Violinist

This concert invites you to listen to the hidden thread: how music evolved from structured dance to soulful improvisation. From the dazzling forms of Bach, through the fiery folk dances of Bartók, into the lush and liberated world of Duke Ellington. This is a story of freedom: not by abandoning the past, but by building upon it.

Structure to Freedom

Jazz, TX

Don’t miss the second concert of our 60th Anniversary Season featuring award-winning Jamaican-American violist JORDAN BAK and the celebrated ESCHER QUARTET on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Libby Gardner Concert Hall on the University of Utah campus.

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ESCHER QUARTET with Jordan Bak

University of Utah

New B-ginnings

Travis Park United Methodist Church

Caramoor is delighted to welcome back the internationally celebrated Escher String Quartet for a captivating program celebrating America’s rich musical heritage. A former BBC New Generation Artist and recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at Caramoor in 2007-08, the Escher has earned global acclaim for its profound musical insight and rare tonal beauty. Joining them for Dvořák’s piano quintet masterpiece is renowned pianist Alessio Bax, revered worldwide for his poetic artistry and technical brilliance.

Escher String Quartet & Alessio Bax, piano

Venetian Theater at Caramoor

Escher unveils a CMH co-commissioned piece by composer Chris Rogerson, featuring award-winning Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak, “a power-house musician, with a strong voice and compelling sound” (The Whole Note). Praised for its “haunting beauty” and “virtuosic exuberance” (The New York Times), Rogerson’s music is desired for its characteristic lyricism, notably in recent works for Yo-Yo Ma and Dover Quartet. This performance offers two viola quintets, including a breathtaking later work by Brahms.

Escher Quartet with Jordan Bak

Alice Pratt Brown Hall

Based in New York, the Escher nevertheless has strong UK connections as a former BBC Radio 3 New Generation ensemble, as regular Wigmore performers and as visitors to the BBC Proms at Cadogan Hall. Two standard pieces form the programme: one of Mozart’s works (1789) originally commissioned by the King of Prussia, and Dvořák’s final quartet (1895).

Escher String Quartet

Wigmore Hall

Join us for an unforgettable evening of chamber music as Chamber Music Pittsburgh presents the MainStage Live event featuring the Escher Quartet with Jordan Bak. This remarkable concert will take place on October 21, 2024, at 7:30 PM at the PNC Theatre, located at 350 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

The program for the evening includes a selection of masterpieces that span the breadth of chamber music's rich history. Audiences will be treated to Samuel Barber's Quartet in B minor, Op. 11, Florence Price's Quartet No. 2 in A minor, and Johannes Brahms' String Quintet in G Major, Op. 111. This lineup promises a journey through the evocative landscapes of 20th-century music, highlighted by the lyrical grace and full-blooded playing of the performers.

The Escher Quartet, known for its beautiful blend of individuality and accord, as well as its profound musical insight and rare tonal beauty, will be joined by award-winning Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak. Bak, celebrated for his radiant stage presence, dynamic interpretations, and fearless power, brings a fresh and exciting voice to the classical music scene. Together, they embody the range of artistic voices that have shaped chamber music, offering a powerful collaboration that is not to be missed.

The Escher Quartet features Adam Barnett-Hart and Brendan Speltz on violin, Pierre LaPointe on viola, and Brook Speltz on cello, each bringing their unique talents to create an unforgettable musical experience.

Don't miss this opening concert of the 2024-25 MainStage Live season, a celebration of musical mastery and collaboration. For tickets and more information, please contact Chamber Music Pittsburgh at 412-626-6121 or visit infocmpgh.org.

Escher Quartet With Jordan Bak

PPU Pittsburgh Playhouse

Immerse yourself in the harmonious world of classical music at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center with a captivating performance by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. This exquisite concert, featuring the talents of the Escher String Quartet and pianist Anna Geniushene, is set to take place on Sunday, July 14, 2024, at 3:00 pm in the intimate setting of the Spa Little Theater.

The program promises an afternoon of classical elegance and emotional depth, beginning with Mozart's lively "Hunt" quartet, followed by Mendelssohn's Quartet No. 1 in E-flat major, a piece of remarkable sophistication composed in the youth of the prodigy. The second half of the concert will explore the stormy and harmonically adventurous landscapes of Brahms’s Piano Quintet in F minor, with Anna Geniushene joining the quartet to bring this masterpiece to life.

The Escher String Quartet, consisting of violinists Adam Barnett-Hart and Brendan Speltz, violist Pierre Lapointe, and cellist Brook Speltz, will lead the performance, showcasing their renowned synergy and interpretative mastery. Together with the exceptional pianist Anna Geniushene, they promise to deliver a performance that will resonate with both classical music aficionados and newcomers alike.

Located at 19 Roosevelt Drive, across from the Hall of Springs, the Spa Little Theater offers a cozy and inviting atmosphere, perfect for experiencing the intimate magic of chamber music. This event not only presents an opportunity to enjoy timeless music but also to support the vibrant cultural scene at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Tickets for this must-see event are now available for purchase. Don't miss the chance to be part of a memorable summer afternoon filled with the beautiful melodies of Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Brahms. Join us at the Spa Little Theater for a journey through the heights of classical music expression.

Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Brahms

Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Escher String Quartet has received acclaim for its profound musical insight and rare tonal beauty. Violinists Adam Barnett-Hart and Brendan Speltz have been residents in the Philip Dukes & Friends series for the past two seasons. For this season of SMF, the full quartet returns for their first featured appearance since 2021, welcoming Dukes to the stage.

Escher String Quartet feat. Philip Dukes

Trinity United Methodist Church

This opening concert of the series traces a journey from Bach to Brahms and Shostakovich, through the Romantic Era, featuring two composers that admired Bach immensely.

Philip Dukes & Friends I: Bach’s Romantic Odyssey

The expressive splendor that Messiaen drew from his religious mysticism and devotion to nature is on full display in his epic 12-movement work From the Canyons to the Stars. In one of our most powerful musical offerings of the season, conductor Alan Gilbert leads a star-studded performance that features an ensemble of 40 musicians and four soloists: pianist Kirill Gerstein, Berlin Philharmonic Principal Horn Stefan Dohr, New York Philharmonic Associate Principal Percussionist Daniel Druckman, and Metropolitan Opera Principal Percussionist Gregory Zuber. The remarkable work—inspired by the landscape of southwestern Utah—was written in celebration of the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence, and we offer it here, in celebration of our 50th season.

Alan Gilbert Conducts Messiaen

Lensic Performing Arts Center

The popular Escher String Quartet, praised by The New York Times for their “passionate performances” and “gorgeous tonal sheen,” plays Dutilleux’s only string quartet—the exhilarating Ainsi la Nuit, whose inspiration includes another work on this program: Bartók’s String Quartet No. 4. In between those pieces, the Escher plays Haydn’s wonderfully evocative Bird Quartet.

New Mexico Museum of Art

A Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine Award winner, Mahan’s performances are hailed as “something to treasure” (The Times). Esfahani has set himself apart as the first harpsichordist in a generation whose work spans virtually all areas of classical music. He joins with the Escher Quartet for a program featuring works of J.S. Bach along with a new work by Mark Applebaum.

Mahan Esfahani & Escher Quartet

Shalin Liu Performance Center

Known for their profound musical insight, the Escher Quartet brings a program of Mozart, Bartók and Dvorák. Regular season artists at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Wigmore Hall, this quartet is renowned around the world for its “…eloquent, full-blooded playing” (BBC Music Magazine).

Escher Quartet

Each instrumentation is unique; one memorable tune is heard after another; uplifting energy abounds; feats of virtuosity for violins, violas, cellos, oboes, trumpet, horns and harpsichord leap from the stage. All this and more can be found in Bach’s miraculous Brandenburg Concertos. CMS’s annual performances of these works, continually evolving with new casts of artists, is simply a New York tradition not to be missed.

Brandenburg Concertos

Lincoln Center

We celebrate the end of our 28th season with the string quintet Dvořák wrote in America, inspired by Native American drumming, African American melodies and infused with his Bohemian spirit. Afterwards, join our musicians for the Festival Finale Dinner around the magnificent Inglenook fountain.

Inglenook

Inglenook Winery

The Dover Quartet joins forces with the Escher String Quartet for a unique concert experience.

The Dover Quartet and Escher String Quartet

Soka Performing Arts Center

Manhattan Chamber Players was formed by Artistic Director and violist, Luke Fleming. This collective of players came together to share their love of chamber music. All the members have their own impressive careers - as soloists, members of professional string quartets, piano trios, or other chamber groups, and even two world-renowned composers. This group brings the flexibility to perform practically anything in the rich string/wind/piano chamber repertoire.

Violinist

Brendan Speltz

Events

Upcoming events

May 8, 2027

Manhattan Chamber Players · Chamber Music Monterey Bay

Past events

Apr 29, 2026

Structure to Freedom · The Orchestra San Antonio

Oct 30, 2025

ESCHER QUARTET with Jordan Bak · Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City

Future and recently performed repertoire

Violin in Contrasts by Bartók

The Orchestra San Antonio

Violin in Concerto for Oboe and Violin by Bach

Alamo City Arts

Violin in String Quintet in C major by Beethoven

Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City

Violin in String Quartet in B minor by Barber

Caramoor

Violin in String Quintet No. 2 by Brahms

Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City

Violin in String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor by Price

Caramoor

Violin in Piano Quartet by Casarrubios

Chamber Music Monterey Bay

Violin in Phantasy Piano Quartet in F minor, H. 94 by Bridge

Chamber Music Monterey Bay

About

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