The Valley Concert Society presents the St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ) on Saturday, Jan. 30.
The group performs from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium, 32315 South Fraser Way. A pre-concert talk in the foyer takes place at 6:50 p.m.
One of Canada’s most highly regarded chamber ensembles, the SLSQ has gained recognition for its outstanding performances and recordings.
The group won a Juno Award and a Preis der Deutsches Schallplaten Kritik for the recording of quartets by Robert Schumann.
The second half of the program on Saturday will consist of one of those Schumann quartets, the String Quartet No. 3 in A Major.
The SLSQ is also strongly committed to musical education. They have held residences in prestigious schools of music, including the Juilliard School, and universities such as Yale.
They are currently in residence at Stanford University in California.
In keeping with this desire to help people understand music better, they will present a unique program called Haydn Discovery in the first half of the concert.
Franz Joseph Haydn is known as the Father of the String Quartet. The players of the SLSQ will “unpack” Haydn’s String Quartet No. 23 in F Minor, examining it from various perspectives and exploring its magic, before playing it in its entirety.
The quartet consists of Geoff Nuttall and Owen Dalby on violin, Lesley Robertson on viola and Christopher Costanza on cello.
Tickets are $28 adults/seniors and $15 for seniors. They are available online at valleyconcertsociety.com or by calling 604-289-3377.
