Making its Chattanooga debut, the Decoda Cello Quartet will perform as part of String Theory at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga. The concert will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m. featuring cellists Hamilton Berry, Claire Bryant, Caitlin Sullivan, and Yves Dharamraj.
Founded in 2009 by pianist and Artistic Director Gloria Chien, String Theory brings acclaimed chamber musicians from around the world to perform in the intimate setting of the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga. Dr. Chien is a Steinway artist and an artist-in-residence at Lee University.
The quartet will perform works by Franchomme, Cornish, Frank, Menotti, and Ravel. They will be accompanied by Dr. Chien on the Menotti.
Prior to the concert, “Musical Dialogues” will take place at 6 p.m. from the concert stage. Dr. Chien will lead an in-depth conversation with the artists on their lives, inspirations, and the masterpieces being performed.
Review for the Decoda Cello Quartet:
A Nashville native, Mr. Berry has collaborated with pop artists including Debbie Harry, Bjork, Vampire Weekend, FUN., and Cults. He has played at the Chelsea, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Olympic, and Yellow Barn music festivals. Berry has also performed with Toomai String Quintet, Novus NY, Con Brio Ensemble, Ensemble ACJW, and more.
Ms. Bryant enjoys an active and diverse career in New York City as a performer of chamber music, contemporary music, and the solo cello repertoire. She has collaborated with world-class artists such as Daniel Hope, Emanuel Ax, Sir Simon Rattle, and the Weilerstein Trio, among others. Bryant is also the winner of the Robert Sherman McGraw Hill Companies award for excellence in community outreach and music education.
Based in New York City, Ms. Sullivan is recognized by the New York Concert Review as having “the understanding and emotional projection of a true artist.” She has performed in the United States and abroad with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham, Bela Fleck, the Joshua Redman Quartet, among others. Additionally, Ms. Sullivan has helped lead educational outreach projects in South Africa and Japan.
Mr. Dharamraj enjoys a multifaceted career that takes him to the major stages of the U.S. and abroad, including Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Ravinia Festival, and Chicago Cultural Center, among others. In 2013, mr. Dharamraj co-founded New Docta International Music Festival to bring world-class musicians to Argentina to perform, inspire children, and nurture Latin American talent.
Individual concert tickets are $30 for Hunter members, $40 for non-members, $10 for students with a valid student ID, and $25 for groups of 20 or more people.
The following Saturday, Jan. 21, at 1 p.m., Decoda Cello Quartet will be featured at the String Theory Annual Family Concert, hosted by the Hunter Museum and dedicated to Woodmore Elementary School. Through its performance, “Four Crayons,” the quartet will show how four cellos can create a number of vivid musical settings. All proceeds will be donated to the Woodmore Fund, created to provide assistance to the families with children on the bus that crashed November.
An instrument petting zoo, hosted by the String Theory Youth Initiative, will follow the Saturday performance. Tickets are $15 for adults, while admission for children 15 and under, Hunter members, and String Theory subscribers and patrons is free.
For more information on String Theory at the Hunter Museum of American Art or to purchase tickets, call 414-2525 or visit www.stringtheorymusic.org.