The 2024–25 Curtis Presents series opens with a “masterly nuanced performance” (Wall Street Journal) from the Dover Quartet, the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence, featuring violinists Joel Link (String Quartet ’14, Violin ’11), and Bryan Lee (String Quartet ’14, Violin ’11), violist Julianne Lee (Violin ’05), and Camden Shaw (String Quartet ’14, Cello ’11, ’10).

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Dover Quartet

Curtis Institute of Music

In this season-finale concert, violinist John Storgårds and pianist Kirill Gerstein play Janáček’s Violin Sonata, which is noted for both its urgency and lyricism, and, for the first time ever, Gerstein joins forces with the Dover Quartet for a performance of one of the standouts of the chamber music repertoire: Dvořák’s rousing Piano Quintet, Op. 81. The modal harmonies and improvisational feel of Janáček’s sonata coupled with the dumka and Bohemian dances in Dvořák’s quintet offers an invigorating taste of the folk music these two composers brought from their shared homeland and onto the international concert stage. 

Dvořák & Janáček: Czech Icons

New Mexico Museum of Art

Members of the Dover Quartet join other Festival artists in the youthfully exuberant, Classical-era Sonata a quattro No. 1, written by Rossini when he was 12 years old, and Brahms’s sweeping String Sextet in G Major. Between the two works, the Festival presents the US premiere of a commissioned quintet by Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen, who Gramophone notes “[fuses] jazz and classical idioms” and “draws on her Lapland roots and on the mystery and melancholy of life in the north.” 

Rossini & Brahms

The Dover Quartet makes their first Festival appearance of the season playing Janáček’s moving testament to Love, Intimate Letters, and Debussy’s only string quartet, which ushered Impressionism into the genre with its exotic scales and rhythmic spontaneity. 

Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Skaneateles Festival on Friday, August 9, 2024, as we present "Davóne Tines & Dover Quartet: MASS" from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church. This premiere performance marks a new collaboration between the acclaimed bass-baritone Davóne Tines, hailed as one of the most powerful voices of our time by the LA Times, and the esteemed Dover Quartet. Together, they explore the themes of spirituality and mysticism through the lens of varied cultural traditions. The program follows the format of a Catholic mass, weaving together Western European, Afro-American, and 21st-century traditions into a single, dramatic arc.

The evening's program includes a selection of profound works:
- J.S. Bach's "Mache dich" from St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244
- Händel's "Leave Me, Loathsome Light" from Semele
- Caroline Shaw's "Entr’acte and Mass"
- Julius Eastman's "Prelude to the Holy Presence of Joan of Arc"
- Tyshawn Sorey's "Songs for Death: I. After Were You There"
- Additional selections to be announced

This event is generously sponsored by Charley and Kim Driscoll, and it promises to be an experience you won’t want to miss. Davóne Tines is redefining what it means to be a classical singer today, and his performance alongside the Dover Quartet is sure to be a highlight of the festival season.

Tickets go on sale May 1. Be sure to secure your seat for an evening of breathtaking music at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 97 E. Genesee St, Skaneateles, NY. This venue is known for its outstanding acoustics and comfortable seating, ensuring that every guest enjoys the performance in a welcoming and intimate setting. Doors open at 7:30 pm, and seating is first come, first served. 

Don't miss this extraordinary collaboration at the Skaneateles Festival. Buy your tickets early and prepare for a night of music that transcends boundaries and unites cultures.

Davóne Tines & Dover Quartet: MASS

First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles

Programs and artists are subject to change without notice. The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival follows all health and safety protocols required by Yale University.

Yale School of Music

The phenomenal Dover Quartet is joined by Norway’s foremost pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, who gave a masterful recital in Koerner Hall in January 2023.

Named one of the greatest string quartets of the last 100 years by BBC Music Magazine, the Grammy Award nominated Dover Quartet’s rise from up-and-coming young ensemble who swept all the prizes at the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition to occupying a spot at the top of their field has been “practically meteoric” (Strings). With its burnished warmth, incisive rhythms, and natural phrasing, the Quartet’s distinctive sound has helped confirm its status as “the young American string quartet of the moment” (The New Yorker). As Strad observes, “With their exceptional interpretative maturity, tonal refinement, and taut ensemble,” the Dover Quartet is “pulling away from their peers.”

Dover Quartet with Leif Ove Andsnes, piano

The Royal Conservatory of Music

The phenomenal Dover Quartet, recognized worldwide for their unparalleled artistry and captivating performances, is set to join forces with Norway’s foremost pianist, the incomparable Leif Ove Andsnes. This extraordinary collaboration promises to be a harmonious convergence of musical brilliance, as the Dover Quartet’s impeccable ensemble playing intertwines with Andsnes’ virtuosic piano skills, creating a spellbinding and unforgettable musical experience that will leave audiences in awe. Together, these remarkable musicians will elevate the performance to new heights, weaving a tapestry of musical mastery and emotional depth that transcends boundaries and resonates deeply with all who have the privilege to witness their collective brilliance.

Leif Ove Andsnes With Dover Quartet

Soka Performing Arts Center

Named one of the greatest string quartets of the last 100 years by BBC Magazine, the Dover Quartet is one of the most versatile and listened-to groups. “No one who’s heard the brilliant Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes in action could be in any doubt about the depth of his musical insights or the range of his interests”.

War Memorial and Performing Arts Center

A Fortas favorite since its Kennedy Center debut, Dover Quartet joins our season-wide Ellington 125 celebration with an arrangement of “In a Sentimental Mood.” Two piano quintets complete the program, featuring guest pianist Leif Ove Andsnes.

Dover Quartet with Leif Ove Andsnes

Kennedy Center

Dover Quartet & David Shifrin, Clarinet

Bethel United Methodist Church

Named one of the greatest string quartets of the last 100 years by BBC Music Magazine, the two-time GRAMMY-nominated Dover Quartet is one of the world’s most in-demand chamber ensembles. The Dover Quartet is the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music and holds additional residencies at Northwestern University and the Artosphere festival. The group’s awards include a stunning sweep of all prizes at the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition, grand and first prizes at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, and prizes at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition. Its honors include the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award, and Lincoln Center’s Hunt Family Award.

The Magic of Mozart: Dover, Shifrin & Ransom

The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

“Few young American ensembles are as exciting and accomplished as the Dover Quartet” (New Yorker). Known for their “expert musicianship, razor-sharp ensemble, and deep musical feeling” (Chicago Tribune), the Philadelphia-based foursome returns to the PCMS stage with a program featuring Florence Price’s strikingly beautiful first string quartet and Shostakovich’s richly vibrant Quartet No. 9.

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Sunset Center Theater

Albuquerque Academy

Berger Center

Final Beethoven Quartet cycle concert with this great ensemble 
“Exciting & accomplished” - The New Yorkr

Washington Irving Campus

Bringing our milestone 50th season to a spectacular end, the Dover Quartet, violist Ida Kavafian, and cellist Peter Stumpf play Schoenberg’s soaring tone poem Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), which takes its inspiration from a poem about the transformative power of compassion and understanding, and pianist Haochen Zhang and bassist Edgar Meyer join members of the Dover Quartet for what’s arguably the most-loved work in the chamber music repertoire: Schubert’s Trout Quintet.

Trout Quintet

Lensic Performing Arts Center

Bassist Edgar Meyer—hailed by The New Yorker as “the most remarkable virtuoso” in the history of his instrument—joins the Dover Quartet for his own bluegrass-, folk-, and jazz-influenced Quintet. The program also features the Dover Quartet playing Haydn’s stately Emperor Quartet (originally written for the last Holy Roman Emperor) and pianist Haochen Zhang, violinist Ida Kavafian, and cellist Peter Stumpf performing Brahms’s gorgeous Piano Trio in B Major.

Edgar Meyer Quintet

The Dover Quartet makes their first Festival appearance of the season playing George Walker’s String Quartet No. 1—a gripping early work by the pioneering, Pulitzer Prize–winning composer—and Schubert’s dramatic Rosamunde Quartet, whose second movement is based on a theme from Schubert’s incidental music for the play Rosamunde.

One of the most celebrated string ensembles performing today, the Dover Quartet opens Bravo! Vail’s Chamber Music Series with works by Haydn, Schubert, and George Walker. 

Vilar Performing Arts Center

Named one of the greatest string quartets of the last 100 years by BBC Music Magazine, the GRAMMY nominated Dover Quartet, along with guests, bring a dynamic opening night program of Haydn, George Walker and Mendelssohn’s masterful octet.

Festival Opening Night

Shalin Liu Performance Center

Known for their “expert musicianship, razor-sharp ensemble, and deep musical feeling” (Chicago Tribune), the Dover Quartet returns to the PCMS stage with Philadelphia Orchestra double-bassist Joseph Conyers, “a lyrical musician who plays with authenticity that transcends mere technique” (Grand Rapids Press). Following string quartets by Joseph Haydn and George Walker, Conyers and the Dover unite for Antonín Dvořák’s lush, richly-textured Quintet in G Major, Op. 77.

Dover Quartet & Joseph Conyers, double bass

The brilliant Dover Quartet performs quartets by Haydn and George Walker, and teams up with fellow Curtis Institute alumnus Joseph Conyers for Dvořák’s String Quintet in G major.

Dover Quartet with Joseph Conyers, bass

Detroit Country Day School - Upper School

One of the most sought-after string quartets in the world, the Dover Quartet finally makes their long awaited return to our stage.

Dover Quartet Returns

Sedona Performing Arts Center

Festival 14

Central United Methodist Church

Desert Botanical Garden

Musical Instrument Museum

ASU Kerr

The Dover Quartet draws from the lineage of the distinguished Guarneri, Cleveland, and Vermeer quartets. Its members studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where they were mentored extensively by Shmuel Ashkenasi, James Dunham, Norman Fischer, Kenneth Goldsmith, Joseph Silverstein, Arnold Steinhardt, Michael Tree, and Peter Wiley. It was at Curtis that the Dover Quartet formed, and its name pays tribute to Dover Beach by fellow Curtis alumnus Samuel Barber.

Anna Polonsky is widely in demand as a soloist and chamber musician. She has appeared with the Moscow Virtuosi, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Memphis Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, and many others. Ms. Polonsky has collaborated with the Guarneri, Orion, Daedalus, and Shanghai Quartets, and with such musicians as Mitsuko Uchida, Yo-Yo Ma, David Shifrin, Richard Goode, Emanuel Ax, Arnold Steinhardt, Peter Wiley, and Jaime Laredo. She has performed chamber music at festivals such as Marlboro, Chamber Music Northwest, Seattle, Music@Menlo, Cartagena, Bard, and Caramoor, as well as at Bargemusic in New York City.

Festival Concert at Central UMC

The Dover Quartet catapulted to international stardom in 2013, following a stunning sweep of all prizes at the Banff Competition and has since become one of the most in-demand ensembles in the world. In addition to its faculty role as the inaugural Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Dover Quartet holds residencies with the Kennedy Center, Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, Artosphere, and the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. Among the group’s honors are the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award, and Lincoln Center’s Hunt Family Award. The Dover Quartet has won grand and first prizes at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and fourth prize at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition.

The Dover Quartet appears by arrangement with the Curtis Institute of Music, where it serves as the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence.

Irvine Barclay Theatre

Formed at the Curtis Institute of Music, the members of the Dover Quartet count among their mentors some of the greatest musicians of our time, and the ensemble’s performances continue to combine the hallowed standards of string playing’s golden age with adventurous programming and appealing personal presence. Their program for CMS shows all their facets, and in addition, we are thrilled to present bassist Edgar Meyer in his own bass quintet, which received its first performance for CMS in 1996.

Dover Quartet with Edgar Meyer

Lincoln Center

The group’s awards include a stunning sweep of all prizes at the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition and the grand and first prizes at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.

Dover Quartet at the Coleman's

Beckman Auditorium

Our Digital Broadcast series features artists from all facets of Curtis, from student-musicians on stage for the first time to experienced faculty exploring the furthest edges of classical music.

Broadcast: Portrait of Tania León

Stirred by the sublime lyricism and expressive richness of the Romantic era, the composers on this evening’s program display passionate intensity and striking emotional honesty.  We begin with Schubert’s Quartettsatz, one of the pieces that helped pave the road to the Romantic era, followed by the première of Marc-André Hamelin’s lush Piano Quintet, heard in its recently completed version for the first time, and we end with Dvořák’s Piano Trio in F Minor, perhaps the composer’s most romantic outpouring and one that owes much to his mentor, Johannes Brahms.

The New Romantics

Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

Two of the hottest chamber music groups in America today, the Kennedy Center’s quartet-in-residence, the Dover Quartet, and the Escher Quartet share the stage for a rare all-octet program. The Escher is “one of the major string quartets playing today” (Bachtrack), and the Dover is “the young American string quartet of the moment” (The New Yorker). Both are winners of the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant and have turned heads in the chamber music field, and now join forces to show off their distinct styles and explore the depths of music composed for octets. The program includes three works for string octet, each composed by a teenaged musical prodigy.

Dover Quartet

Oct 25, 2024

Dover Quartet

Aug 19, 2024

Dvořák & Janáček: Czech Icons

Dover Quartet