Location: The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Gildenhorn Recital Hall
In Greek mythology, the nymph Castalia ducked the amorous attention of the god Apollo by throwing herself into a Delphic spring, granting artistic inspiration for anyone who would drink from its fountain. That tale serves as the origin for the Castalian String Quartet, a multinational collective of musicians as imbued with the spirit of creativity as those legendary waters. Comprised of Finnish first violinist Sini Simonen, American violist Natalie Loughran, and the Welshmen, second violinist Daniel Roberts and cellist Steffan Morris, the Castalians have quickly grown to be regarded as one of the most skillful and in-demand string quartets in the world. They have been hailed for their "powerful individuality of sound matched by an instinctive singularity of musical intention" by The Scotsman, deemed "a feisty group with a real personality and strong interpretative ideas" by The Guardian, and lauded by The Observer for performances that are "full of poetry, joy and sorrow, realized to such perfection." The Castalian Quartet are Royal Philharmonic Society prizewinners and are currently the in-residence ensemble at Oxford University. Recent debuts include New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Berliner Philharmonie, Vienna Konzerthaus, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Paris Philharmonie… and now, The Clarice.
Presented by Clarice Presents. This performance is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council and The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.