Shanghai String Quartet to play 3 concerts as visiting artists at ASU

The School of Music at ASU's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts welcomes the Shanghai String Quartet as Visiting Quartet in Residence for 2014-2015.

This will be the 10th anniversary of the Visiting Quartet Residency Program at ASU, an innovative program that integrates distinguished visiting artists with a comprehensive chamber music curriculum, creating one of the leading chamber music programs in the country.

"What makes our program unique is that we bring in a different professional string quartet each year and structure the chamber music curriculum around that particular quartet's strengths and interests," said Jonathan Swartz, artistic director of the Visiting Quartet Residency Program.

During visits to the university, the quartet works intensively with students on themed projects while presenting a series of demonstrations and lectures, performances, open rehearsals and master classes.

"The visits are incredibly intense, creating an environment of immersion with the highest level of artistry in the field," Swartz said. "Our students also benefit from the relationships they develop with the visiting quartet throughout the year."

Renowned for its passionate musicality and impressive technique, the Shanghai String Quartet has become one of the world's foremost chamber ensembles. Its elegant style melds the delicacy of Eastern music with the emotional breadth of Western repertoire, allowing it to traverse musical genres from masterpieces of Western music to cutting-edge contemporary works.

As part of the residency, the Shanghai String Quartet will be featured in three concerts at Katzin Concert Hall:

7:30 p.m., Oct. 22

7:30 p.m., Jan. 29, 2015

7:30 p.m., April 10, 2015

From now until Sep. 15, a package discount for all three concerts of 25 percent off ticket prices is available in a limited release. Single concert tickets are available beginning in August 2014 at $23 for adults and $8 for students. Visit asuevents.asu.edu/shanghai-string-quartet or contact the box office at 480-965-6447 for more information.