The Emerson String Quartet to Perform in Sleepy Hollow

The Emerson String Quartet, one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles, will open Friends of Music Concerts’ 2015-16 season on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 8 p.m. in Kusel Auditorium at Sleepy Hollow High School with a program that includes works by Beethoven, Shostokovich, and Brahms.

The Emerson stands apart in the history of string quartets with an unparalleled list of achievements over more than three decades. It returns for its 15th appearance on the Friends of Music stage with its newest member, the Welsh cellist Paul Watkins, who joined the group in 2013. His dedication and enthusiasm has infused the quartet with a warm rich tone and a palpable joy in the collaborative process. In addition to Mr. Watkins, members of the quartet include violinists Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer, and violist Lawrence Dutton.

The Emerson’s more than thirty acclaimed recordings have garnered nine Grammy® Awards that include two for Best Classical Album, an unprecedented honor for a chamber music group. In January 2015 the quartet received the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award, Chamber Music America’s highest honor, in recognition of its significant and lasting contributions in the chamber music field. www.emersonquartet.com

Friends of Music Concerts’ 62nd season continues on Saturday, October 24, 2015 with the exciting new ensemble, The Montrose Trio, performing works by Beethoven, James Lee, III, and Brahms. World-renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman will play Schuman and Prokofiev on Saturday, November 7, 2015. On Saturday, April 16, 2016, members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will perform a rarely offered program of string sextets by Strauss, Dvořák, and Brahms. Pianist Yun-Chin Zhou, a winner of Young Concert Artists International Auditions and recipient of a Friends of Music Concerts Performance Award, will perform an eclectic program on Saturday, April 30, 2016. The Pacifica Quartet, recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style and sometimes daring repertory choices, will close the season on Saturday, May 14, 2016, with a program that includes works by Mozart, Schnittke, and Mendelssohn.

Subscriptions to the entire six-concert season are $120, while tickets for individual concerts are $30. People ages 18 and under are admitted free of charge. Orders may be placed on line at www.friendsofmusicconcerts.org, or can be mailed with a check to Friends of Music Concerts, P.O. Box 675, Millwood, NY 10546. Sleepy Hollow High School is located at 210 North Broadway (Route 9), in Sleepy Hollow. Seats are general admission only. Parking is free.

Over these past 61 years, the all-volunteer, non-profit Friends of Music Concerts, Inc. consistently has brought world-renowned chamber ensembles and distinguished up-and-coming artists to Westchester audiences, demonstrating the diversity and fine quality of chamber music today. Its concerts are made possible, in part, by a Basic Program Support Grant from ArtsWestchester with funds from Westchester County Government, by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and by generous support from many private individuals.

More information about Friends of Music Concerts and its 2015-2016 season can be found at www.friendsofmusicconcerts.org. Information about ticket availability may be obtained by leaving a message in the “contact” part of the website, or by calling 914-861-5080.