FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2004

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119, lisa.lacher@drake.edu

RENOWNED TOKYO STRING QUARTET TO PERFORM AT DRAKE

The Tokyo String Quartet, regarded as one of the world’s supreme chamber ensembles, will perform quartets of Mozart, Webern and Beethoven at Drake University on Sunday, March 14. The performance, made possible by a gift from the late Earle Ferguson, a 1934 graduate of Drake University Law School, will start at 8 p.m. on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main, 25th Street and University Avenue.

The quartet performs on "The Paganini Quartet," a group of renowned Stradivarious instruments named for legendary virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, who acquired and played them during the 19th-century. These invaluable instruments have been loaned to the ensemble by the Nippon Music Foundation since 1995, when they were purchased from the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

The quartet is comprised of violist Kazuhide Isomura, a founding member of the group; second violinist Kikuei Ikeda, who joined the ensemble in 1974; cellist Clive Greensmith, formerly principal cellist of London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, who joined in 1999; and first violinist Martin Beaver, who joined the ensemble in 2002.

Since it was founded more than 30 years ago, the Tokyo String Quartet has captivated audiences and critics alike. Members of the Tokyo String Quartet have served on the faculty of the Yale School of Music since 1976 as quartet-in-residence. The quartet has been featured on numerous television programs, including "Sesame Street," CBS’s "Sunday Morning," PBS's "Great Performances" and "CNN This Morning."

The Tokyo String Quartet has released more than 30 landmark recordings on BMG/RCA Victor Red Seal, Angel-EMI, CBS Masterworks, Deutsche Grammophon, and Vox Cum Laude, including the complete quartets of Beethoven, Schubert, and Bartók. The quartet's recordings of Brahms, Debussy, Dvorák, Haydn, Mozart, Ravel and Schubert have earned such honors as the Grand Prix du Disque Montreux, "Best Chamber Music Recording of the Year" awards from both Stereo Review and Gramophone magazines, and seven Grammy nominations.

Officially formed in 1969 at The Juilliard School of Music, the Tokyo String Quartet traces its origins to the Toho School of Music in Tokyo, where the founding members were profoundly influenced by Professor Hideo Saito. Instilled with a deep commitment to chamber music, the original members of what would become the Tokyo String Quartet eventually came to America for further study. Soon after its creation, the Quartet won First Prize at the Coleman Competition, the Munich Competition and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.

Tickets for the Drake performance, which are $10 for the general public and $5 for students, may be purchased at the door or at the Drake Fine Arts Box Office, (515) 271-3841.