Harlem Quarter performs at CHHS, Claudia Crosby
Published 3:00 am Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Following an impressive performance at Charles Henderson High School Monday afternoon, the Harlem Quartet will be in concert at 7 p.m. tonight at the Claudia Crosby Theater on the campus of Troy University. Tickets are $20 and $5 for students with an ID and will be available at the door.
Troy Arts Council made arrangements with the Quartet to perform for Charles Henderson High School. Dr. Boyd English, CHHS principal, said the performance by the string quartet was a unique experience for students.
“The arts are very important and we appreciate every opportunity to further expose our students,” English said. “Some of our students have not had an opportunity to attend a performance by a string quartet so this was a new experience for them.”
English said CHHS has a large number of students with musical talent.
“Hopefully, having heard The Harlem Quartet will motivate them to strive to further their educations so they may excel as these performers have,” he said.
The school performance by the Harlem String Quarter was provided through the Troy Arts Council’s education in the schools program.
Dr. John Jinright, TAC presenter chair, said a mission of the arts council is to make arts opportunities available to the schools throughout the county whenever it’s possible to extend the TAC season calendar to include a school day performance.
“The TAC was pleased to offer the opportunity to hear this outstanding group of string musicians to the students at CHHS and to Troy,” Jinright said.
Since its public debut in 2006 at Carnegie Hall, the New York-based ensemble has performed throughout the U.S. as well as in France, the U.K., Belgium, Panama, Canada, and in South Africa, where under the auspices of the U.S. State Department they spent two weeks on tour performing concerts and participating in outreach activities.
The Harlem Quartet advances diversity in classical music while engaging new audiences with varied repertoire that includes works by minority composers, Jinright said.
The quartet’s mission is to advance diversity in classical music, engaging young and new audiences through the discovery and presentation of varied repertoire that includes works by minority composers.
“Their mission to share their passion with a wider audience has taken them around the world — from a 2009 performance at The White House for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, to a highly successful tour of South Africa in 2012, and numerous venues in between,” Jinright said. “Their most recent recording, ‘Hot House,’ with jazz master Chick Corea and percussionist Gary Burton was a 2013 multi-Grammy Award winner.