The Investigator and the Mirror
(August 4, 2022) The Boston-based Balourdet Quartet will headline the fifth performance of the Nantucket Musical Arts Society’s 2022 summer concert season.
The group will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday at First Congregational Church, 62 Center St. The quartet includes Angela Bae, Justin DeFilippis, Benjamin Zannoni and Russell Houston.
The Balourdet Quartet takes its name from Antoine Balourdet, chef of the Hôtel Saint-Bernard and member of the Taos School of Music community.
“I’m confident that the Balourdet String Quartet will whip up some spectacular music for our concert this week,” said Nantucket Musical Arts Society president Eva-Maria Tausig. “They have a very lively and engaging style that is perfect for summer listening.”
Currently in residence at the Professional String Quartet Program at the New England Conservatory, the quartet received the grand prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh competition, as well as first prize at the 2021 Premio Paolo Borciani in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
The group also received the Gold Medal at the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Gold Medal and Audience Award at the 2021 Yellow Springs Chamber Music Competition, and Second Prize at the International Chamber Music Competition. Carl Nielsen 2019.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the quartet has appeared in numerous virtual performances for institutions such as the Schneider Concert Series, the New England Conservatory’s First Mondays Series, Music For Food and Massachusetts Peace Action. Its members also organized and delivered an educational program for more than 500 children in Indiana schools, as well as masterclasses through the Fischoff Chamber Music Academy.
Members have also conducted workshops and masterclasses for the New England Conservatory’s preparatory division, the Upper Valley Chamber Music Center, and string students in the Dallas area.
Highlights of the quartet’s 2021-2022 season included performances at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, La Jolla Summerfest, Nevada Chamber Music Festival, Pro Musica Classical San Miguel, CMA Showcase, and an in-person return to the Schneider Concert Series.
The Balourdet Quartet has shared the stage with many renowned artists including Cho-Liang Lin, as well as members of the Dover Quartet.
The group has studied and performed at festivals such as the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Robert Mann String Quartet Institute and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana. The quartet works primarily with Paul Katz at the New England Conservatory, as well as members of the Cleveland and Borromeo Quartets.
He trained four years ago at Rice University in Houston, under the tutelage of James Dunham, Norman Fischer and Cho-Liang Lin.
All four members will participate in the Nantucket Musial Arts Society‘s free “Meet the Artist” event at 5 p.m. Monday at the Atheneum, 1 India Street. They will discuss their varied career trajectories and their individual plans for the future and that of the Quatuor Balourdet.
Tickets for the Tuesday concert are available at the door for $30, when doors open at 6:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church. Tickets can also be purchased in advance at Antiques Depot, 2 South Beach St., and Nantucket Community Music Center, 56 Center St.
The final performance of the 2022 summer concert season will feature violinist Itamar Zorman with pianist Adam Golka on August 16.
The Nantucket Musical Arts Society is a non-profit organization established in 1959 to enrich the musical climate of Nantucket, which was then calmer. Since then, it has presented world-class artists to residents. The Society also defends emerging artists, the stars of tomorrow, as well as contemporary composers. Donations to support the society can be made to the Nantucket Musical Arts Society, Box 897, Nantucket, MA 02554.
For more information on this season’s concerts or to learn more about the Nantucket Musical Arts Society, call (508) 228-1287 or visit nantucketmusicalartssociety.org.
