Ying Quartet: American Made

The tradition of American string quartet writing is full of magnificent music. Samuel Barber’s only quartet (from 1936) has, as its centerpiece, the Adagio, one of the most iconic pieces of American music ever written. Although it is most often heard in arrangements for massed strings, the profound simplicity of the original quartet version is tender, moving and powerful. Newer works by Jennifer Higdon and Billy Childs are even more personal to us, as the Ying Quartet commissioned and worked closely with both composers. Southern Harmony depicts Jennifer’s musical youth in Tennessee and Georgia, and features fiddling techniques found in Appalachian roots music. Billy’s Agitato magically melds Bartok and bebop. In the 1890s, Antonin Dvorak spent significant time in the US helping to inspire American composers to find their own distinctive voices. He wrote his Op. 106 quartet after leaving New York and returning to his native Bohemia.

We have all of these wonderful composers to thank for contributing to the vibrant American music scene that we enjoy today! We are looking forward to our performance in Cooperstown on May 7th!