From the Czech Republic...the
Pavel Haas Quartet

PavelHaas

Veronika Jaruskova, violin
Eva Karova, violin
Pavel Niki, viola
Peter Jarusek, cello

THURSDAY November 12, 2009
Stude Concert Hall
8:00 PM

PROGRAM

Schubert Quartet in C minor, D. 703 "Quartettsatz"
Haydn Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, #2 "Quinten"
Britten Three Divertimenti

Intermission

Pavel Haas Quartet No. 2, Op. 7

"Take note: this is one of the most polished and musically exciting young string quartets in the world today."

Washington Post, April 2008

Since winning the Paolo Borciani competition in Italy in Spring 2005, the Pavel Haas Quartet has performed at the world's most prestigious concert halls, receiving great acclaim from audiences and critics alike.

In 2009/10 the Quartet will debut at the Lucerne Festival, the Schubertiade, the Frick Collection in New York, the BBC Proms and the Berlin Konzerthaus as well as making its first appearance in our concert series. It will also make return visits to Vienna Konzerthaus, Barcelona Palau de la M�sica, Wigmore Hall and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. They will also undertake major tours of the USA and Australia. In autumn 2009 the Quartet will release its third disc on the Supraphon label with recordings of Prokofiev's String Quartets Nos.1 and 2.

Recent highlights for the Quartet include performances at Carnegie Hall, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg and performances at the Louvre, Paris. The Quartet recently toured to Japan, recording a concert of Jan�ček and Haas for NHK television. In 2007, the Cologne Philharmonic nominated the Quartet as ECHO Rising Stars, resulting in a tour to major concert halls worldwide. The Quartet took part in the BBC New Generation Artists scheme from 2007-2009, participating in BBC studio recordings and high profile UK engagements. Their recording of Beethoven string quartets was the cover CD for the 2009 BBC Music Magazine's Awards issue.

The Pavel Haas Quartet has released two discs on the Supraphon label. The first recording of Jan�ček Quartet No.2 'Intimate Letters' and Haas Quartet No.2 'From the Monkey Mountains' was voted one of the CDs of 2006 by The Daily Telegraph, CD of the Week by BBC Radio 3 and Chamber Choice by BBC Music Magazine. The Quartet's second disc was released in autumn 2007 and saw them complete their recordings of the string quartet works by Haas and Janacek, featuring Janacek's Quartet No.1 'Kreutzer Sonata' and Haas' Quartets Nos.1 and 3. Gramophone commented "To describe a CD as musically important is to court a certain level of controversy but I'll stick my neck out and claim extreme importance for this particular release."

Based in Prague, the Quartet has studied with some of the masters of the quartet world including members of Quartetto Italiano, Quatuor Mosaiques, Borodin Quartet and Amadeus Quartet, as well as with Walter Levin (LaSalle Quartet) in Basel. The Quartet has worked particularly closely with Milan Skampa, the legendary violist of the Smetana Quartet, and continues to enjoy a close relationship with him.

The Quartet takes its name from the Czech composer Pavel Haas (1899-1944) who was imprisoned at Theresienstadt in 1941 and tragically died at Auschwitz three years later. His legacy includes three wonderful string quartets. As well as Haas, the Quartet is passionately committed to the Czech repertoire while their performances of Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, Mozart, Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Ravel have also received extraordinary acclaim.

The Pavel Haas Quartet is represented by Intermusica.

The Friends of Music are presenting this concert in conjunction with the Houston Holocaust Museum.

Thanks also to the Czech Center Museum of Houston.

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