Arianna String Quartet to perform season finale

WHO
The Arianna String Quartet, the quartet-in-residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, with guest pianist Daniel Schene, director of keyboard studies at Webster University in Webster Groves, Mo.

WHAT
Concert

WHEN
4 p.m. April 13

WHERE
E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater
Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center
University of Missouri-St. Louis
One University Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63121

SPONSOR
Department of Music at UMSL

COST
Free and open to the public

INFO
(314) 516-5980

DETAILS
The concert will feature performances of Joseph Haydn's "Sunrise" quartet, Felix Mendelssohn's Quartet in D Major, Op. 44, No. 1 and Cesar Franck's Quintet for piano and strings.

"These are three works whose disposition is perfectly matched with the beautiful spring-time weather that should be just around the corner," said Kurt Baldwin, cellist for the Arianna String Quartet. "The ' Sunrise' quartet is a warm and genial work full of Haydn's trademark elegant writing; the Mendelssohn piece's intimacy of expression is unparalleled in the quartet literature; and Franck's masterpiece is rife with rich expression and vibrant color."

Deemed "a world-class ensemble" by St. Louis Magazine, the Arianna String Quartet is fresh off a series of comprehensive performances of Beethoven's complete string quartets. The St. Louis first was recognized by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for being the instrumental achievement of the year for 2007. The quartet includes violinists John McGrosso and David Gillham, violist Robert Meyer and cellist Kurt Baldwin.

Guest pianist Daniel Schene has been an artist-in-residence and director of keyboard studies at Webster University since 1983. He regularly performs in the United States, Europe and South America as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician. He is a frequent guest artist with the St. Louis Symphony's Chamber Music St. Louis concerts and the Prelude series at Powell Symphony Hall.

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