Brooklyn Rider, the exciting contemporary string quartet, performs an innovative interpretation of Debussy’s String Quartet in G Minor at the ensemble’s George Mason University Center of the Arts debut. The program of works from their latest CD, “Dominant Curve,” plunges onward toward the future with an electro-acoustic arrangement by Brooklyn composer Justin Messina of “In a Landscape” by John Cage and explorations into the fresh insights of Japanese composer Kojiro Umezaki’s “Cycles,” Uzbekistan native Dmitri Yanov Yanovski’s “al niente” and Colin Jacobsen’s “Achilles’ Heel.”
Violinist Jacobsen and his brother Eric, cellist, were students at Juilliard School when they met Curtis Institute student violinist Johnny Gandelsman and violist Nicholas Cords. After playing together in an orchestra that met out of school during the summer, they quickly discovered mutual interests and formed the quartet Wild Ginger.
In short order, they all became touring members of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project and have traveled the world in that configuration.
Although all of them perform as soloists and with various other ensembles, they felt a need to establish a string quartet that turns the Western classical traditions on its heels. The response from critics and audiences alike confirms that their crossover experimentation is exactly the way to tempt new listeners and nudge traditionalists into exciting realms.
“Aside from the fact that we all live in Brooklyn, we have deep, shared aesthetics,” Jacobsen said. “We all come from rigorous classical training and we see the string quartet that was founded in the 18th century as a means of speaking to our world today. We re-imagined Debussy’s work differently from the way other groups have played it. He was ahead of his time and we believe he would welcome our treatment.”
Jacobsen had a jump on his brother by four years and was already pursuing a career as both instrumentalist and composer before Eric saw how much fun his sibling was having playing with other people. They were raised in a home that was a gathering place for chamber musicians, so it was only natural that they followed in their parents’ footsteps and began holding their own “wild” chamber music gatherings with friends from school.
In accordance with the pursuit of contemporary music, Brooklyn Rider is building a solid list of collaborators, including composers Lisa Bielawa and Osvaldo Golijov, Chinese pipa artist Wu Man, Kayhan Kalhor on the Persian Kemancheh and Irish fiddler Martin Hayes.
“When we’re looking for new music, we look for a contemporary composer who has a unique voice and whose music captures a magical moment,” Colin said. “I’m in the unique position of knowing people intimately who write or arrange music that gives us personal fulfillment. I hope the George Mason University audience will have a good time listening to us and regard becoming acquainted with Brooklyn Rider as a memorable experience.”
