Vol. 23, No. 6, Sept. 18, 2002
MUSIC
Renowned Pacifica Quartet
to perform, teach in residency at Illinois
Melissa Mitchell,
News Editor
(217) 333-5491; melissa@uiuc.edu
9/1/03
|
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —
The
Pacifica Quartet, generally regarded as one of the most dynamic string ensembles
touring today, maintains an ambitious concert schedule that keeps the group
constantly on the move. This past month has been no exception; the pace just
ratcheted up a notch.
In between a residency at Interlochen music camp in Michigan and an appearance
at the prestigious Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, the quartet
had some serious moving to do – the kind that involves boxes
and moving vans. For the next three years, Pacifica’s new home base will
be the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Besides serving as the School of Music’s
resident string ensemble, Pacifica members will have appointments on the school’s
faculty, pending approval of the university’s board of trustees.
"They are quite a catch," said music school director Karl Kramer,
who noted that "a confluence of circumstances" brought the ensemble
– which formed in 1994 in California – to the university.
"They were doing part-time things and were looking for a place to coagulate,
and we were looking for an ensemble to regenerate our string program."
At Illinois, Pacifica members Simin Ganatra, first violin; Sibbi Bernhardsson,
second violin; Masumi Per Rostad, viola; and Brandon Vamos, cello, will give
private, studio lessons and will perform a three-concert series during the 2003-04
season at the university’s Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The
first performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 26.
Kramer said Pacifica also plans to keep up a rigorous touring schedule while
based at Illinois and expects the quartet "will serve as ambassadors for
the University of Illinois" while on the road.
"We’re excited about coming there," Ganatra said. "We’ve
been looking for a school, and there are so many great opportunities for us
at Illinois." Among the enticements that lured them downstate from Chicago,
where they’ve had part-time residencies at the University of Chicago and
Northwestern University, was the chance to help build a new Chamber Music Institute
from the ground up.
Kramer said the school plans to launch the institute next year. "It will
draw preformed groups that have previously performed together and want to take
advantage of what the School of Music and Krannert Center has to offer,"
he said. The program is designed to equip young artists with skills in both
music and performing-arts management. "It takes both sides of the coin
– musical experience and business sense – to succeed today,"
said Kramer, who added that "nobody else is doing this."
Ganatra said "it would’ve been great if such a program had been available
when we were starting out" because – as a professional touring ensemble
– "not only are you concerned with your performing career, but you’re
running your own small business."
While serving on the Illinois faculty, Pacifica will continue as resident string
quartet at the University of Chicago. This fall the ensemble also begins a two-year
appointment as Resident Quartet of the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society
Two, in New York.
