December 28, 2009

Leading European piano quartet performs at Purdue

The 8 p.m. event is presented by Purdue Convocations and includes a pre-show discussion by a member of the quartet, who will discuss the group's genesis and the evening's program. The talk begins at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center, Room 218D.

Taking its name from the prolific Romantic composer, the Fauré Quartett is celebrated for its dynamic, moving performances as well as its members' effortless understanding of the music and their inherent connection to each other. Pianist Dirk Mommertz, violinist Erika Geldsetzer, violist Sascha Frömbling, and cellist Konstantin Heidrich founded the ensemble in 1995 and quickly garnered top awards at prestigious international chamber music competitions. Since then, the group has performed on renowned stages around the globe, including London's Wigmore Hall and the Philharmonie in Berlin.

The quartet's performances reveal the depth and power of works from Mozart and Brahms to Fauré and Saint-Saëns and to Sük and Kirchner. The group's most recent album, "Popsongs," features instrumental arrangements of songs by Ben Folds Five, Feist, a-ha and the Pet Shop Boys, among many others, and  reveals just how far their repertoire reaches.

The program at Purdue will feature  Gustav Mahler's Piano Quartet in A Minor, "Quartettsatz;" Gabriel Fauré's Piano Quartet no. 1 in C Minor; and Johannes Brahms' Piano Quartet no. 1 in G Minor.

Tickets are $26 for adults and $16 for children 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at 765-494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster outlets. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more can be ordered at 765-496-1977.

Initiated in 1902, Purdue Convocations is among the oldest collegiate professional performing arts presenters in the United States. Each year, Convocations offers the region 30 to 40 performances of widely varying genres: Broadway-style shows, theater, dance, children's theater, world music, jazz, and chamber music, along with rock, pop, country and comedy attractions. With a vision for connecting artists and audiences in artistic dialogue and for drawing in academic discourse, Purdue Convocations aims to promote frequent exposure to and familiarity with human cultural expression in a multitude of forms and media.

Contact: Abby Eddy, (765) 494-5045, aeeddy@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Publication-quality photos can be found at: https://www.purdue.edu/convocations/showPhotos.asp?ID=15

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