Alexander Sitkovetsky
David Requiro
Dr. Gloria Chien
String Theory at the Hunter, in partnership with Lee University and the Hunter Museum of American Art, will continue its 13th season on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m., with “Bohemian Rhapsody: Suk, Kodály and Smetana.” The concert will highlight three of the most represented chamber music works of Eastern Europe.
“We are pleased to welcome brilliant violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky and superb cellist David Requiro for our Bohemian Rhapsody, which will showcase a trifecta of masterpieces by Eastern European composers,” said Dr. Gloria Chien, String Theory artistic director.
The concert will feature Mr. Sitkovetsky and Mr. Requiro, along with Dr. Chien, as they present Josef Suk’s Elegy, Op. 23, Zoltán Kodály’s Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7, and Bedrich Smetana’s Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15.
Suk’s elegy, fully titled Under the Impression of Zeyer’s Vyšehrad after Zeyer’s poem about Vyšehradis, is a noble yet lyrical composition of love, tragedy, and loss. Kodály’s work is a crossover of Hungarian folk materials and formal art music structures. His only piano trio, Smetana’s piece is dedicated to his young daughter who died from scarlet fever, and it is full of grief and passion.
Mr. Sitkovetsky made his concerto debut at the age of eight, going on to perform with the Netherlands Philharmonic, the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin’s in the Fields, and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Together with his wife, Qian, and cellist Leonard Elschenbroich, Mr. Sitkovetsky performs in the Sitkovetsky Piano Trio, regularly giving performances in England at Wigmore Hall and across Europe in halls such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Frankfurt Alte Oper.
Mr. Requiro, making his Chattanooga debut, has captured audiences’ attentions as one of today’s finest American cellists. Along with performing extensively in California, Mr. Requiro has performed with acclaimed symphony orchestras around the world, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and Tokyo Philharmonic. He is active in contemporary music and is a founding member of Baumer String Quartet and the Boulder Cello Festival. He was also appointed to the Bowers Program by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Mr. Requiro also serves as an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Dr. Chien is the co-artistic director of Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Or., as well as the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vt., along with her husband, violinist Soovin Kim. For the last decade, Dr. Chien was the director of the Chamber Music Institute at Music@Menlo. Dr. Chien, a Steinway Artist, frequently appears with the CMS and is an artist-in-residence at Lee University.
Dr. Chien and Soovin Kim also recently received the CMS Award for Extraordinary Service to Chamber Music, presented to individuals and institutions who have shown exceptional dedication to the art form of chamber music and have significantly changed the landscape of chamber music through their passionate commitment and exceptional vision.
The performance, sponsored by The Donina Group – UBS, will also be recorded and produced for online distribution.
Tickets are on sale now through Feb. 8 and are $45 for general admission, $35 for Hunter members, $10 for students and music teachers, and $25 for groups of 20 or more.
String Theory was founded in 2009 by Dr. Chien to expose new audiences to chamber music, invigorate the local classical music scene, and cultivate a future generation of music lovers.
String Theory at the Hunter is dedicated to the health and safety of its members, guests, and the surrounding community. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, attendees ages five and up must show proof of vaccination. Masks are also required, and audience seats will be socially distanced.
The String Theory season will continue in March with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on Tour’s “Magical Schubert,” with pianists Alessio Bax and Gloria Chien, violinist Ben Beilman, and cellist David Requiro.
To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit https://www.stringtheorymusic.org/concerts/suk-kodaly-and-smetana or call 414-2525.