Pacifica Quartet Brings Sublime Playing to Finney Chapel March 22

Touted by the Washington Post as an ensemble with "a set of musical gifts held in ideal balance," the Pacifica Quartet, featuring two Conservatory alumni—violinists Simin Ganatra '96 and Sibbi Bernhardsson '95—brings its enchanting playing to Finney Chapel Tuesday, March 22, at 8 p.m. as part of Oberlin's Artist Recital Series.

The ensemble will perform Mendelssohn's Quartet in A minor, Op. 13, Hindemith's Quartet, op. 22, and Smetana's Quartet No. 1 in E minor. Contributing to the quartet's dynamic and exciting sound are Ganatra, Bernhardsson, violist Masumi Per Rostad, and cellist Brandon Vamos.

The Pacifica Quartet achieved global stature when it captured three of chamber music's most important international awards: the Coleman Chamber Music Competition (grand prize, 1996), the Concert Artists Guild Competition (top prize, 1997), and the Naumburg Chamber Music Award (1998). In 2002, the quartet was honored with Chamber Music America's prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award.

With its impassioned interpretations and unique musical voice, the Pacifica continues to win the hearts of audiences around the world. Now in its 10th year, the ensemble's 2004-05 season includes a tour of Japan, an appearance at Wigmore Hall in London, the release of the complete Mendelssohn string quartets on the Cedille label, and more than 60 concerts across the country.

An advocate of contemporary music, the ensemble has commissioned and performed as many as eight new works a year. The New York Times has written glowingly of the "astounding performances" by the "brilliant Pacifica Quartet," and the Chicago Tribune praised the quartet's "astonishing talent, energy and dedication." As resident string quartet for the Contemporary Chamber Players, one of the country's leading contemporary music organizations, the quartet presents a series of concerts each year devoted exclusively to new music.

In 2003, the Pacifica became Faculty Quartet in Residence at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, while continuing as Quartet in Residence at the University of Chicago, where it is the first resident ensemble in the history of the institution. In addition, the group was instrumental in creating the Music Integration Project, an innovative program that provides musical performances and teacher training to inner-city elementary schools.

After the Pacifica's London debut, the Daily Telegraph wrote: "This was playing of the most sublime kind, utterly absorbing in its subtle expressiveness, polish, and ready communication of stylistic character." A recent review by the Washington Post stated: "The Pacifica brought out the strong personalities in all these works, thanks to a set of musical gifts held in ideal balance: exuberance bounded by a natural feeling for classical architecture, scrupulous ensemble enlivened by spontaneous-sounding phrasing, and clean vibrancy of tone working hand-in-hand with interpretive warmth and immediacy."

Reserved-seat tickets are still available and are $7 for students, $16 dollars for senior citizens and those with an Oberlin College I.D. (faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and area educators), and $20 for the general public. Tickets purchased at the door the night of the concert are an additional $3. Please call Oberlin's Central Ticket Service at 440-775-8169 for more information.