Happy Summer!

1. "You Are Hear": Music at SFO
2. Ring of Fire CD
3. Memories of "Lines of Listening" Project
4. Memories of Quartetfest
5. Memories of Garden of Memory Summer Solstice
6. New Grants
7. Donate

1. "You Are Hear": Music at SFO

On August 1 the Quartet will inaugurate a new music series, "You Are Hear," presented by Tarmac Music at San Francisco Airport. We will play three sets of music from the Del Sol repertoire for travelers arriving, departing and waiting for flights in the International Terminal.





2. Ring of Fire CD

It’s here! After six months of intensive work, we have released our new CD, “Ring of Fire: Music of the Pacific Rim” (on the Other Minds Records label). It includes “Spiral X: In Memoriam” by Chinary Ung, which Del Sol premiered at the Library of Congress this past fall, and pieces by other contemporary Pacific Rim composers such as Gabriela Lena Frank, Hyo-shin Na, Kui Dong and Jack Body. You can buy it through our website or from Other Minds. It will also be available from retailers later this summer.

3. Memories of "Lines of Listening" Project

In collaboration with psychiatrist/filmmaker Laura Schwartz, on July 7 the Quartet was filmed and recorded at Skywalker studio in Marin County for an experimental, multi-media project exploring the creativity and psychology of sound and music making. Hannah recalls, "Laura presented us with a Glazunov string quartet, for which the scores had been severely disfigured. Our heads spun as we attempted to make sense- and music- out of the displaced notes, extra staff lines or lack thereof, and absence of clef. I've never been so relieved to see a 'normal' sheet of music as when we finally played through the piece with real, properly notated scores, and discovered what a lovely piece of music it is! All this in front of a team of camera crew and microphones. I'll be excited to see the final documentary!" Rick remembers, "We take for granted that music notation will be written in a format we are familiar with. What happens when the rules of notation are subtly or not-so-subtly twisted, and we are left to our own devices to decipher this newly-deformed sheet music? In front of a battery of video cameras? At the end of the day, we were able to reconstitute an obscure quartet by Glazunov, but only after a full day's effort and and an interesting adventure in problem-solving and group dynamics."

4. Memories of Quartetfest

For years, Del Sol has been leading a fabulous program for young chamber musicians, that has been the center-pin of their educational outreach in the Bay Area. Four groups meet for an intensive seminar of mainly modern quartet music coached by the Del Sol, which ends with a final public performance followed by a potluck dinner. The newly expanded 4-day QuartetFest workshop for kids (ages 10-18) was a refreshing experience for all who attended. They were excited to tackle the various challenges of this new music with its extended techniques and complex rhythms. The additional 2 days gave the Del Sol ample opportunity to expand the QuartetFest experience in several ways. Kate and Charlton expertly led morning classes in Chen Style Taiji to help the students relax and get their focus. Violinist and special guest artist Jeremy Cohen led the group in three intensive sessions on the Blues and Tango music, with it’s own extended instrumental techniques, leading up to an exuberant performance of the "Del Sol Blues" composed collaboratively by the entire class! The four student quartets also performed works of Shostakovich, Mozart, and Zhou Long. Deepest thanks to Steve and Sara Kahn, for allowing us use of their Pacific Heights house for QuartetFest!
Photos by Rick Shinozaki. Clockwise from left: Hannah Addario-Berry, James Pak; Andrea Chung, Tara Sola, Kate Stenberg, Aku Sorensen, Erica Wong; Gabriella Smith, Eli Wirtshafter, Leon Truong, Charlton Lee. Not pictured: Dylan Mattingly.

5. Memories of Garden of Memory Summer Solstice

On June 21, one of the hottest days so far this year, the Quartet performed at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland for the annual “Garden of Memories” concert. Stephen Kent, famed didjeridu player, collaborated with the quartet on a couple of pieces. The all-day concert series included more than 30 different musicians and ensembles playing in various intriguing spaces within the famed Art Deco Columbarium building (designed by architect Julia Morgan). Kate Stenberg took flight down the stairs on her breaks to play one of Amirkhanian’s solo pieces “Rippling the Lamp” that he wrote for her to perform at the Other Minds “New Music Séance” last year. Rick recalls: "Throngs of music lovers lined the halls and milled around the Chapel of the Chimes for this annual event. Del Sol sweated it out in the aptly titled 'Chamber of Effulgence' for a warm audience (literally), in friendly competition with the widest variety of musical acts that the Bay Area has to offer. The positive energy and enthusiastic participation by all made 'Garden of Memories' a natural fit for Del Sol. 

Photo by Charles Amirkhanian. Left to right Stephen Kent, Kate Stenberg, Rick Shinozaki, Charlton Lee, Randy Fromme (substitute cellist)

6. New Grants

The San Francisco Foundation awarded us $10,000 for "Composing Together," an arts education program we begin this fall to introduce public school kids in three Bay Area counties (SF, Contra Costa, and Alameda) to composing their own works, in collaboration with composer/educator Katie Wreede. We also received $500 in June from BMI Foundation, Inc. for general operations and the first installment of $9,600 on our grant awarded by the SF Arts Commission Cultural Equity Program for our 2009 Home Season concert next spring.

7. Donate

You can help support our mission to advance the classical music tradition by making a donation online!