Verona Quartet

Jordan Bak, violist

Touring April 2027

American Anthem

This program is a celebration of works inspired for string quartet with the added sonority of a second viola. Written during the summer of 1893, Dvořák’s “American” quintet celebrates the sound of America which the Bohemian composer captured in a musical time vault during his summer trip to Spilleville, Iowa. Springing out of this tradition, Kenji Bunch’s String Circle is an unabashed celebration of contemporary Americana, paying homage to the time honored traditions of American fiddle and bluegrass music. The concert opens with George Walker’s pensive anthem Lyric for strings, offering a bittersweet reflection of America’s past musical traditions while looking forward to the fresh palette of sounds which would lead to Walker’s Pulitzer Prize in music.

Program:

George Walker: Lyric for String Quartet

Kenji Bunch: String Circle

Dvořák: String Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97, “American”