Ariel Quartet closes season with Brahms and Beethoven on March 21

The Ariel Quartet closes their 2022-23 season at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21 in Robert J. Werner Recital Hall. The emotional program, centered around the Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor and featuring faculty artist Soyeon Kate Lee, piano, also includes works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn. Tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.

The program opens with Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18. The Ariel Quartet kicked off their CCM season in September with a performance of No.'s 1, 2 and 3 from that opus. “This program is about closing a circle,” says Ariel violinist Alexandra Kazovsky. Unlike the other quartets, the String Quartet No. 4 is in a minor key and “very dramatic and full of restless energy,” continues Kazovsky. The piece is in C Minor — a key shared by some of Beethoven’s most poignant and dramatic pieces including Piano Sonata No. 8 (“Sonata Pathétique”) and the iconic Fifth Symphony. The Beethoven is followed by Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 44, a “virtuosic and life-affirming work,” remarks Kazovsky.

In addition to closing the musical journey they began with the Beethoven concert in September, the concert also represents the close of a more personal circle. Faculty artist Soyeon Kate Lee joins the Ariel Quartet for the Brahms Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34, in her final performance as a CCM faculty member. “The Brahms piano quintet is a musical farewell to our incredible colleague,” says Kazovsky.

Lee, whose accolades include the first prize in the Naumburg International Piano Competition and solo appearances with the Cleveland Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra, departs CCM to join the faculty of her alma mater, the Juilliard School. During her time at CCM, Lee has joined the Ariel Quartet for several concerts. “These guys have been and are my best friends in Cincinnati,” she says. “I cannot think of a better way to end my tenure at CCM than to collaborate with my dearest friends.”

The Ariel Quartet includes Alexandra Kazovsky, violin; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; Jan Grüning, viola; and Amit Even-Tov, cello. After forming in Israel as students, the group has performed together for over two decades. Renowned internationally for their “utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power,” (American Record Guide), the quartet has served as CCM’s String Quartet-in-Residence since 2012.

Join the Ariel Quartet and Soyeon Kate Lee for a concert celebrating great music and the connections it brings at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Robert J. Werner Recital Hall.

BRAHMS PIANO QUINTET
Ariel Quartet
Featuring faculty artist Soyeon Kate Lee, piano

BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18 
MENDELSSOHN: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 44 
BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Robert J. Werner Recital Hall, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Tickets are $29.50; student and group discounts available. Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-Box Office!

Learn about additional ticket options for current CCM students.

CCM is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. For detailed driving directions, visit ccm.uc.edu/directions.

Parking is available in UC's CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. 

CCM OnStage patrons can add pre-paid parking to their checkout carts when purchasing tickets. Pre-paid parking is date/performance specific. CCM Garage parking rates for a performance or special event is usually available for $10-15. Learn more about parking at UC's CCM Garage.

For additional information on parking at UC, please visit uc.edu/about/parking.