Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
String Theory welcomes mandolinist Avi Avital, Dover String Quartet
An i nternationally known string quartet and the first mandolinist to earn a Grammy nomination ( Best Instrumental Soloist) will perform Tuesday, Feb. 7, for String Theory at the Hunter.
Avi Avital and t he Dover String Quartet all make their Chattanooga debuts with this concert at the Hunter Museum of American Art, which co- produces the series with Lee University. Performances for the evening will include works by Bach, Smetana and D. Bruce.
An hour before t he music begins, Ellen Simak, former chief curator at the Hunter, and Bob Bernhardt, the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera’s music director emeritus and an artist- in- residence at Lee, will lead an Art Connections program through the gallery, exploring works that relate to the upcoming music selections.
Avi Avital, a native of southern Israel, he has been praised by The New York Times for his “exquisitely sensitive playing” and “stunning agility.” His awards include Germany’s Echo Prize for his 2008 recording with the David Orlowsky Trio and the AVIV 2007 Competition, the preeminent national competition for Israeli soloists.
Dover String Quartet, comprising Bryan Lee and Joel Link ( violin), Camden Shaw (cello) and Milena Pajaro-Van de Stadt (viola), rose to international stardom following an exceptional sweep of the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition, becoming one of the most in-demand ensembles in the world.
Among other accolades, Lee was awarded the Bronze Medal at the 2005 Stulberg International String Competition and won second prize at the 2004 Kingsville International Young Performers Competition.
Link is a top prize winner of numerous competitions including the Johansen International Competition in Washington, D.C., and the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition in England. The Menuhin win led to a feature in The Strad magazine and NPR’s “From the Top.”
Shaw has been described as “wonderfully rich” by Kansas City Star and “dynamic and brave” by Stereo Times. In addition to maintaining an active career as a soloist, Shaw has collaborated in chamber music with renowned artists such as Daniel Hope, Leon Fleischer, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.
Pajaro-Van de Stadt, the founding violist of the Dover Quartet, drew praise from The Strad as having “lyricism that stood out … a silky tone and beautiful, supple lines.” She has performed as a solo artist and in recitals and chamber music concerts throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia.