Music composed around the turn of the centuries, inspired by their time and the promise of an inventive future: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Quartet No. 6, Kevin Puts’s Dark Vigil, and Anton Arensky’s Piano Quintet. Featuring the Carpe Diem String Quartet and pianist Michelle Schumann.
Friday night tickets are only available in advance and include drinks and light bites during a post-concert reception with the artists. Subject to availability, $12 Student Rush (with student ID), $33 General Admission, and $48 Premium tickets may be purchased at the box office starting at 6:30 PM on the evening of the Saturday night concert.
Program
String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6 | Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
- Allegro con brio
- Adagio ma non troppo
- Scherzo: Allegro
- La Malinconia: Adagio – Allegretto quasi Allegro
Dark Vigil | Kevin Puts (b. 1972)
INTERMISSION
Piano Quintet | Anton Arensky (1861–1906)
- Allegro moderato
- Variations. Andante
- Scherzo. Allegro vivace
- Finale. Allegro moderato
CARPE DIEM STRING QUARTET
Sam Weiser & Marisa Ishikawa, violins | Korine Fujiwara, viola | Ariana Nelson, cello
Michelle Schumann, piano
Run time: This concert is approximately 70 minutes, plus one short intermission.
Carpe Diem String Quartet
One of the most unique and sought-after ensembles on the concert stage today, the Carpe Diem String Quartet is a boundary-breaking ensemble that has earned widespread critical acclaim for its performances of traditional repertoire, new music, genre-bending collaborations, and community engagement. The Quartet has contributed to and premiered works by composers from a variety of backgrounds and traditions, including Korine Fujiwara, Jonathan Leshnoff, Reza Vali, and Erberk Eryilmaz. Carpe Diem has also appeared in concert playing original charts by folk icons Jeff Midkiff and Jayme Stone and rock singer-songwriter Willy Porter.
Devoted to expanding the reach and impact of community engagement, Carpe Diem has been awarded six transformative outreach grants from the PNC Foundation ArtsAlive Awards. Carefully crafted performances have allowed the Quartet to reach underserved audiences including The Apache Nation, Ohio Women’s Reformatory residents, and families at the Columbus Museum of Art.
Michelle Schumann
Hailed for her “sensitive, flexible, and tempestuous dexterity” (Fanfare Magazine), pianist Michelle Schumann has built a reputation for evocative and moving performances. Michelle served as Artistic Director of the Austin Chamber Music Center 2006–2024, “fearlessly expanding our definition of chamber music” (Austin-American Statesman). Her brand of performance includes an enthusiastic interplay with audiences, bringing diverse music together under a narrative blanket. She was named “Best Classical Musician” in the Best of Austin 2019 Readers Poll by the Austin Chronicle.
Schumann is Professor of Piano at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and additionally holds a Performance Diploma from the Vienna Conservatory.