PUBLIQuartet and The Mighty Third Rail to Play Symphony Space, 3/20

The innovative PUBLIQuartet, winner of the Concert Artists Guild Sylvia Ann Hewlett Adventurous Artist Prize and a CAG New Music/New Places Ensemble, will team up with the hip hop poetry trio, The Mighty Third Rail for an original performance at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space on Thursday evening, March 20th at 7:30 p.m. The PUBLIQuartet will begin the evening with Gyorgy Ligeti's Quartet No. 1. The Mighty Third Rail will then perform their own hip hop/spoken word improvisations based on iconic jazz standards by Duke Ellington and John Coltraine, as well as Gil Scott- Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" along with their own compositions. The concert will come full circle with a re- imagining of Ligeti's Quartet No. 1in which both ensembles will take part, featuring improvisation, electronics, beat boxing, and spoken word in a modern day telling of the Garden of Eden. The performance is part of the PUBLIQuartet's MIND|THE|GAP series, which explores the intersection between jazz, hip hop, and classical genres.

Tickets are $32, $27 for members and $20 for those 30 and under and can be purchased by calling (212) 864-5400 or by visiting www.symphonyspace.org.

Named a 2013 CAG New Music/New Places Ensemble, the PUBLIQuartet's creative, interactive programming brings a fresh perspective to the classical music scene. Drawing on jazz, world, and electro-acoustic influences, PUBLIQuartet pairs music from the classical repertoire with contemporary works, original compositions, and open-form improvisations that expand the stylistic norms of the string quartet.

Current projects include the original concert series MIND|THE|GAP, which connects old and new music by bridging musical content through improvisation, and PUBLIQ Access, a new program for emerging composers that launches at the DiMenna Center in 2014.

The group performs in a diverse range of venues-from Lincoln Center and 92Y Tribeca to Rockwood Music Hall and Cornelia Street Cafe. Recent concerts have been presented by American Composers Orchestra, Bargemusic, Queens College New Music Collective, Music of Now Marathon at Symphony Space, Hobart William Smith Colleges, Fordham University, and the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra.

PUBLIQuartet has collaborated with members of ICE, composer/violist Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin, bandoneonist JP Jofre, jazz tuba legend Bob Stewart, and jazz clarinetist and composer Don Byron. The ensemble has worked with members of the Muir, Juilliard, Orion, Mendelssohn, Tokyo, American, and Brentano String Quartets and with composers Joan Tower and Butch Morris. Residencies include the Juilliard String Quartet Institute, Deer Valley Music Festival's "Emerging Quartets and Composers" program, Robert Mann String Quartet Institute, and the Banff Centre. The members of the quartet are graduates from Eastman School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and Mannes College of Music.

The Mighty Third Rail is an award winning New York based trio that mixes the elements of Hip Hop poetry, beat-boxing, violin and upright bass. From poetry cafes to colleges to concert halls, whether it's jamming at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe, opening for Reggie Watts, or performing at the prestigious Lincoln Center, The Mighty Third Rail undoubtedly delivers. Featuring the dashing Darian Dauchan on vocals, the indelible Ian Baggette on bass, and the courteous Curtis Stewart on violin. Daring vocals, booming basslines and a vivacious violin create a show charged with high energy, crowd interaction and wise cracking wordplay. This bold, urban collective pushes the boundaries of Jazz and Hip Hop to define the next generation's voice. They are the winners of the 2012 Musical Theatre Matters award for BEST New Music at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and are 2013 American Music Abroad Finalists for the U.S. State Department.

Founded in 1951 with a mission to discover, nurture & promote young musicians, Concert Artists Guild has helped several hundred young musicians start careers over the past sixty years. And the range of artistry has been great: from the heart of the tradition to the cutting edge. Notable alumni artists include violinist Jennifer Koh, clarinetists David Krakauer and David Shifrin, flutists Carol Wincenc and Marina Piccinini, Imani Winds, the Grammy-winning ensembles eighth blackbird, Pacifica and Parker String Quartets, and MacArthur Fellow flutist and arts entrepreneur Claire Chase.

CAG provides support to a roster of talented artists during the critical and formative time between completion of formal studies and the achievement of an established career. Artists are selected through a rigorous multi-round annual competition open to traditional and non-traditional instrumentalists, ensembles and singers. CAG offers comprehensive management services including concert bookings and tour management, commissioning and recording opportunities and marketing and publicity support. Competition winners are also presented on the Concerts in New York at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

The NewMusic/New Places initiative presents CAG artists in non-traditional venues such as bars, clubs, and galleries, introducing diverse audiences to concert music. The CAG Records label enables roster musicians to get their music onto disc and into the marketplace. The CAG Commissioning Program ensures that classical music continues to be a living art form by fostering collaborations between performers and composers.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!