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Violist Marcus Thompson, top string quartets continue MIT's celebration of Mozart 250th birthday

Cambridge, MA...Internationally acclaimed violist and MIT professor Marcus Thompson will perform at MIT with three of the world's top string ensembles in the second of a two-year series of concerts commemorating the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth in 1756.

The Guest Artist Series of free concerts, to be held in Kresge Auditorium, will begin with the Jupiter String Quartet on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. performing Mozart's Viola Quintet in D Major; Beethoven's Quartet Op. 18, no. 1; and Shostakovich's Quartet No. 3.

The series will continue with the Vogler Quartet on Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. and the Audubon String Quartet on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. See program details below.

Thompson, the Robert R. Taylor Professor of Music at MIT, has appeared as soloist, recitalist, and in chamber music series throughout the Americas, Europe, and the Far East. In June 2005 he made his debut as soloist with the Boston Pops for MIT's Tech Night at Pops.

The Jupiter String Quartet (October 1)
The Jupiter String Quartet won First Prize in the 8th Banff International String Quartet Competition, the Szekely Prize for the best performance of a Beethoven quartet, the Grand Prize at the 2004 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the 2005 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the Jerome L. Greene Foundation Prize, which sponsored their debut at Carnegie's Zankel Hall, and many others.

The Vogler Quartet (November 3)
The Vogler Quartet, with whom Thompson will perform Mozart's Viola Quintet in E-flat Major, was founded in East Berlin in 1985. With a repertoire of over 200 works from all periods, the quartet is widely known for its extraordinary musical intelligence, creative playing, homogenous sound, rich nuances, powerful interpretations and unconventional programming. All four members studied at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin and in 1986 came to international prominence by winning the International String Quartet Competition in Evian. The members now combine an extensive schedule of recitals in major music venues all over the world with a busy teaching career. Recordings with BMG/RCA-Classic and Nimbus include works by Bartok, Beethoven, Berg, Debussy, Janacek, Ravel, Shostakovich, Brahms, Schumann, Hartmann, and Mendelssohn.

The Audubon String Quartet (February 23, 2007)
The Audubon String Quartet, with whom Thompson will perform Mozart's Viola Quintet in C Major, is renowned for its "strikingly beautiful, luminescent" sound (The New York Times). Founded in 1974, the ensemble quickly achieved international recognition by winning top prizes in three major competitions: The International String Quartet Competition in Evian, France, The String Quartet Competition at the Festival Villa Lobos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and The International String Quartet Competition in Portsmouth, England. They were the first American string quartet ever to win a first prize in international string quartet competition. In 1981, the Audubon made a groundbreaking three-week tour of Mainland China at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the first American quartet ever to visit the People's Republic of China. The Audubon Quartet has enjoyed a 17-year summer association with the Chautauqua Institution (NY) and an even longer association of 26 years with the Music at Gretna (PA) Festival.

Marcus Thompson
Violist Marcus Thompson has appeared as soloist, recitalist, and in chamber music series throughout the Americas, Europe, and the Far East. He performed the West Coast premiere of Harbison's Viola Concerto with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; the Chicago premiere with the Chicago Sinfonietta, and the Boston premiere with the New England Conservatory Honors Orchestra.

Born and raised in the Bronx in New York City, Thompson earned the doctorate degree at the Juilliard School. He currently lives in Boston where, as Robert R. Taylor Professor of Music, he heads programs in chamber music and performance studies at MIT. He is also a member of the viola faculty at New England Conservatory of Music and violist of the Boston Chamber Music Society.

Thompson launched the Mozart birthday celebration series in the 2005-06 season, performing Mozart quintets with the St. Petersburg String Quartet, the Endellion String Quartet, and the Biava String Quartet.

The Guest Artist Series is presented by MIT's Music and Theater Arts Section. No tickets are needed for these free concerts. For more information, call (617) 253-2826, weekdays from 9-4 p.m.

2006-2007 Guest Artist Series at MIT featuring violist Marcus Thompson Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

October 1, 2006
Jupiter String Quartet.
Mozart's Viola Quintet in D Major; Beethoven's Quartet Op. 18, no. 1; Shostakovich's Quartet No. 3.
3 p.m., Kresge Auditorium (48 Massachusetts Ave).

November 3, 2006
Vogler String Quartet.
Mozart's Viola Quintet in E-flat Major; Haydn's Quartet No. 52 in E-flat Major, Op. 64, No. 6; Berg's Quartet Op. 3; Webern's Six Bagatelles, Op. 9.
8 p.m., Kresge Auditorium (48 Massachusetts Ave).

February 23, 2007
Audubon String Quartet.
Mozart's Viola Quintet in C Major; Mozart's "Hunt" Quartet; Shostakovich's Quartet No. 5.
8 p.m., Kresge Auditorium (48 Massachusetts Ave).

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