Elias String Quartet debuts in Twin Cities with Music in the Park

The Schubert Club will present the Twin Cities debut of the young British Elias String Quartet at its Music in the Park Series program in March. The concert will include Benjamin Britten’s rarely performed Third String Quartet in celebration of Britten’s centenary year.

The concert will be performed on Sunday, March 24, at 4 p.m. at St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ, 2129 Commonwealth Ave. A pre-concert discussion begins at 3 p.m. Tickets are $24.

The quartet will also perform at two family concerts on Friday, March 22, at 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Episcopal, Church, 2136 Carter Ave.

The program, titled “Magic of Strings,” will showcase classical music, from Purcell to Britten and Bach to Schumann. The quartet will explore rhythm and melody by playing musical games with the string quartet family of violins, viola and cello.

Family concert tickets are $7 each.

Tickets are available online at Schubert.org/musicinthepark or call 651-292-3268.

The Elias String Quartet takes its name from Mendelssohn’s oratorio, Elijah, of which Elias is its German form. The musicians have quickly established themselves as one of the most intense and vibrant quartets of their generation. They perform around the world, collaborating with many different artists.

The Elias String Quartet was formed in 1998 at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where the performers worked closely with the late Dr. Christopher Rowland.

The quartet includes Sara Bitlloch and Donald Grant, violin; Martin Saving, viola; and Marie Bitlloch, cello.

The Music in the Park series is sponsored by the St. Anthony Park Community Foundation and the Trillium Family Foundation.

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