Excelsa Quartet, the School of Music's Graduate Fellowship Quartet, gives their first concert of the semester with the music of Haydn, Heiss and Schumann.

First Prize winners of "The Provincie Limburg Prijs" and “EMCY Artprize” at the Charles Hennen 26th International Chamber Music Competition for Strings in The Netherlands and Finalists in the 2015 Franz Schubert and Modern Music Competition in Austria, Excelsa Quartet is currently the Graduate Fellowship String Quartet at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD.

Named in homage to Lady Murasaki, the author of the world's first novel, cellist Eric Kutz and pianist Miko Kominami weave their instruments' voices together in a unique and compelling equal partnership. With repertoire highlights from their latest album, Duo Virtuoso, the program features pieces by Martinu and Piazzolla, as well as Richard Strauss' youthful and ebullient Sonata in F Major. 

The Murasaki Duo was formed at the Juilliard School in 1996, and has performed throughout the United States and Canada. In 2005, they toured Scandanavia. 

Composers from the UMD School of Music will have their works read by the string quartet ETHEL in this special performance of brand new music.

Despite countless attempts of definition, love has become a word that is best understood through practice, behavior and experience.

In this conversation, moderator Goldie Patrick discusses withe the audience the human culture of love, how it is practiced in various relationships, how it is experienced in various cultures and how it informs practices in art.

Goldie Patrick is a Detroit native working, living and building artistic collaborations in Washington DC. Goldie is a spirited playwright, poet, performer and teacher of hip-­hop education and culture.