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Utzon Music 2024 JACK Quartet

6 April 2024

In the Utzon Room

Classical Music

The Grammy-nominated JACK Quartet make their Sydney Opera House debut with an exhilarating program of contemporary string quartet music by Amy Williams, Liza Lim and more.

One of the most eye-opening and exhilarating concerts I’ve heard all season.

The New York Times

Useful information:

Experience New York’s new music champions

Renowned for their transformative concert experiences, the Grammy-nominated JACK Quartet champions new string quartet music. Founded in 2005 and based in New York the JACK Quartet embraces close collaboration with composers, introducing audiences around the world to cutting-edge chamber music.

For their Sydney Opera House debut, the four-some pairs Johnny MacMillan’s experimental 2022 string quartet Songs from the Seventh Floor – which tips its hat to the music of the Renaissance – with music by Renaissance composers Nicola Vicentino and Nathaniel Giles reimagined by JACK Quartet's own Christopher Otto, on a program alongside a brand new work written for the JACK Quartet by American composer and pianist Amy Williams.

The program comes to a close with String Creatures, written for the JACK Quartet by Australian composer Liza Lim, in which she explores the nature of string itself.

JACK Quartet is elated to give our first performance at the Sydney Opera House. We are honored to present the Australian premiere of String Creatures, written for us by our cherished collaborator Liza Lim. Much like her vivid creation, the rest of the program reimagines the way we make music together: rewriting history, re-tuning our instruments, and playfully thumbing our noses at the great quartet tradition.

JACK Quartet

Program

Johnny MacMillan Songs from the Seventh Floor
Nicola Vicentino Madonna il poco dolce
Christopher Otto Miserere, after Nathaniel Giles
Amy Williams Tangled Madrigal
Liza Lim String Creatures

Liza Lim's String Creatures is co-commissioned by the Lucerne Festival, Miller Theatre at Columbia University and Melbourne Recital Centre.

Artist Information

Christopher Otto
Violin

Austin Wulliman
Violin

John Pickford Richards
Viola

Jay Campbell
Cello

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