String Quintet Masterpieces
The Magic of Viola Quintets
Artists
Peter Zazofsky, violin
Lucia Lin, violin
Wenting Kang, viola
Cara Pogossian, viola
Ronald Lowry, cello
Needham Concert Society features two masterpieces of the string quintet repertoire: Mozart’s C-major quintet, masterfully interwoven with wit and drama, and Brahms’ G-major quintet, filled with passion, exuberance, and poignant introspection.
Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, String Quintet No. 3 in C major, K. 515
Johannes Brahms, String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111
About the Artists
Violinist Peter Zazofsky has appeared as soloist with many great orchestras, including the Boston Symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He often is a featured soloist with Israeli orchestras. As first violinist of the Muir String Quartet, Mr. Zazofsky is proud to have performed many complete cycles of the Beethoven quartets, and to have promoted new works by American composers. Early in his career, Mr. Zazofsky won top prizes in the Queen Elisabeth and Montreal International Competitions. He is a faculty member at Boston University and also teaches at New England Conservatory Preparatory School.
Violinist Lucia Lin is a longtime member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Music at Boston University. She made her solo debut at age eleven, in a performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Chicago Symphony. She won prizes in many competitions, including the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Ms. Lin served as acting concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony and spent two years as concertmaster of the London Symphony. Her focus on chamber music includes serving as a founding member of the Boston Trio and as a longtime member of the Muir String Quartet.
Violist Wenting Kang is principal violist of Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid at Teatro Real of Spain, as well as one of the founding members of the Madrid Soloists Chamber Orchestra. Her debut CD recording with pianist Sergei Kvitko, Mosaic, was released in 2022 to critical acclaim, winning the gold medal in the Melómano Magazine in Spain. Its tracks were selected for the “Best New Classical” playlist on Spotify and the “New Music Friday” playlist of the American Society of Composers and Publishers. Ms. Kang is on the faculty at New England Conservatory.
Violist Cara Pogossian is principal violist of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. She has appeared as a guest artist with the Boston Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Boston Pops Orchestra. In 2022 she won the Borromeo String Quartet Guest Artist Award, and her quartet received honors at New England Conservatory. Her summer festival participation has included the Marlboro Festival, Ravinia Steans Music Institute, and the Taos School of Music. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and New England Conservatory, she recently won the NEC Concerto Competition with a performance of Bartók’s Viola Concerto.
Needham Concert Society artistic director Ronald Lowry is principal cellist of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and the Boston Ballet Orchestra. He performs frequently with the Boston Symphony, both at home and on international tours. He has presented solo recitals at Jordan Hall and at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and he has been a guest artist with the Boston Chamber Music Society, the New England Conservatory First Mondays concert series, and the Muir String Quartet. Mr. Lowry teaches at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and the Rivers School Conservatory.
