Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle
Isidore String Quartet
June 10, 2023
The Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle series continues with the Isidore String Quartet.
Artists
Adrian Steele violin
Phoenix Avalon violin
Devin Moore viola
Joshua McClendon cello
Program
Dinuk Wijeratne
The Disappearance of Lisa Gherardini
Billy Childs
String Quartet No. 2, Awakening
Felix Mendelssohn
Quartet No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 44, No. 3
About
Winners of the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2022 and just named recipients of a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, the New York City-based Isidore String Quartet was formed in 2019 with a vision to revisit, rediscover, and reinvigorate the repertory. The quartet is heavily influenced by the Juilliard String Quartet and the idea of ‘approaching the established as if it were new, and the new as if it were firmly established.’Â
The members of the quartet, violinists Adrian Steele and Phoenix Avalon, violist Devin Moore, and cellist Joshua McClendon began as an ensemble at The Juilliard School. Following a break during the global pandemic, the four reconvened at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in the summer of 2021 under the tutelage of Joel Krosnick. In addition to Mr. Krosnick, the ISQ has coached with Joseph Lin, Astrid Schween, Laurie Smukler, Joseph Kalichstein, Roger Tapping, Timothy Eddy, Donald Weilerstein, Atar Arad, Bob McDonald, Christoph Richter, Miriam Fried, and Paul Biss, while performing in venues such as Alice Tully Hall, The Kennedy Center, and Ravinia Festival.Â
ISQ’s Banff triumph brings extensive tours of North America and Europe, a two-year appointment as the Peak Fellowship Ensemble-in-Residence at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, performances at Haydn Hall in Eisenstadt and at Lucerne Festival, plus a two-week residency at Banff Centre, including a professionally produced recording, along with extensive ongoing coaching, career guidance, and mentorship.Â
The Isidore Quartet’s 2022–2023 season will feature debut appearances in Pittsburgh, PA; Durham, NC; Burlington, VT; Kalamazoo, MI; Evanston, IL; San Antonio, TX; Laguna Beach, CA (with pianist Jeremy Denk and violinist Stefan Jackiw); and Seattle, WA (with violinist James Ehnes).Â
The quartet will return to Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center as part of the Fortas Chamber Music Concert Series and will also perform for Schneider Concerts at the Mannes School of Music. In Europe, they will perform at the Esterházy Palace in Austria and will spend time at the Britten Pears Arts Institute. The quartet will be working as a resident ensemble with PROJECT: MUSIC HEALS US providing encouragement, education, and healing to marginalized communities—including elderly, people with disabilities, rehabilitating incarcerated, and unhoused populations—who otherwise have limited access to high-quality live music performance. An ensemble actively dedicated to pushing the boundaries of music-making, the ISQ is the resident ensemble for the Contemporary Alexander School/Alexander Alliance International. In conjunction with those well-versed in the world of Alexander Technique, as well as other performers, the ISQ explores the vast landscape of body awareness, mental preparation, and performance practice.Â
The name Isidore recognizes the ensemble’s musical connection to the Juilliard Quartet: one of that group’s early members was legendary violinist Isidore Cohen. Additionally, it acknowledges a shared affection for a certain libation—legend has it a Greek monk named Isidore concocted the first genuine vodka recipe for the Grand Duchy of Moscow!
Plan Your Visit
Eat & Stay
Nearby villages and towns in the Hudson Valley boast a large selection of restaurants, as well as a variety of hotels, motels, inns, and bed & breakfasts.
Eat & StayDirections
Bard College’s main campus is located in Annandale-on-Hudson (a hamlet of Red Hook), New York, on the east bank of the Hudson River, about 90 miles north of New York City and 220 miles southwest of Boston. The Taconic State Parkway and the New York State Thruway provide the most direct routes to our campus. Click the Google map below, or get directions by entering the following address into your GPS: 35 Henderson Circle Drive, Red Hook, NY 12571.
From the East
If you are traveling from east of the Hudson River in New York State, take the Taconic State Parkway to the Red Hook / Route 199 exit, drive west on Route 199 through the village of Red Hook to Route 9G, turn right onto Route 9G, drive north 1.7 miles, turn left onto Entrance Road, then turn left onto Campus Road.
From the West
If you are traveling from west of the Hudson River, take the New York State Thruway (I-87) to exit 19 (Kingston), take Route 209 (changes to Route 199 at the Hudson River) over the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge to Route 9G, turn left onto Route 9G, drive north 3.3 miles, turn left onto Entrance Road, then turn left onto Campus Road.
About the Venue
Olin Hall
Accessible Seating
Wheelchair-accessible seating is available in all seating areas for patrons in wheelchairs and their companions.
Wheelchair-Accessible Restrooms
Restrooms at all locations are wheelchair accessible. Single-use restrooms are available at most locations.
All-Gender Restrooms
Bard College and the Fisher Center support guests of any gender identity/expression in using the restroom of their choice. Additionally, all-gender restrooms are available at all venues.
More Info
Our driving principle is to operate with a duty of care for all our community—artists, audiences, and staff alike.
In order to share performances with as many audience members as possible, we ask that you read our Health and Safety Protocols on the FAQs page and commit to participating in our community of care.
Read the FAQs and Safety Protocols
