Dalí Quartet

Friday, March 17, 2023 | 7:30 PM

Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center

Thank you to our in-kind sponsors

Cazateatro & the Rudi E Scheidt School of Music

The finale to a weeklong series of concerts, educational programs and community events in collaboration with Memphis-based community partners, Iris presents the Dalí Quartet joined by Cuban-born Memphis percussionist Nelson Rodriguez in a concert fusing classical and Latin music. 

Special Guests

  • The award-winning Dalí Quartet tours Classical Roots, Latin Soul programming to enthusiastic audiences across the U.S., Canada and South America. Its fresh approach has been sought out by distinguished series in New York, Toronto, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, San Juan and countless communities beyond. In addition to works of the masters from Haydn to Brahms and Amaya to Piazzolla, the group's adventurous and entertaining programming includes new works for quartet with percussionist Orlando Cotto, and quintets both Latin and Classical with the renowned clarinetist Ricardo Morales, principal clarinetist of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and with acclaimed pianist Vanessa Perez. The Dalí Quartet has an ongoing collaboration with the Van Cliburn Competition’s gold-medal-winning pianist Olga Kern, with whom they have toured from coast to coast. The Dalí Quartet is the 2021 recipient of Chamber Music America's Guarneri String Quartet Residency, funded by the Sewell Family Foundation, and the 2021 Silver Medal at the inaugural Piazzolla Music Competition. Trained by world-renowned artists, members of the Dalí Quartet are from Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the US, and have degrees from esteemed institutions including the New England Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, Juilliard, Indiana University Bloomington, and the Simón Bolivar Conservatory in Caracas, Venezuela. The quartet is based in Philadelphia, PA. The Dalí Quartet is devoted to audience development and to reaching communities of all kinds.

  • Rodriguez was born and raised in Cuba, and moved to Memphis in 2014. He started playing percussion when he was 9 years old and received a scholarship to study in an arts school all the way through college. He graduated from The Conservatory of Music in Havana Cuba, Guillermo Tomás Bouffartigue, with a Bachelor of Arts in music with concentration in percussion.

    Currently Nelson is the musical director of Tropical Fusion Latin Band, the only Tropical, Latin band in Memphis, TN. In his free time, Nelson volunteers as a musician with Cazateatro. Nelson is honored and grateful to have been invited to play with the Dali Quartet.

Program

String Quartet No. 3 in E Flat Major (1823)          Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga (1806-1826) 

String Quartet No. 2 – Magueyes (1931). Silvestre Revueltas (México, 1898-1940) 

INTERMISSION

Suite Latina for String Quartet (2002)                              Juan R. Ramírez  (México, 1945 – ) 

Fuga Criolla (1931)                                                 Juan Bautista Plaza (Venezuela, 1898-1965)

La historia de un amor                                                 Carlos Almarán (Panamá, 1918-2013) “A love story” (Bolero, 1956)                                                                         arr. by Javier Montiel 

El día que me quieras                                                      Carlos Gardel (Argentina, 1890-1935) “The day you love me” (Tango, 1935)                                                            arr. by N. Aponte

Danzón Almendra (Dance, 1938)                                      Abelardito Valdes (Cuba, 1911-1958) arr. by N. Aponte

  • Nelson Rodriguez

    Percussionist

  • Ari Isaacman-Beck

    First Violin

  • Jesus Morales

    Cello

  • Carolos Rubio

    Second Violin

  • Adriana Linares

    Viola

In the Community

Iris Collective, the Dali Quartet, and the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis are teaming up on a variety of activities the week leading up to the finale concert. Here are some of the not-to-be-missed highlights:

  • March 13 & 14 — Iris and the Scheidt School of Music are co-hosting a Spring Break Strings Intensive for area high schoolers. Students will spend two days working with the members of the Dali Quartet and the University of Memphis strings faculty participating in chamber music coachings, master classes, and getting expert string technique tips. 

  • March 15 — Latin Music Fest! Dali Quartet will spend the day with University of Memphis School of Music students rehearsing, coaching and performing chamber music by Latin-American composers. Join us for a free pop-up concert at Crosstown Concourse at 4:30pm where Dali and the students will perform side-by-side.