’ sweeping musical lines and colorful intonations are inspired by rugged beauty of North Dakota’s famous geological marvel. Both Jason Neukom (composer and violinist) and Jason Hohn (viola) are North Dakota natives.
The program will conclude with Edvard Grieg’s String Quartet in G Minor. This work of passionate lyricism was an early favorite of violinist Ashley Buck, indeed of each member of the ensemble. Freya’s musicians credit Grieg’s composition with instilling a love of performing chamber music and exploring its vast repertoire.
Founded in 2009, the Freya String Quartet is dedicated to performing a wide range of music, advocating artistic evolution, and teaching the importance of classical music in the Pittsburgh area. The ensemble is deeply committed to reaching new audiences by breaking the boundaries of classical music conventions. Freya’s repertoire spans composers from Shostakovich to Glass and Beethoven to Radiohead. Members of the ensemble have performed throughout the US, Asia, South America and Europe. To further advance its passion for live performance, innovation, education and collaboration Freya String Quartet helped create Symbiotic Collusion in 2011.
A project on the near horizon is the release of the album Snapshots, featuring nine short “character” pieces composed for Freya by Sean Neukom and Richard Neukom. The Neukoms are a musical family!
The February 24 concert is the fourth in the ACFL&MH’s Listen Locally chamber music series. Freya performed the series premiere concert in 2012. “We’re thrilled to be returning to the Listen Locally series,” says violist Jason Hohn. “It’s truly a wonderful venue that’s been lovingly restored and is a joy to perform in.”
The remaining two concerts this season’s series are:
March 31 Ferla-Marcinizyn Guitar Duo with contralto Daphne Alderson
April 28 Matt Murchison Mutiny (euphonium, flute, piano, bass, drums)
Tickets for the Listen Locally are $15 and may be purchased in advance at the ACFL&MH during library hours or at the box office the night of the concert. A reception with the musicians follows the concert. Please contact Lynne Cochran, Music Hall Director at 412-276-3456 ext. 7 for more information. All performances take place on Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
