Maxwell String Quartet | Chamber Concert | Athenaeum Music & Arts Library | La Jolla
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A longtime favorite on the Athenaeum chamber music series, the Maxwell String Quartet returns with a colorful program that opens with their signature dose of Scottish folk tunes, followed by Edmund Finnis’s first quartet, a poetic work that draws inspiration from the choral music of William Byrd, which closes the first half in an arrangement by the Maxwell String Quartet. Brahms’s epic second quartet rounds out this exciting evening.
Program:
- Traditional
- Gaelic Psalms of the Western Isles of Scotland (arr. Maxwell Quartet)
- Edmund Finnis (b. 1984)
- String Quartet No. 1, “Aloysius” (2018)
-
William Byrd (1540–1623)
- Ave Verum Corpus (arr. Maxwell Quartet)
Intermission
- Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
- String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, op. 51, no. 2 (1873)
The Maxwell String Quartet combines a refined approach to classical works with a passion for its own folk heritage and a commitment to expanding the string quartet repertoire through wide-ranging projects. Friends since they met playing in youth orchestras in Scotland, their tight bond shows through in compelling musical interpretations and their joyous communication with audiences.
Strongly connected to its own Scottish roots, the group often performs classical repertoire and new music alongside folk-inspired works. Its first two releases on Linn Records paired string quartets by Haydn with the players’ own compositions based on Scottish folk music, the first reaching number three in the classical specialist charts. They recently gave the world premiere of a new commission by Linda Buckley with bagpiper Brìghde Chambal, touring to Celtic Connections and across Europe.
They also continue to tour "Worksongs," a project exploring the folk songs and cultures of Scotland’s historic industries, including the jute and tweed trades. Their 2023 CD, "Gather," brought together traditional Scottish music ranging from 1200 to the present day, such as ancient Celtic plainchant, fishermen’s songs, pipe marches, and Shetland Reels, as well as new compositions. They have worked also with soul duo Lunir and folk duo Chris Stout & Catriona MacKay.
The players founded their own Loch Shiel festival in the West Highlands of Scotland and curated a concert series at Guardswell Farm in Perthshire. In 2024 they served as Artistic Directors of the Mendelssohn on Mull Festival.
All concerts are preceded by a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. and are followed by a reception with the artists in the Sharon & Joel Labovitz Entry Hall.
Event Supported By
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, located in the heart of La Jolla, Calif., in San Diego County, is one of only 16 nonprofit membership libraries in the United States. This rare cultural institution, an important one to the greater San Diego area, offers a depth and accessibility of resources and programs found nowhere else in the region. The library, devoted exclusively to music and art, has an outstanding and ever-expanding collection of books, periodicals, reference material, compact discs, videocassettes, DVDs, sheet music and librettos, as well as one of the most significant collections of artists' books in Southern California. The library is open to the public five days a week and members can check out materials for a modest annual fee. The Athenaeum also presents an eclectic, year-round schedule of art exhibitions, concerts (classical, jazz and new music), lectures, studio art classes through its School of the Arts, tours and special events. To quote the San Diego Union-Tribune, "There are few libraries in America as unusual as the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library." Admission: Admission to the library is free. Gallery exhibits are free and open to the general public. Materials may be used in the library or checked out by members. Borrowing privileges are limited to members only. Books may be checked out for four weeks and all CDs, videos and DVDs for two weeks. Materials may be reserved in advance. Guided Tours: Free guided tours take place the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m.
