Students interested in classical music need not venture to L.A. or Chicago to find live, world-class talent. Starting today at 8 p.m., Ball State University will welcome the Orion String Quartet to Sursa Hall.
The quartet is the first of three ensembles slated to perform as part of the "Arts Alive" concert series.
The Orion String Quartet, one of the most sought after ensembles in the U.S., is including Ball State in its more than fifty performances this year. Violinists Daniel Phillips and Todd Phillips, violist Steven Tenenbom and cellist Timothy Eddy have worked with such legendary figures as Yo-Yo Ma and Peter Serkin.
The group's Ball State performance will include appearances by Mihai Tetel, assistant cello professor and renowned soloist and violist Atar Arad from Indiana University.
As part of its repertoire, the quartet will include pieces by Beethoven and Mozart along with mixed programs of Haydn, Mendelssohn and Bart+â-¦k.
Eddy preceded the concert with a guest cello master class open to general audiences from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Monday.
Violist Tenenbom sees performing at colleges like Ball State as an opportunity to spark an interest in the classical music genre to a new generation and gains inspiration from such an audience.
"It's important to bring classical music to college campuses because it connects a tradition of cultural history that has delighted audiences of all ages for hundreds of years," he said. "The intelligent, youthful enthusiasm of young students energizes our music-making and inspires us immensely."-á
Approximately 400 undergraduate and 100 graduate students are currently enrolled in the School of Music. Dean of the College of Fine Arts Robert Kvam hopes that bringing in performers of such high caliber will also attract more students to audition for enrollment as well as increase worldwide publicity for Sursa Hall.
"Performers who praise Sursa raise visibility for the music program and supplement the education of the students," he said. "Bringing such internationally acclaimed talents to Sursa will not only enrich the culture of Ball State, but also attract other performers to book concerts in the future."
Tickets are currently on sale at the Emens box office or through Ticketmaster for $80 ($40 for Ball State students) for the three-concert "Arts Alive" series or $35 per individual concert.
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