The Mendelssohn Octet is one of the first pieces that every chamber musician falls in love with. Fun to play, fun to hear, fun to study. Every measure reflects the idealistic side of the 16-year-old composer. It’s also one of the most popular pieces to read whenever large groups of string players assemble. However, since [...]
We stared at an empty coach’s chair. It was unusual, said the other three, for Felix Galimir to be late. So we brushed up a few passages, alternating playing with talking, mostly questions tinged with nervous anticipation. Our cellist asked if we thought Galimir would hear the entire Haydn quartet or just the first movement. [...]
The fall of 1998 was a time of transition for me at Curtis. I was beginning my third year, which meant that half of the people I met when I entered Curtis were gone. In addition, the Montagnana Quartet, the group I had played in since coming to Curtis, was no more. Luckily the other [...]
