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Linda Cajigas
IU Jacobs School of Music
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IU Jacobs School of Music
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Last modified: Monday, October 23, 2006

Orion Quartet named resident ensemble at IU Jacobs School of Music

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 23, 2006

The Orion Quartet

Print-Quality Photo

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Following two years of acclaimed guest appearances at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, the Orion Quartet has been appointed as the school's Quartet-in-Residence for the 2006-2007 season. Performances on November 6 and 7 will mark the debut of their annual project, with additional performances in December, February and March. Their four appearances include concerts and master classes, which are open to the public, as well as intensive educational sessions for students.

With an eye to balancing instrumental education at the Jacobs School of Music, the quartet's residency helps to bring chamber music to the fore, along with solo and orchestral studies.

In celebrating the quartet's appointment, Dean Gwyn Richards said, "We now have the unique opportunity to involve this venerable quartet in four aspects of chamber music education: concerts, readings of important works, individual sessions with chamber ensembles, and full quartet-to-quartet classes."

Steven Tenenbom, violist of the Orion Quartet, said the ensemble considers it a great honor to be invited into the Jacobs School.

"With the history and tradition at IU and the legacy of a phenomenal faculty, many of whom we have worked with, we feel energized to be part of a project in which the artistry and values of chamber music can be passed to new talented generations," Tenenbom said. "Our mission as an ensemble is to take the values given to us by the likes of Josef Gingold, Pablo Casals, Rudolph Serkin, Felix Galimir, Sandor Vegh, Alexander Schneider and many others, and to share them directly through performance and teaching with those who will follow."

Faculty violist Atar Arad has performed with the Orion Quartet a number of times and believes that the residency qualitatively changes the way in which students can benefit from its musicians.

"With the Orion's activities, each time they're on the ground in Bloomington, students will be reminded of what it takes to play at the highest possible level ... this is a truly inspirational opportunity for them all," he said.

The Orion String Quartet will perform on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. in Auer Hall and will teach master classes on Nov. 6 and 7 from noon to 3 p.m. in Ford-Crawford Hall. Additional performances will take place on Dec. 5, Feb. 25 and March 25, with master classes the following day.

The Orion String Quartet is one of the most sought-after ensembles in the United States, and its members -- violinists Daniel Phillips and Todd Phillips (brothers who share the first violin chair equally), violist Steven Tenenbom and cellist Timothy Eddy -- have worked with some of music's most legendary figures, such as Peter Serkin, Yo-Yo Ma and Isaac Stern. The quartet also has been credited with presenting the definitive interpretation of the Beethoven String Quartets. Their first installment of the complete Beethoven string quartet recordings, The Middle Quartets, will soon be released on the Koch International label.

For more information about the Orion Quartet, go to: https://www.orionquartet.com/index.htm.