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To celebrate its 70th anniversary this year, the world-renowned Borodin Quartet will return to Hong Kong for a concert in May.
The concert will be held at 8pm on May 29 (Friday) at the Concert Hall of Hong Kong City Hall. The ensemble will perform its namesake work, Borodin's "String Quartet No. 2 in D", as well as Schubert's "String Quartet No. 12 in C Minor, D. 703, 'Quartettsatz'" and Dvořák's "Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81", featuring acclaimed pianist Alexei Volodin.
The Borodin Quartet was formed in 1945 by four students from the Moscow Conservatory. Initially calling itself the Moscow Philharmonic Quartet, the group changed its name to the Borodin Quartet 10 years later and it remains one of the very few existing established chamber ensembles with such uninterrupted longevity. The ensemble's 70th anniversary offers the chance to reflect on the remarkable continuity of its aesthetic values and the dedication of its members, past and present, to the high art of quartet playing. The world has changed beyond recognition since 1945. The Borodin Quartet, however, has retained its commitment to tonal beauty, technical excellence and penetrating musicianship. The ensemble's cohesion and vision have survived successive changes in personnel, thanks not least to the common legacy shared by its members from their training at the Moscow Conservatory. For seven decades, the Borodin Quartet has been celebrated for its insight and authority in the chamber music repertoire. The current members of the Quartet are Ruben Aharonian (violin), Sergei Lomovsky (violin), Igor Naidin (viola) and Vladimir Balshin (cello).
Born in 1977 in Leningrad, Alexei Volodin studied at Moscow's Gnessin Academy and later with Eliso Virsaladze at the Moscow Conservatory. In 2001 he continued his studies at the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy. He gained international recognition following his victory at the International Géza Anda Competition in Zurich in 2003. Acclaimed for his highly sensitive touch and technical brilliance, Volodin is in demand with orchestras at the highest level. He possesses an extraordinarily diverse repertoire, from Beethoven and Brahms through to Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Scriabin.
Concert by the Borodin Quartet is part of the programmes in the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's "Great Music 2015" series. Tickets priced at $150, $200, $250 and $300 are now available at URBTIX. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20 per cent is offered for the "Great Music 2015" package discount scheme. Please refer to programme leaflet, series brochure or LCSD website for details.
Highlights of the "Great Music 2015" series include "The Beethoven Journey" by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (May 3), "Piano Recital by Imogen Cooper" (June 18), "Concert by the Russian National Orchestra" (June 24 and 25), "Piano Recital by Nelson Freire" (September 8) and "Concert by the Hagen Quartet" (October 6). The series also includes other attractive music events. Details will be announced later on the LCSD website.
For enquiries on programmes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/program_772.html . For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Friday, April 3, 2015
Issued at HKT 11:01
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