Free admission. The award-winning PUBLIQuartet is an improvising string quartet whose repertoire blends genres and highlights American multiculturalism. In 2019 they garnered Chamber Music America’s prestigious Visionary Award for their outstanding and inventive approach to a broad range of musical styles and genres. This evening’s program includes new compositions interspersed with reinterpretations of music by Julia Perry, Duke Ellington, and Sun Ra.

PUBLIQuartet's fun, interactive workshops focus on the basics of improvisation and include games, demonstrations, and simple interactive exercises that explore key elements of all music: rhythm, harmony, melody, texture, and imagination. Workshop participants of all musical levels – from absolute beginner to highly experienced – are invited to explore on-the-spot music making guided by members of this civically minded and critically acclaimed ensemble.

Patricia Reser Center for the Arts

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The award-winning PUBLIQuartet is an improvising string quartet whose repertoire blends genres and highlights American multiculturalism. In 2019 they garnered Chamber Music America’s prestigious Visionary Award for their outstanding and inventive approach to a broad range of musical styles and genres.

“A perfect encapsulation of today’s trends in chamber music.”  The Washington Post

Join us at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music's Cary Hall for What Is American: Rhythm Nation, the next issue in PUBLIQuartet's What Is American series, a GRAMMY®-nominated album and touring project. This second volume features and celebrates American rhythmic traditions as expressions of bodily autonomy and tacit history-keeping. The program features four new works by Jeff Scott, Mazz Swift, Eddie Venegas, and Pulitzer Prize finalist Jlin, made possible through a 2024 Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant supported by the Howard Gilman Foundation. Each piece evokes a distinct rhythmic world, reflecting the plurality of American movements and protecting the unspoken spirit of their lineage's narratives.

In its Chamber Music Pittsburgh debut, PUBLIQuartet presents What is American: Found Futures. With works by Henry Threadgill, Vijay Iyer, Jin, Jeff Scott, and Mazz Swift, interspersed with reinterpretations of music by Julia Perry, Duke Ellington, and Sun Ra, this concert envisions a future for American classical music rooted in a spirit of now-ness.

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(FPAC) Faulkner Performing Arts CenterView map $0-$20

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453 N. Garland, Fayetteville, AR

http://faulkner.uark.edu

Following up their two GRAMMY®-nominated projects, What Is American: Rhythm Nation celebrates American rhythmic traditions as expressions of bodily autonomy and tacit history keeping. From the African rhythms and fiddle techniques that propel Trevor Weston’s Juba to the iconic grooves of Janet Jackson, the program includes improvisations on the beat breaks of Daniel Bernard Roumain’s Hip-Hop Etudes and original works by PUBLIQuartet, alongside new works by Pulitzer Prize finalist Jlin, Mazz Swift, Eddie Venegas, and Jeff Scott, commissioned with the support of a 2024 Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant. Each of these new works evokes a distinct rhythmic world, reflecting the plurality of American movement(s) and protecting the unspoken spirit of their lineage’s narratives. PUBLIQuartet’s 2024 CMA Artistic Projects grant is supported by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

PROGRAM
Jessie Montgomery - “Voodoo Dolls” (2008)
Daniel Bernard Roumain, Selections from Hip Hop Etudes (2006)
Jlin, New work commissioned by PQ (title TBD) (2024)
Jeff Scott, Blues for Buddy (2024)
Mazz Swift, Digging Gold; Deeper Blue (2024)
Eddie Venegas, Cachumbandeando En Clave (2024)
Trevor Weston, Juba (2017)
Vijay Iyer, “Dig The Say” (2012)
Janet Jackson, Rhythm Nation, arr. PUBLIQuartet (2024)

Tickets go on sale September 1, 2024

Event Details

Event Type

Performances

Website

http://faulkner.uark.edu

Cost

$0-$20

The follow-up to PUBLIQuartet's GRAMMY®-nominated What Is American project, Rhythm Nation celebrates American rhythmic traditions as expressions of bodily autonomy and tacit history keeping.

The program will include performances of four brand new works by Pulitzer Prize finalist Jlin, Mazz Swift, Eddie Venegas, and Jeff Scott - all commissioned with the support of a 2024 Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant.

Each of these pieces evokes a distinct rhythmic world, reflecting the plurality of American movement(s) and protecting the unspoken spirit of their lineage’s narratives.

The 2024 Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant supporting these commissions was made possible by the support of the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Bass-baritone Davóne Tines (“one of the most powerful voices of our time, LA Times) shares a new version of his MASS project together with PUBLIQuartet, the multi-GRAMMY®-nominated improvising string quartet whose repertoire blends genres and highlights American multiculturalism. MASS explores spirituality and mysticism through varied cultural lenses: following the format of a Christian liturgy, Western European, Afro-American, and 21st-century traditions converge in a single dramatic arc.

Program

J.S. Bach — “Mache dich, mein Herze rein” from St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244

G.F. Handel — “Leave Me Loathsome Light” from Semele, HWV 58

Traditional Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan and Eric Byers “Give Me Jesus”

Tyshawn Sorey — From Songs for Death, I. “After ‘Were You There’” arr. Eric Byers

Julius Eastman — Prelude to The Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc

Igee Dieudonné and Davóne Tines — Vigil 

Caroline Shaw — MASS

Duke Ellington — Come Sunday

Rhiannon Giddens — At the Purchaser’s Option, arr. PUBLIQuartet

Julia Perry — Prelude for Piano (1946, rev. 1962), arr. Hamilton Berry

Jeff Scott — Blues for Buddy (2024) 5'

(excerpted from musicmondays.org)

Part of Hancher's 52nd Season

Presented in collaboration with The University of Iowa String Quartet Residency Program

A celebration of the music of Hancher's 2024–2025 composer-in-residence—featuring the composer herself.

The PUBLIQuartet–of which Jessie Montgomery was a founding member—won the 2013 Concert Artists Guild New Music/New Places Award. In 2019, the ensemble won Chamber Music America's prestigious Visionary Award in recognition of their commitment to excellence and innovation. Embracing improvisation, PUBLIQuartet mixes genres while shining a light on American multiculturalism.

Montgomery, who is Hancher's 2024–2025 composer-in-residence, was Musical America's Composer of the Year in 2023. Her compositions weave classical music together with poetry, improvisation, vernacular music, and a vibrant social consciousness.

“[PUBLIQuartet] is a perfect encapsulation of today's trends in chamber music.” — The Washington Post

“[Montgomery] never fails to enthrall with her rhythmically complex, richly orchestrated, highly original pieces” — WTTW Chicago PBS

Jessie Montgomery: The 2024–2025 Hancher composer-in-residence
The winner of the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, Jessie Montgomery was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Mead Composer-In-Residence for three years beginning in July 2021. The Washington Post describes her work as “turbulent, wildly colorful, and exploding with life.”

Throughout Hancher's 2024–2025 season, Montgomery will perform twice at Hancher and will do intensive work with students in the University of Iowa School of Music.

PROGRAM: 
ALL-JESSIE MONTGOMERY
Musings for 2 Violins 
Rhapsody No. 1 for Solo Violin 
Voodoo Dolls 
Break Away 
Standing/Forward for String Quartet 
New improvised work featuring Jessie Montgomery + PUBLIQuartet

(excerpted from https://hancher.uiowa.edu/2024-25/publiquartet)

PUBLIQuartet brings their program "What is American" to the next New Lens at 21c Museum Hotel on November 3rd at 7pm.

"A perfect encapsulation of today’s trends in chamber music." —Washington Post

Winner of the 2019 Chamber Music America Visionary Award for outstanding and innovative approaches to contemporary classical, jazz, and world chamber music, PUBLIQuartet celebrates American rhythmic traditions with Rhythm Nation.

Experience a dynamic fusion of classical mastery and contemporary innovation with GRAMMY®-nominated PUBLIQuartet, praised by The Washington Post as “the epitome of modern chamber music”, in collaboration with sensational mezzo-soprano Renée Rapier. Be the first to hear the world premiere of GRAMMY®-nominated Clarice Assad‘s new work exploring the unbreakable spirit of women who dare to challenge societal norms and fight for their convictions. The remainder of the program explores the resonance between contemporary, blues, jazz, free, and rock-inflected music – all of which trace their roots back to the Black and Indigenous music that inspired Dvořák’s “American” String Quartet.  Don’t miss this electrifying concert bridging the past, present, and future of classical music!

(from Newport Classical)

This program features selections from PQ's ongoing What Is American project, which inspired a GRAMMY®-nominated album of the same name. This wide-ranging set of works will explore the resonances between contemporary, blues, jazz, free and rock-inflected music — all of which trace their roots back to the Black and Native American music that inspired Antonin Dvorak’s “American” String Quartet.

The program will include re-imaginations of music by Ornette Coleman, Ida Cox, Alice Coltrane, Betty Davis, Duke Ellington, Tina Turner, and Fats Waller alongside recent works by Vijay Iyer and Henry Threadgill; also on the program is a new work by Jeff Scott, commissioned with the support of a 2024 Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant. Interrogating these traditions of our nation’s complex history, PQ attempts to connect the dots, illuminating the past, present, and future of American concert music.

(from wwcmf.org)

Applauded by The Washington Post as “a perfect encapsulation of today’s trends in chamber music” and The New Yorker as “independent-minded”, PUBLIQuartet returns to Lot of Strings after rising to stardom having received two Grammy nominations, and critical accolades across the country. Since their debut on the Back Deck in 2021, PUBLIQuartet has become one of the most prominent innovative voices in chamber music today having held residencies at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and National Sawdust, and having performed at venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Montreal, Newport, and Detroit Jazz Festivals.

Bring your own chairs and refreshments and enjoy live entertainment atop the Morris Museum’s elevated parking deck. Patrons are invited to arrive as early as 6:00 PM to set up and enjoy refreshments and stunning sunsets on The Back Deck.

Tickets are $53 for an 8’x8’ block that accommodates up to two patrons or $28 for a block that accommodates one patron. In the event of inclement weather, outdoor performances will be held inside the Museum’s Bickford Theatre as general admission.

Thank you for your support!

Leadership Support for the Lot of Strings Concert Series is provided by Will and Mary Leland and Lot of Strings founding donor, F. Gary Knapp.

Ticket & Visitor Information

For assistance and to make purchases by phone, call the box office at 973-971-3706. The ticket price includes a non-refundable $3.00 service fee.

(excerpted from morrismuseum.org/outdoor-concerts-on-the-back-deck/publiquartet2024)

Two-time Grammy nominees, PUBLIQuartet’s modern interpretations of chamber music make them one of the most dynamic artists of their generation. Through programs like PUBLIQ Access, they promote emerging composers and present a wide variety of underrepresented music while also engaging traditional classical music audiences. Their program “What is American?” offers an exploration of Dvořák's beloved “American” Quartet while expanding the range of idioms and musical traditions to include contemporary, blues, jazz, free and rock-inflected music.

Embark on a sonic adventure as groundbreaking PUBLIQuartet and Vijay Iyer converge in a  concert experience that defies convention. Two-time Grammy nominee PUBLIQuartet, known for its fearless exploration of diverse musical landscapes, brings a fresh and reflective perspective to the string quartet. Sharing the stage with PUBLIQuartet is the pianist and composer Vijay Iyer. A luminary in the world of jazz and beyond, Iyer's avant-garde approach to the piano and composition has earned him acclaim and recognition worldwide. For this electrifying performance, Iyer will perform the premiere of his McKim Fund Commission for the Library of Congress.

Pre-concert Conversation with the Artists: 6:30 pm, Whittall Pavilion.

(from loc.gov)

PQ performs Vijay Iyer’s Dig the Say for the world premiere of a new pas de deux choreographed by Justin Peck and danced by Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia.

Our opening night will blend the world of contemporary jazz and classical fusion as superstar pianist Hiromi and the acclaimed PUBLIQuartet team up for a unique collaboration. Known for her outgoing stage presence and personal style, Hiromi captivates audiences around the world with her dynamic energy and emotional depth. Her boundary-busting blend of genres has earned accolades and a devoted fan base for her creativity. Her critically-acclaimed albums include Spiral, Brain, and Voice, which showcase her distinctive compositions. The collaboration with PUBLIQuartet combines piano and string quartet to turn classical music on its head.

(from thegilmore.org)

La Jolla Music Society presents the incomparable piano mastery of Hiromi with string quartet featuring PUBLIQuartet.

Lehigh University presents composer and violinist Diane Monroe as she presents Violin Woman, African Dreams, a work that bridges jazz, classical, and traditional African music with narration and storytelling by Charlotte Blake Alston. Adding additional sounds include Ms. Monroe’s acclaimed collaborators, Curlee Raven Holton, who weaves a musical narrative that incorporates sound and visual art, the string ensemble PUBLIQuartet, banjoist and Broadway veteran Ayodele Maakheru, and Yacouba Sissoko.

The Julia Perry Centenary Celebration and Festival Opening Night, presented by Experiential Orchestra and Videmus, features the multi-GRAMMY-nominated PUBLIQuartet, applauded by The Washington Post as “a perfect encapsulation of today’s trends in chamber music;” soprano Laquita Mitchell, praised in The New York Times for her “smooth-voiced and soothing presence;” and pianist and musicologist Samantha Ege, known for her “vivid, revelatory” performances (iNews). PUBLIQuartet will bring a creative re-imagining to the music of Julia Perry, performing world premieres of rediscovered works by Perry in arrangements by members of the quartet Jannina Norpoth, Hamilton Berry and Curtis Stewart, including Perry’s Miniature for Piano and Stewart’s We Who Seek, which draws on Perry’s choral work Ye, Who Seek the Truth in a new version for quartet, electronics, and spoken word to be performed by Stewart. Soprano Laquita Mitchell will perform two rediscovered songs by Perry, How Beautiful are the Feet and By the Sea. Samantha Ege performs Perry’s Miniature for Piano and Prelude for Piano. The evening also celebrates the release of Experiential Orchestra’s album American Counterpoints, which features contributions from all of the PUBLIQuartet members.

Tickets available here.

The Lively Arts Series proudly presents composer and violinist Diane Monroe as she presents Violin Woman, African Dreams, a work that bridges jazz, classical, and traditional African music with narration and storytelling by Charlotte Blake Alston. Adding additional sounds include Ms. Monroe’s acclaimed collaborators, Curlee Raven Holton, who weaves a musical narrative that incorporates sound and visual art, the string ensemble PUBLIQuartet, banjoist and Broadway veteran Ayodele Maakheru, and Yacouba Sissoko.