The Parker Quartet Plays The McCullough Theatre 1/20

Continuing a commitment to foster and cultivate emerging talent, Texas Performing Arts presents one of todays most exciting young chamber ensembles. Praised for their contemporary approach to classical music by fans of both traditional and non-traditional classical music, The Parker Quartet will perform at the McCullough Theatre on Thursday, January 20.

Hailed by the New York Times as "something extraordinary" and by the Boston Globe for their "fiercely committed performances," the Parker Quartet has rapidly distinguished itself as one of the preeminent ensembles of its generation. The Parker Quartet began its professional touring career in 2002, and in 2005 sparked international acclaim by winning the Concert Artists Guild Competition as well as the Grand Prix and Mozart Prize at the 2005 Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition in France. Most recently, the Quartet was awarded the prestigious 2009-2011 Cleveland Quartet Award (for which Texas Performing Arts is an originating partner). Given biennially by Chamber Music America, this award honors and promotes a rising young string quartet whose artistry demonstrates that it is in the process of establishing a major career.

Currently, The Parker Quartet is the Quartet-in-Residence with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In addition, they are the first-ever Artists-in-Residence with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and American Public Media (APM). This unprecedented residency for the 2009-2010 season includes performance and interview broadcasts on Performance Today and Classical FM, live chamber concerts in St. Paul, and live regional concerts and educational residencies as part of MPR's Troubadour Concert Series throughout Minnesota and the surrounding states.

In addition to concerts in bars and clubs nationwide, the ensemble was the first String Quartet in Residence at Barbés Bar and Performance Space in Brooklyn, NY. The residency embraced a series of collaborative concerts with artists of various genres including Jazz, Folk, and World Music.

The Parker Quartet is: Daniel Chong (violin), Karen Kim (violin), Jessica Bodner (viola), Kee-Hyun Kim (cello).

When asked about the origin of the ensemble name, Kee-Hyun Kim explains, "We are named after the Omni Parker House, in Boston. We all came from different places (Dan from L.A., Karen from Wisconsin, Jess from Houston and myself from Seoul, Korea) [and] when we first met it seemed fitting to choose a name that was such a landmark of Boston. The Parker House is not only the oldest Hotel in Boston, it is the longest-running hotel in the U.S., and was made a landmark in 1855. It's also the home to the creation of the Boston cream pie and Parker House rolls. Literary greats used to assemble there, including Hawthorne, Longfellow, and Emerson."

Campus & Community Engagement Event:
Join us for a post-performance talkback in the hall with members of the Parker Quartet immediately following the performance.

CALENDAR LISTING
Thursday, January 20, 2011, 8:00 pm-Texas Performing Arts presents the Parker Quarter at McCullough Theatre (2350 Robert Dedman Dr). A map of the campus: TexasPerformingArts.org/visit/maps_directions. Tickets ($22 / Limited $10 student tickets / discounted tickets available for UT faculty & staff, seniors and Military) are on sale now at authorized ticket outlets, which include the Bass Concert Hall Box Office, most H-E-B stores and all Texas Box Office outlets, online at TexasPerformingArts.org, or by calling (512) 477-6060 or (800) 982-BEVO (2386).

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