Composer

The celebrated Balourdet Quartet produces both emotionally intense and intimate moments on international stages. Its unique closeness and willingness to take creative risks earned it the 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant, as well as Chamber Music America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award. With more than 70 concerts per season, recent highlights include the Balourdet’s debuts at Carnegie and Wigmore Halls, and new string quartets by composers Karim Al-Zand and Paul Novak through grants from Chamber Music America (2021) and the Barlow Foundation (2023). They are currently the Graduate Quartet in Residence at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and are recent graduates of the New England Conservatory’s Professional String Quartet Program.

EPSG:4326

Balourdet Quartet with Astrid Schween: Schubert Cello Quintet

Detroit Country Day School - Upper School

The award-winning Balourdet Quartet is joined by Juilliard String Quartet cellist Astrid Schween for a performance of Schubert’s immortal Cello Quintet. Also on the program, Haydn’s “Bird” Quartet and “Strange Machines” by Canadian composer Karim Al-Zand.

Digital Concert: Balourdet Quartet With Astrid Schween: Schubert Cello Quintet

The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music proudly announces its 2024 season opener, "PARADE," set to take place on Friday, August 2, at 8 PM at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. This remarkable evening marks the beginning of the Festival's 62nd season, under the baton of Maestro Cristian Măcelaru, featuring the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra.

The concert will showcase an array of West Coast and World Premieres by contemporary composers, reflecting on themes of community, solitude, and the transformative power of storytelling. The program includes Vivian Fung's "Parade," inspired by the San Francisco Lunar New Year parade, capturing the essence of community amid solitude and reflecting on the journey from isolation to togetherness experienced during the pandemic. Helen Grime's Violin Concerto, featuring the virtuosic talents of Leila Josefowicz, offers a mesmerizing experience of contrasts in a single continuous movement. Nina Young's "Tread Softly," commemorating the centennial of the 19th Amendment, reflects on the Women’s Suffrage movement and the ongoing struggle for gender equality and representation. The evening will also feature the world premiere of Karim Al-Zand's "Al Hakawati" (The Storyteller), with soprano Miriam Khalil, exploring the essence of storytelling through scenes from an opera in progress.

The event begins with an outdoor Pre-Concert Talk by Music Director/Conductor Cristi Măcelaru and guests, offering insights into the evening's program. A special alfresco dinner, prepared by Sunny’s Catering, will be served outside the Civic Auditorium, with advance tickets required for the meal.

This opening night promises to be a celebration of contemporary music, bringing together exceptional artists and premieres that reflect on significant themes of our time. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a unique musical journey that sets the tone for the Cabrillo Festival's 2024 season.

Parade 

Civic Auditorium Santa Cruz

Making their Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle (HVCMC) debut, the prize-winning Balourdet Quartet, most recently the recipient of a 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant and Chamber Music America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award, will perform works from the chamber music canon by Mozart and Beethoven, along with Karim Al-Zand’s Strange Machines, a work they commissioned with a Chamber Music America grant in 2022 and premiered in London’s Wigmore Hall during the 2022–23 season.

Balourdet Quartet

Fisher Center at Bard

The Balourdet Quartet, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is currently in residence at the New England Conservatory’s Professional String Quartet Program. The quartet received the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, as well as prizes in international competitions including the Banff, Paolo Borciani, and Carl Nielsen competitions. They were also awarded the Gold Medal at the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the 2021 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition.

Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

MEETING of MINDS

Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston

The Balourdet Quartet, based in Boston, Massachusetts, has performed at festivals and series including the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, La Jolla Music Society Summerfest, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Montgomery Chamber Music, Santa Fe ProMusica, and the Schneider Concert Series. The quartet received the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, as well as prizes in international competitions including the Banff, Paolo Borciani, and Carl Nielsen competitions. They were also awarded the Gold Medal at the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the 2021 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition. Highlights of the Balourdet’s 2022-23 season included appearances at Chamber Music Detroit, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, Merkin Hall, and Wigmore Hall. 

Northwestern University

Legendary pianist Marc-André Hamelin teams up with the sensational Balourdet Quartet, for a program of Mendelssohn, Al-Zand and Franck’s popular PIano Quintet. The Balourdet Quartet received Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Gold Medal at the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and is currently in residence at the New England Conservatory.

Marc-André Hamelin & Balourdet Quartet

Shalin Liu Performance Center

Kicking off the summer season at the Tannery, the Balourdet is currently in residence at the New England Conservatory. A finalist at the 2022 Banff Competition, the ensemble performs a varied program of works with a recent work by a Canadian-American composer.

Darrow School

Associate Professor of Flute and Contemporary Music Sarah Brady presents a flute recital.

Artistry in Action: Faculty Recital—Sarah Brady, Flute

Boston Conservatory at Berklee

### Søndergård, Fliter, and Mozart - Minnesota Orchestra

**Date & Time:**
- Thursday, May 8, 2025
- Friday, May 9, 2025

**Venue:**
- Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403

**Duration:**
- 2 hours, including intermission

**Event Description:**
Join the Minnesota Orchestra for an electrifying evening featuring the renowned conductor Thomas Søndergård and the celebrated pianist Ingrid Fliter. This concert promises a captivating program that includes:

- **Karim Al-Zand's "Luctus Profugis: Elegy for the Displaced"**: A haunting elegy that resonates deeply with contemporary themes.
- **Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17**: Performed by Ingrid Fliter, whose previous collaboration with Søndergård was praised for its elegance and playfulness.
- **Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11, "The Year 1905"**: A powerful and arresting symphony that captures the tumultuous events of the Russian Revolution.

**Artists:**
- **Thomas Søndergård**: Conductor
- **Ingrid Fliter**: Piano

**Additional Information:**
- **Tickets**: Available now as part of a package. Save up to 15% and receive subscriber perks when you purchase tickets for 3 or more concerts. Individual tickets go on sale on July 29.
- **Pre-concert Activities**: Enhance your experience with valet parking, pre-order beverages, and more.
- **Accessibility Services**: Armless & bariatric chairs, assistive listening devices, large-print programs, noise-canceling headphones, service animals, and wheelchair & accessible seating are available upon request.

**Presented by:**
- Ameriprise Financial

**Plan Your Visit:**
- **Directions & Parking**: Convenient parking is available just steps away from Orchestra Hall in the city-owned and skyway-connected 11th and Marquette Ramp.
- **MinnOrch App**: Download the app to pre-order intermission drinks, scan your ticket for entry, and access exclusive deals.

Prepare for an evening of exceptional music and unforgettable performances at Orchestra Hall.

Karim Al-Zand

Composer

Events

Upcoming events

8 - 9 May, 2025

Søndergård, Fliter and Mozart · Minnesota Orchestra

Past events

Oct 5, 2024

Balourdet Quartet with Astrid Schween: Schubert Cello Quintet · Chamber Music Detroit

Oct 5, 2024

Digital Concert: Balourdet Quartet With Astrid Schween: Schubert Cello Quintet · Chamber Music Detroit

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