Shanghai Quartet Shares Brilliance at Beall

On Sunday, March 21 at 3pm the ChamberMusic@Beall series will conclude with a performace by the Shanghai String Quartet.

Showcasing the ensemble's range, this program includes one of Haydn's celebrated “Sun” quartets; Debussy's intricate, fanciful, and imaginative quartet; and Penderecki's “Leaves,” premiered by the quartet in Warsaw for the Polish composer's 75th birthday.

Originally formed in Shanghai, this versatile ensemble is known for their passionate musicality, virtuosic technique, and multicultural innovations proven over 25 years of concerts and two-dozen recordings.

As resident ensemble of the 2008 Oregon Bach Festival, the Shanghai earned new fans through its bravura performances, and it regularly tours the great music centers of North and South America, Asia, and Europe. They have appeared frequently at New York's Carnegie Hall, and their travels have taken them from London, Vienna, and Prague to Australia's Sydney Opera House.

The Shanghai Quartet has appeared in a diverse and interesting array of media projects, ranging from a cameo appearance in the Woody Allen film “Melinda and Melinda” playing Bartok’s String Quartet No. 4 (and the film’s soundtrack recording) to PBS’s Great Performances series for television. Other film credits include an appearance by violinist Weigang Li in the documentary “From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China,” and the family of cellist Nicholas Tzavaras’ as the subject of the 1999 film “Music of the Heart” starring Meryl Streep.

Tickets start at $16 and can be purchased at the Hult Center and online