CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS THE CASSATT STRING QUARTET IN CONCERT

For Immediate Release
November 14, 2019

Williamstown, Massachusetts—The acclaimed Cassatt String Quartet performs a special concert at the Clark Art Institute on Friday, December 6, at 7 pm as the kick-off event for Williamstown’s Holiday Walk Weekend. The group presents world premieres by composers Ileana Perez-Velazquez, Zachary Wadsworth, and Dylan Schneider, each of whom is a member of the Williams College faculty.

Each of the new compositions is inspired by the composer’s favorite artwork from the Clark’s permanent collection. Nora Rosengarten, the Clark’s curatorial assistant, gives a brief introduction to each composition, providing details on the object(s) that inspired the composer. In a nod to the holiday season, the program also includes the festive music of Vivaldi’s “Winter” from the Four Seasons, and selections from the holiday favorite “The Nutcracker Suite” by Tchaikovsky.

One of America’s outstanding ensembles, the Manhattan-based Cassatt String Quartet—Muneko Otani (first violin), Jennifer Leshnower (violin), Ah Ling Neu (viola), and Elizabeth Anderson (cello)—has performed throughout North America, Europe, and the Far East, with appearances in London for the Sapphire Jubilee Celebration of Queen Elizabeth II, the Beijing Modern Music Festival, New York’s Alice Tully Hall and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, the Kennedy Center, and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The quartet has recorded more than thirty CDs for the Koch, Naxos, New World, Point, CRI, Tzadik, and Albany labels and is named for the celebrated American impressionist painter Mary Cassatt.

The concert takes place in the Clark’s auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center. Tickets are $25 ($20 for members). Students are free with valid ID. All ticket sales are nonrefundable. Visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 0524 to reserve tickets.

ABOUT THE CLARK

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of more than 275,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

The Clark, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Its 140-acre campus includes miles of hiking and walking trails through woodlands and meadows, providing an exceptional experience of art in nature. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm; open daily in July and August. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; EBT Card to Culture; and Blue Star Museums. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

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