Jupiter String Quartet: 15th Anniversary Celebration

As they celebrate the 15th anniversary of their founding, “the Jupiter String Quartet, an ensemble of eloquent intensity, has matured into one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene” (New Yorker). The quartet-in-residence at the University of Illinois School of Music chose Jupiter as its namesake; it was the most prominent planet in the night sky at the time of the ensemble’s formation. Jupiter’s astrological symbol resembles the number four, and numerous musical references emphasize connotations of happiness and strength associated with the Roman god. The quartet owes much of its musical philosophy to the influences of the original Cleveland Quartet and the current Takács Quartet, in which all four members form a dynamic and democratic union. The Jupiters spent their formative years under the instruction of these eminent chamber musicians and continue to adhere to many of their central principles today.

Mozart: String Quartet No. 15 in D Minor, K.421
Kurtág: Officium breve in memoriam Andreae Szervanszky, Op. 28 (a string quartet in 15 short movements)
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15, Op. 132