Ames Piano Quartet — Biography
BOOKING INQUIRIES FORAmes Piano Quartet
 With eleven internationally acclaimed compact discs to its credit, the Ames Piano Quartet is the most recorded piano quartet in America, featuring a discography that includes all the masterpieces as well as numerous important works by British, American, Russian and Czech composers on the Dorian, Sono Luminus, Musical Heritage, and Albany labels. Fanfare called its CD of the Dvorák quartets, “one of the best chamber music recordings of the century.” The combination of their lush string sound, blended with the orchestral quality of the piano, produces an exquisite and rare sonority that The Washington Post aptly described as “one of the most heavenly combinations of instruments around.” The Los Angeles Times concurred, stating, “The four generated nearly limitless excitement, arching lyricism, poetic eloquence, and great accuracy,” while the French magazine La Cote des Arts affirmed, “The Ames Piano Quartet has a full vigorous sound, which deeply touches the soul.” Since its formation in 1976, the ensemble has toured throughout the United States, including concerts in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, San Diego, and Washington, D.C. Internationally they have performed in Canada, Mexico, France, Austria, and the Far East. In 2003 the Quartet spent a week concertizing and teaching in Havana, Cuba, the first American chamber music group to perform there in over forty years. During 2006, the Quartet toured South Africa with renowned baritone Simon Estes. The Quartet has actively championed new music, including Dark Rosaleen—Rhapsody on an Air by James Joyce by the eminent American composer Lee Hoiby, written especially for the ensemble, and recorded on their American CD. Their additional commitment to re-discover forgotten gems written for their ensemble has brought over a dozen wonderful pieces back onto the concert stage, and makes their performances unique voyages of discovery for their audiences as well. The Ames Piano Quartet is the resident chamber music ensemble at Iowa State University. Its members include Mahlon Darlington, violin; Jonathan Sturm, viola; George Work, cello; and William David, piano. MAHLON DARLINGTON, Violinist, is a native of Ohio and holds degrees from the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory and Columbia University. After studying with George Poinar in Cleveland and Oscar Shumsky in New York, Darlington played in the Basel (Switzerland) Chamber Orchestra. He also was a member of the Manhattan String Quartet and artist-in-residence at Grinnell College prior to his appointment at Iowa State University. JONATHAN STURM, violist, has performed as both a violinist and a violist in recitals, chamber music concerts and as a concerto soloist in over twenty states in such cities as Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, Norfolk, Tallahassee and Providence, and internationally in Albania, Cuba and South Africa. In addition to performing with the Ames Piano Quartet he holds the positions of concertmaster of the Des Moines Symphony and Associate Professor of Music at Iowa State University. GEORGE WORK, cellist, holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and the Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, where he also served as teaching assistant to Robert Sylvester, his principal teachers include Paul Katz, Ronald Leonard, Gabor Reijto and Carol Work. He has appeared as soloists with numerous orchestras in the Midwest, as well as in Taiwan, R.O.C. In addition to concertizing with the Ames Piano Quartet, he has also served as a faculty member at various summer festivals, including the Brevard (NC) Music Festival, the Texas Music Festival, Madeleine Island Music Camp and the Schlern International Festival among others. WILLIAM DAVID, pianist, a native of Grosse Pointe, received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan, where his major teachers were Gyorgy Sandor and Eugene Bossar. Among the many honors he received while at the University of Michigan is the Stanley Medal, awarded to the school’s outstanding music student. Of two performances with the Detroit Symphony and Arthur Fiedler, the Detroit Free Press wrote: “…David displayed that rare combination of youthful vitality and mature artistry.” The Russian news agency TASS, reviewing an appearance of his in Moscow, has praised William David as “a complete musician.” During 2002, he served as artist-in-residence at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, the most prestigious music school in the country. For the past four years, he has also served on the faculty of the Madeleine Island (WI) Music Camp. |
|
