Cassatt String Quartet to celebrate 20th anniversary with fundraiser at SU

Cassatt String Quartet to celebrate 20th anniversary with fundraiser at SUJanuary 28, 2004Amy Schmitzaemehrin@syr.edu

The New York City-based Cassatt String Quartet, Syracuse University’s quartet-in-residence, will perform a concert in Syracuse University’s Goldstein Faculty Center, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. This concert is a special Valentine’s Day concert, with complimentary champagne and hors d’oeuvres included with admission. The event is a fundraiser for the Rose, Jules R. and Sanford S. Setnor School of Music and a celebration of the Cassatt Quartet’s 20th anniversary.

Formed in 1985 with the encouragement of the Juilliard Quartet, the Cassatt initiated and was one of the inaugural participants in Juilliard’s Young Artists Quartet Program. Cassatt’s numerous awards include a Tanglewood Chamber Music Fellowship, the Wardwell Chamber Music Fellowship at Yale, first prizes at the Fischoff and Coleman Chamber Music Competitions, two top prizes at the Banff International String Quartet Competition, the 1995 CMA/ASCAP First Prize Award for Adventurous Programming and a 1996 recording grant from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust. The Cassatt will also be performing a 20th anniversary concert at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City on March 10, and the SU performance will feature some of the music to be performed in New York.

The Cassatt String Quartet features Nicole Johnson on cello, Tawyna Popoff on viola, and Jennifer Leshnower and Muneko Otani on violin.

Ticket prices are $25 with proceeds to benefit the Setnor School of Music. Tickets may be purchased at the Schine Student Center box office by calling 443-4517 and free parking will be available in the Irving Garage.