When the Washington Post titles a concert review “Jupiter String Quartet delivers on its name with an out-of-this-world performance,” you can understand why this ensemble is a longtime Middlebury favorite. In a performance at the Mahaney Arts Center on Friday, Nov. 30, the quartet will celebrate Debussy in this centenary year of his passing, with a program of Ravel and Debussy’s solitary string quartets, plus Dutilleux’s “Ainsi la nuit.” Prior to the performance, Professor of Music Larry Hamberlin will present a free pre-concert lecture about the music on the program.
Performing Arts Series Director Allison Coyne Carroll considers these acclaimed musicians part of the extended Middlebury community.
“The beloved Jupiter Quartet have been Middlebury friends for almost a decade, having performed seven acclaimed concerts to date since 2010,” she said. “Years ago they braved pushing their car up Worth Mountain in a blizzard to get here! This time they’ll stay an extra day to play through new compositions written by Middlebury College students.”
About the Quartet
The Jupiter String Quartet is a particularly intimate group, consisting of violinists Nelson Lee and Meg Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (Meg’s older sister), and cellist Daniel McDonough (Meg’s husband/Liz’s brother-in-law). In addition to their performing career, they are artists-in-residence at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, where they maintain private studios and direct the chamber music program.
Now enjoying their 16th year together, the quartet has firmly established its important voice in the world of chamber music. The group has performed internationally in renowned music festivals and in some of the world’s finest halls. Their many honors include grand prizes in the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition; the Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America; an Avery Fisher Career Grant; a grant from the Fromm Foundation; and a three-year residency at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Two.
The Jupiters have issued numerous recordings on labels including Azica Records, Marquis Classics, and Deutsche Grammophon. Their next release is a recording of contemporary works with Australian pianist Bernadette Harvey to be released on Marquis Records in 2019.
Beyond venues, awards and labels, the quartet also places a strong emphasis on developing relationships with future classical musicians and audiences through educational performances in schools and other community centers.
Catch the Jupiter Quartet on Friday, at 7:30 p.m., in the Mahaney Arts Center’s Robison Hall. Professor Hamberlin’s pre-concert lecture will take place at 6:30 p.m. in Room 221.  Reserved seating tickets are $28 for adults; $22 for Middlebury College faculty, staff, emeriti, and alumni; $10 for youth; and $6 for Middlebury College students; and are on sale at 802-443-MIDD (6433) or  at middlebury.edu/arts/tickets.