Non-Traditional String Quartet Performs In Rocky River

Carpe Diem String Quartet (Amy Galuzzo, violin; Charles Wetherbee, violin; Carol Ou, cello; & Korine Fujiwara, viola)

Carpe Diem is not your ordinary string quartet! This boundary-breaking ensemble will present the fifth concert in the Rocky River Chamber Music Society’s 58th season on Monday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the acoustically glorious sanctuary of West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, 20401 Hilliard Blvd. in Rocky River. Members of the Quartet are Charles Wetherbee, violin; Amy Galluzzo, violin; Korine Fujiwara, viola; and Carol Ou, cello.   

Carpe Diem’s programming reflects its passion for not only traditional quartet repertoire, but also for Gypsy, tango, folk, pop, rock, and jazz-inspired music.  The Quartet champions, with fervor, the music of living composers. It has commissioned, premiered, and performed works by a broad spectrum of composers including Frank Bennett, Osvaldo Golijov, Jennifer Higdon, Gunther Schuller and CDSQ member, Korine Fujiwara. In its March 20 Rocky River concert, Carpe Diem will perform Ms. Fujiwara’s Fiddle Suite "Montana," along with Russian composer Sergei Taneyev’s Quartet No. 9 in A major, and Austrian composer Franz Schubert’s “Quartettsatz” in C minor. CDSQ has recorded several works including "Montana," on the Seize the Music label, and all nine string quartets by Taneyev, on the Naxos label.

Carpe Diem is dedicated to pushing the limits of the classical string quartet and revitalizing the chamber music experience. It has a firm sense of community engagement as shown by its performances in such non-typical concert venues as assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, Alzheimer care units, hospice centers, and the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center. 

Based in Columbus where it was founded in 2005, Carpe Diem has performed across the country and in Japan. A glowing review in the Washington Post (by Robert Battey, 3/17/2013) called the Quartet “extraordinary” and further raved, “Among these contemporary quartets who speak in different tongues, the Carpe Diem is the best one out there.” 

As is true of all concerts presented by the Rocky River Chamber Music Society, there is no admission charge and all are welcome. For further information please visit our website at www.rrcms.org, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or call 440-333-4296. 

Program, March 20:

Franz Schubert, “Quartettsatz” in C minor, D. 703

Sergei Taneyev, Quartet No 9 in A major

INTERMISSION

Korine Fujiwara, Fiddle Suite "Montana"

Carol Jacobs

Carol Jacobs is a retired librarian (Lakewood Public Library), archivist (The Cleveland Orchestra), and curator (Cowan Pottery Museum at Rocky River Public Library) who currently serves on the board of the Rocky River Chamber Music Society.  

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Volume 13, Issue 5, Posted 6:18 PM, 03.07.2017