The Jupiter String Quartet is pleased to announce new concert programming for future seasons, offered for 2025-26 and beyond.

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Redefining Beauty

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The Jupiter Quartet explores the evolution of Romanticism in Europe and the various ways in which composers sought to break free from the constraints of the Classical period and embrace the expressive possibilities of this new style, finding beauty and depth in new types of harmony. W.A. Mozart was one of the first Classical composers to push the boundaries of conventional harmony. In a daring and prescient manner, his “Dissonant” quartet opens with shockingly strange harmonies before quickly retreating back to the comfort of C Major and the Classical form. 130 years after Mozart composed the “Dissonant” quartet, Karol Szymanowski’s first quartet reflects the continuing power and prominence of dissonance as composers from this era search for a more complex definition of beauty. The second half of the program features the lusher side of Romantic experimentation with Rebecca Clarke’s elegant Poem and Johannes Brahms’ dramatic C minor quartet. As an alternative second half, the Jupiter Quartet offers Edward Elgar’s soaring Piano Quintet with pianist Soyeon Kate Lee.

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• W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in C Major, K. 465 “Dissonance”

• Karol Szymanowski: String Quartet No. 1

• Rebecca Clarke: Poem

• Johannes Brahms: String Quartet in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1
  
  with pianist Soyeon Kate Lee

• W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in C Major, K. 465 “Dissonance”

• Karol Szymanowski: String Quartet No. 1

• Edward Elgar: Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84

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Revival

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Revival takes listeners on a wonderful, emotional ride filled with vibrant rhythms of folk dance as well as beautifully intimate lyricism. Robert Schumann composed all three of his string quartets in a burst of creative energy, and this first of the series is a brilliant exploration of the genre, featuring creative counterpoint, driving rhythms, and heartbreaking reflection. Clarice Assad’s vivacious Canções da America showcases a collection of song-like music from Brazil as well as nearby neighbors: Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Argentina. Alberto Ginastera’s scintillating first quartet is based on the folk traditions of Argentina. The program concludes with Beethoven’s monumental Quartet in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1, an astonishing experiment in expanding the form of the string quartet to its limits. The work reaches its emotional height in the sublime slow movement, whose spell is broken by the energetically rustic dance of the final movement, based on a Russian folk tune.

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• Robert Schumann: String Quartet in A minor, Op. 41 No. 1

• Clarice Assad: Canções da America -OR- Alberto Ginastera: String Quartet No. 1

• Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1

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South American Origins

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The Jupiter Quartet leads listeners on a musical journey to South America, performing a sparkling combination of works inspired by the kaleidoscope of cultures, landscapes, and musical traditions of the region. The program begins with a selection of passionate tangos by Astor Piazzolla, which reflect his signature musical language, fusing traditional Argentine tango music with elements of jazz, classical, and contemporary music. Gabriela Lena Frank says, “Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout draws inspiration from the idea of mestizaje as envisioned by Peruvian writer José María Arguedas, where cultures can coexist without the subjugation of one by the other. As such, this piece mixes elements from the western classical and Andean folk music traditions.” The strings invoke the colors and playing styles of traditional Andean instruments, including the panpipe, tarka, guitar-like charango, and the quena flute. Clarice Assad’s vivacious Canções da America showcases a collection of song-like music from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Argentina, while Alberto Ginastera’s scintillating first quartet is based on the folk traditions of Argentina.

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• Astor Piazzolla: various tangos or other short works TBD

• Gabriela Lena Frank: Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout

• Clarice Assad: Canções da America

• Alberto Ginastera: String Quartet No. 1

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Reverberations of Nature

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Throughout music’s history, composers have been inspired by the natural world. The Jupiter Quartet presents nature-inspired works spanning over 200 years. Haydn’s delightful C Major Quartet received its nickname, “The Bird,” from its chirping and playful character which pushes against the stricter traditions of the form. Following the Haydn, the Jupiter Quartet offers Bartók’s ingenious fifth quartet, Gabriela Lena Frank’s lively Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout, or Alberto Ginastera’s brilliant Quartet No. 1. To conclude the program, the Jupiters offer Beethoven’s sublime Quartet in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1, Bartók’s aforementioned fifth quartet, or Elgar’s soaring Piano Quintet with pianist Soyeon Kate Lee.

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• F.J. Haydn: String Quartet in C Major, Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird”

• Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 5 -OR- Gabriela Lena Frank: Leyendas: Andean Walkabout -OR-Alberto Ginastera: String Quartet No. 1

• Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 -OR- Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 5
  
  with pianist Soyeon Kate Lee

• F.J. Haydn: String Quartet in C Major, Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird”

• Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 5 -OR- Gabriela Lena Frank: Leyendas: Andean Walkabout -OR- Alberto Ginastera: String Quartet No. 1

• Edward Elgar: Piano Quintet in A Minor, Op. 85

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reCONSTITUTION

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reCONSTITUTION responds to America’s 250th anniversary in a program that asks listeners to consider the beauty, interdependence, and complicated history of our country’s music, including voices that were intentionally left out in the aspirations of the American project. Amazing Grace, a song originally written by a white slave trader and now powerfully reappropriated as a song of redemption and civil rights, is heard in a radiantly reimagined theme-and-variations by Ben Johnston. Gabriela Lena Frank’s evocative work, Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout, reminds us of the beauty and strength of multi-cultural influences and connections. Dvořák’s beloved “American” Quartet shares the stage with arrangements of Black spirituals and plantation songs by composers such as Margaret Bonds, H.T. Burleigh, and Florence Price. Dvořák greatly admired this music, drew inspiration from it, and believed that these traditional songs, marginalized for so long, represented “the future of music in this country.”​​

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• Ben Johnston: Amazing Grace

• Gabriela Lena Frank: Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout

• Various: arrangements of songs by African American composers for quartet (selections may include works by Florence Price, H.T. Burleigh, and Margaret Bonds)

• Antonín Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, “American”
  
  for string septet with University of Illinois artist-faculty Jupiter Quartet + Salley Koo, violin; Denise Djokic, cello; Kris Saebo, double bass
  reCONSTITUTION is also offered with the rarely performed septet version of John Adams’ Shaker Loops. Partly inspired by the ecstatic quaking rituals of the Shaker religion, Adams’ work celebrates Minimalism, one of America’s most original and influential contributions to contemporary music.
   

• Ben Johnston: Amazing Grace

• Various: arrangements of songs by African American composers for quartet (selections may include works by Florence Price, H.T. Burleigh, and Margaret Bonds)

• Antonín Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, “American”

• John Adams: Shaker Loops for string septet