It is rare to find one that has formed; it’s then infinitesimally rare to find one that prospers. What sounds mysteriously like the ongoing search for life on other planets is also the reality faced by musicians who come together hoping to forge a successful string quartet. Introducing the Soto String Quartet, an ensemble comprised of four Chicago-based Venezuelan string players who have embarked upon this venerated path: violinists Jesús Linárez and Gabriela Lara (both age 22), violist Pedro Pablo Mendez (age 26), and cellist Lidanys Graterol (age 20). All four are Affiliate Artists at the city’s Guarneri Hall and are coached and mentored by its Artistic Director, Stefan Hersh. The quartet, named after Venezuelan artist and sculptor Jesús Rafael Soto (1923-2005), began playing together in September 2021.

This month we are looking forward to new recordings from the Danish String Quartet, Vivaldi's Women from La Serenissima, and Corazón: the Music of Latin America from John-Henry Crawford, with pianist Victor Santiago Asuncion, and guitarist Jiji.

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) wrote some of the most likable music in the classical repertoire. From his nine symphonies and operas to his copious amount of piano music, sacred choral works and significant body of chamber works, Dvořák’s genius overflowed with memorable melodies. And even when there’s a melancholy strain in his music, as there often is, one senses Dvořák’s optimism and ultimate belief in the goodness of the universe

Wildfires are raging, torrential rains are flooding the lowlands, melting glaciers are submerging coastlines and heatwaves are baking the landscape. A modern-day plague kills millions of people while nuclear powers rattle their sabers and threaten the world with annihilation.  In these scary and foreboding times, the medieval chant Dies Irae resonates more than ever.

Guarneri Hall's “pin-drop” acoustics make it an ideal environment for master classes. In fact, master classes have become an integral part of each season, always open to the public and live streamed on our website.