chamber arts

Dover Quartet and Bridget Kibbey

Friday, May 7, 2021
7:30 p.m.

Woltosz Theatre

PERFORMANCE NOTICE: This performance has been rescheduled from its original performance date of Tuesday, March 24, 2020. All tickets issued for the original performance date are valid for admission to the rescheduled engagement on Friday, May 7, 2021. Patrons who wish to request a refund or who would like to donate their ticket(s) may contact the Gogue Center box office at gpactickets@auburn.edu.

Cherished harpist Bridget Kibbey and the world-renowned Dover Quartet are uniting for the first time in a celebration of the “father” of all composers, J.S. Bach. The unprecedented performance features a selection of Bach’s greatest works in the hands of some of today’s most brilliant musical artists. From the “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” to the Aria and Three Variations from the Goldberg Variations; from The Art of the Fugue to “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3,” Kibbey and the Dover Quartet will dazzle and captivate the audience.

An acclaimed soloist and chamber musician who has toured and recorded with Dawn Upshaw and Placido Domingo, Kibbey brings virtuosic brilliance and musical charisma to all she plays. As The New York Times wrote, “[She makes] it seem as though her instrument [has] been waiting all its life to explode with the gorgeous colors and energetic figures she was getting from it.”

Kibbey pairs with the phenomenal Dover Quartet, praised by Strad for “their exceptional interpretative maturity, tonal refinement, and taut ensemble.” The quartet catapulted to international stardom following a stunning sweep at the 2013 Banff Competition, at which they won every prize. Their world-class collaborations include performances with pianists Anne-Marie McDermott, Emanuel Ax, Marc-André Hamelin, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Peter Serkin, and Jon Kimura Parker; violists Roberto Díaz and Cynthia Phelps; bassist Edgar Meyer; and the Pacifica and Escher quartets.

All four quartet members are consummate solo artists: first violinist Joel Link took top prize at the Menuhin Competition; violinist Bryan Lee and violist Milena Pajaro van de Stadt have appeared as soloists with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Tokyo Philharmonic, respectively; and cellist Camden Shaw released a solo album debut on the Unipheye Music label.

“But the surprise of the program came at the start, when Ms. Kibbey played her own  transcription of Bach’s dark and restless Toccata and Fugue in D minor for Organ. Say again? This mighty organ piece played on a harp? It was remarkable….the gossamer colorings and improvisatory fervor of Ms. Kibbey’s account hooked me.“

 

– the new york times

Follow Bridget Kibbey on social media.

“The Dover Quartet players have it in them tobecome the next Guarneri String Quartet —they’re that good. Expert musicianship, razor-sharp ensemble, deep musical feeling and apalpable commitment to communication made their performances satisfying on many levels.“

 

– the chicago tribune

Follow Dover Quartet on social media.