From the Source: Thalea String Quartet

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Please note that the location has changed from Tawes Hall to the Gildenhorn Recital Hall at The Clarice. Join us in person or watch the livestream from the comfort of your home.

The UMD School of Music's graduate fellowship string ensemble, the Thalea String Quartet, explores the American influences behind the works of Antonín Dvořák, Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) and The Beatles. The program will also include Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges's String Quartet No. 4 in C minor.

Program:

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges: String Quartet No. 4 in C minor
The Beatles: Abbey Road Suite
Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR): String Quartet No. 5 "Rosa Parks"
Antonín Dvořák: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96 No. 12 "The American"

Concessions:

The Clarice lobby concession bar Encore will not be open for food and beverage sales during this event.

Health & Safety for In-Person Attendance:

There may be COVID-19 safety policies in place, such as mask requirements. Please see The Clarice's health and safety page for the most up-to-date information about attendance for this event.

PROGRAM MENU: PROGRAM · PROGRAM NOTES · ABOUT THE ARTISTS

PROGRAM

String Quartet No. 4 in C minor

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799)

Allegro moderato
Rondeau

Abbey Road Suite

The Beatles

arr. Alexander Vittal

You Never Give Me Your Money
Sun King
Mean Mr. Mustard
Polythene Pam
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End
Her Majesty

String Quartet No. 5 (“Parks”)

Daniel Bernard Roumain (“DBR”) (b. 1971)

II. Klap Ur Handz

INTERMISSION

String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96 No. 12 "The American"

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)

Allegro ma non troppo
Lento
Molto vivace
Finale. Vivace ma non troppo

PROGRAM NOTES

String Quartet No. 4

Joseph Bologne (1745–1799)

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was a true Renaissance man. He was a virtuosic violinist, composer and conductor, as well as a decorated military commander and master swordsman. A contemporary of Mozart, Bologne was born in the French colony of Guadaloupe to a slaveholder and a young enslaved woman from Senegal. He moved to France at age seven to pursue his studies and he eventually moved through the ranks of French society.

Bologne's music embodies the charm, elegance and operatic drama of high Classical style and his fourth string quartet is no exception. In two brief movements, Bologne features bravura melodies, live-wire electricity and concerto-like virtuosity. Foreshadowing Beethoven's stormy energy, Bologne's fiery quartet is a wonderful introduction to this masterful composer.

Abbey Road Suite

The Beatles, arr. Alexander Vittal

Violist and arranger, Alexander Vittal, mesmerizes audiences by capturing every high-hat, whammy bar and drum solo in this string quartet arrangement of the ‘B-Side’ of “Abbey Road” by The Beatles. “Abbey Road,” released in 1969, sold over four million LP copies in the first two months of its release, making it one of the most celebrated Beatles’ albums in their discography. As an avid Beatles fan, Vittal’s rendition of “Abbey Road” the ‘B-side’ is rich with detail, and his compositional prowess breathes life into the album with an impressive array of complex extended techniques and difficult virtuosic solos for each member of the string quartet.

The music for the ‘B-side’ of “Abbey Road” was originally written to fit the length of an LP and flows seamlessly through songs, much like a traditional orchestral suite. This toe-tapping trip down memory lane brings the heyday of The Beatles’ musical writing to the classical concert hall, challenging perceptions on where classical music meets rock n’ roll.

String Quartet No. 5 (“Parks”) Mvt. 2 "Klap Ur Handz"

Daniel Bernard Roumain (“DBR”) (b. 1971)

Composer, violinist and band-leader Daniel Bernard Roumain, known by his initials DBR, infuses his music with the cross-genre influence of classical, hip-hop, jazz and rock. As an activist, DBR’s compositions are often inspired by iconic figures of the civil rights movement such as Malcolm X, Maya Angelou and Adam Clayton Powell. DBR uses his quartet compositions as a medium to examine the impact of historical Black-American leaders. Capturing his own authentic and empowered American voice in classical music, DBR’s unique compositional style blends driving rhythm, percussiveness and emotionally charged lyricism with an unapologetic look into the civil rights movement.

In DBR’s 5th String Quartet, entitled “Parks,” Roumain uses the voice of the quartet to reflect on the life of Rosa Parks, most known for her defiant role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The “Parks” quartet is structured in three movements, each composed to reflect pivotal moments in Rosa Park’s activism. The middle movement, “Klap Ur Hands,” invites the members of the string quartet to stomp and clap, a loose, groovy accompaniment to looping strains of bluesy string riffs.

String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96 No. 12 "The American"

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)

During a three-year residency in the United States, the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák composed his twelfth quartet in 1893 while living in the Czech community of Spillville, Iowa. Dubbed “The American,” this quartet has become one of the most widely recognized pieces of American musical literature in the quartet repertoire. Spell-bound by America’s expansive landscapes, Iowa’s countryside living and the music of the American people, these inspirational years infused Dvořák’s music with the land. In this quartet, Dvořák viscerally captures the open harmonies of the American landscape, the singing of birds by the Turkey River, the bustle of the downtown train stations and the echo of Black-Spirituals.

In search of the “American sound,” Dvořák was one of the first composers to challenge the racial barriers of his contemporaries by advocating for the true “melodies of America”—the Black-Spiritual. Dvořák claimed that these spirituals were a “product of the soil,” and “in them was everything needed for a noble school of music.” Despite backlash for his progressive exploration of the Black-American spiritual, Dvořák claimed that “nothing must be too low or too insignificant for the musician. When he walks, he should listen to every whistling boy, every street singer or blind organ-grinder.” Even as a man of Bohemia, Dvořák’s dedication to the melodies that “could stop him on the street [...] in a strange land” have played a pivotal role in shaping the American composition style of today.

— Program Notes by Lauren Spaulding

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP ENSEMBLE: THALEA STRING QUARTET

The Thalea String Quartet is the Graduate String Fellowship Quartet at the University of Maryland School of Music. The group brings their signature vibrancy and emotional commitment to dynamic performances that reflect the past, present and future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. Fueled by the belief that chamber music is a powerful force for building community and human connection, the Thalea String Quartet has performed across North America, Europe and China, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center, Massey Hall and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. They have shared the stage with luminaries of the chamber music world, including members of the Emerson, Borromeo and St. Lawrence String Quartets, and they have performed alongside celebrated artists including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, violist Lawrence Power, acclaimed Canadian band BADBADNOTGOOD and visionary hip-hop artist Jay Electronica.

Committed to shaping and contributing to the future of the string quartet repertoire, the Thalea String Quartet has premiered dozens of new works and has collaborated on new commissions with composers including Paola Prestini, Anthony R. Green, Akshaya Avril Tucker and Tanner Porter.

Winners of the 2021 Ann Divine Educator Award from the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the members of the Thalea String Quartet have been celebrated for their innovative approach to education and community engagement. Pioneers of virtual educational programming, the Thalea String Quartet has developed a variety of digital content, including two digital video series for students of all ages and for the CHAMPS Virtual Chamber Music Seminar, which brought together students from across North America for an eight-week intensive study of the music of Florence B. Price, Joseph Haydn and Antonín Dvořák. The members of the Thalea String Quartet have presented masterclasses and workshops at institutions across North America, including the Berklee College of Music, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and San Francisco State University. They have presented lectures and led discussions at institutions including the University of Maryland, Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and Wayne State Medical School in Detroit, where they presented a workshop on non-verbal communication to first-year medical students alongside the Emerson String Quartet.

In addition to their current graduate fellowship at the University of Maryland, the quartet has also held fellowship positions at the University of Texas at Austin and the San Francisco Conservatory. They served as associated artists at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium, for the 2019–20 season and they were the 2019–20 Ernst Stiefel Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. They were top prize winners at the 2018 Fischoff Competition and 2018 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition.

CHRISTOPHER WHITLEY

Canadian violinist Whitley is an engaging and versatile performer. From Baroque to electronic music, Whitley is committed to exploring and performing music of all styles. He is a doctoral student at the University of Maryland School of Music and a member of the Thalea String Quartet.

Whitley has performed on period instruments at the Boston Early Music Festival and the Valley of the Moon Music Festival. An avid proponent of contemporary music, Whitley has performed as a member of NOVUS NY and has appeared as both concertmaster and soloist of the McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble. He is a regular guest of San Francisco jazz group Le Jazz Hot, performing music inspired by Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt. As a composer, Whitley’s primary focus is on expanding the potential of the solo violin, incorporating technology, electronic music and interactive visual art. Blending classical music, popular music and a variety of improvised styles, he has performed across the United States and Canada, including at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon in New York. He has been invited to create new works at residencies at the Banff Centre and at the Britten Pears Young Artist Program in Aldeburgh, UK.

Whitley received his Bachelor of Music at McGill University studying with Mark Fewer and continued his studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Ian Swensen. Christopher is a dedicated pedagogue and, until recently moving to Austin, maintained a full private studio in San Francisco.

Christopher performs on the 1700 “Taft” Stradivari, generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. In his spare time, he can be found at record stores, libraries and coffee shops and does whatever he can to get into a canoe.

KUMIKO SAKAMOTO

Born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Sakamoto is a devoted performer, chamber musician and pedagogue. Her commitment to fostering human connection through art has led Sakamoto to pursue a richly diverse career as a violinist, vocalist and advocate. She is dedicated to sharing the power of music with audiences around the world.

In addition to being a founding member of the Thalea String Quartet, Sakamoto is a doctoral student at the University of Maryland School of Music and an award-winning solo artist. She has performed across France, Italy and Poland, including performances at La Fenice in Venice and St. Sulpice in Paris. Her debut album, featuring the first recordings of the works of composer Gino Gorini, was released under the Tactus (Naxos) label in 2015.

Sakamoto’s love for musical theater, art song and choral music led her to pursue conservatory training as a coloratura soprano. During her time in San Francisco, she was a member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus.

As an educator, Sakamoto is committed to fostering creativity, health and well-being amongst musicians of all ages. She has developed a variety of unique educational projects, including virtual teaching residencies, and a strings program for young people with special sensory needs. She also has facilitated strings programs for students in underserved communities in San Francisco while maintaining an active private studio for beginner, advanced and adult students.

A dancer for most of her life, Sakamoto still enjoys attending ballet classes in her spare time, as well as cooking healthy meals and baking for her friends and family. She is a dedicated advocate for social justice, health and food awareness.

LAUREN SPAULDING

Under the alias of @MonochromeViola, Spaulding has established herself as a rising genre-defying soloist and chamber musician through her “anonymous practice blog” on Instagram. Spaulding, a Texas native, studied under the tutelage of Peter Slowik at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and has also worked with Geraldine Walther of the Takács Quartet, Roger Tapping of the Juilliard String Quartet and soloist Nobuko Imai.

In addition to being a doctoral student at the University of Maryland School of Music and her role as violist of the Thalea String Quartet, Spaulding is a member of Meredith Monk’s contemporary performance ensemble and a regular with the Colorado Symphony. She is also an award-winning studio recording artist and serves as the principal violist and festival artist of the Colorado MahlerFest. Spaulding is the co-founder of the Tallā Rouge Viola Duo with fellow violist Aria Cheregosha. The Cajun and Persian viola duo inspires composers from around the world to explore the virtuosity and beauty of the unusual instrument pairing across genres. In the summer of 2021, Spaulding attended Yellow Barn as a featured festival artist and placed as a finalist for the International Music Grand Prix competition held at Carnegie Hall.

Holding the belief that “good music is good music,” Spaulding uses her love for genre-bending performance to question the societal perception of classical music and to advocate for composers of all genders, identities, ethnicities and backgrounds. Having struggled with learning disabilities and gender identity in her youth, Spaulding holds a special passion for inspiring young neuro-atypical and LGBTQ+ musicians to pursue the arts. Additionally, Spaulding works with fellow violist Kim Kashkashian and her Boston team as a co-chapter head for “Music for Food,” an initiative battling food insecurity by creating meals from music. In 2012, Spaulding was invited to perform at the White House for President Obama for her social advocacy through music as a “Champion of Change.”

Spaulding has performed chamber music alongside Don Weilerstein, Carolin Widmann, Lawerence Lesser and Jorja Fleezanis. She has also performed with members of the Cavani Quartet, Orpheus, Imani Winds, the Brentano Quartet, the Tesla Quartet, the Rolston Quartet, the Takács Quartet and the Pro Arte Quartet, as well as members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the London Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Ballet, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the English Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra.

TITILAYO AYANGADE

Cellist Ayangade has spent over two decades behind the instrument, enjoying performances in orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as commissioning new music. Holding degrees in performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the University of Texas at Austin, Ayangade currently resides near Washington, D.C., and is pursuing a D.M.A. at the University of Maryland as part of the School of Music’s graduate string fellowship ensemble, the Thalea String Quartet.

Ayangade is passionate about forging new paths in both music making and in entrepreneurship. Starting this fall, she is an artist-in-residence at Strathmore, collaborating with visual artists and dancers as well as other innovative musicians. As a member of the newly founded “duo kayo” alongside violist Edwin Kaplan, Ayangade is actively commissioning and premiering new works for the uncommon instrument pairing.

Ayangade has collaborated with many different artists including Isabel Charisius, Yo-Yo Ma, Lawrence Power, Robert DeMaine, James Austin Smith and Sibbi Bernhardson. She has also received mentorship from members of The Left Bank Quartet, Miro Quartet, Emerson Quartet, Artemis Quartet and Ariel Quartet. Her principal cello teachers over the years were Ilya Finkelshteyn, Joshua Gindele and UMD’s own Eric Kutz. In recent years, Ayangade has had the privilege of touring China, Brazil, Canada and Belgium, as well as many cities in North America.

Inspired by and dedicated to the work and artistry of musicians of color, Ayangade is constantly seeking new collaborations and ways to spotlight the voices in music that often go unheard. Away from the cello, Ayangade spends her time searching for vintage furniture and enjoys her work as a portrait photographer.

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

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