Monday, January 19, 2004
Jose White String Quartet arrives in U.S. just in time for Jan. 22 Goshen College concert
GOSHEN, Ind. -- One of
Latin America's leading quartets will be playing at Goshen College
on Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Sauder Concert Hall as part of the
2003-2004 Performing Arts Series, though the concert was nearly
replaced with a backup group due to security clearance problems
experienced by two members of the quartet.
The Jose White String
Quartet of Cuba, having recently won Mexico's premiere Chamber
Music Festival, will perform an eclectic
blend of classical and Latin American music. The musicians share a
broad musical training, varied performance experience and a very
special enthusiasm and dedication to chamber music, both in the
standard literature and the relatively unknown works of Latino
composers. Goshen
College was contacted on Jan. 13 with the news that the group's
cellist Orlando Espinosa and second violinist Sandra Diaz
(Espinosa's wife), as natives of Cuba, would not be able to enter
the United States for a month of performances because of delayed
visas that were pending security clearance. Cuba is one of seven
nations deemed by the U.S. government to be state sponsors of
terrorism. On Jan. 15, after several days of searching for a
back-up string quartet, Janette Yoder, director of special events,
was contacted with the good news that the two performers received
clearance so the show could go on as planned. With three of
the ensemble players having been born in Cuba -- the other is
Mexican-American -- the members decided to pay tribute to Jose
White, indisputably Cuba's greatest violinist of the 19th and early
20th century, and the only one to have had a world-class career
based in Europe. White was an inspiration to countless string
players of Central and South America for many generations. In the
mid-90s the Quarteto Jose White came into
existence and began rehearsing and building repertoire; the quartet
formal debut was in the 1997-1998 season when it was featured in a
concert at the notable Chamber Music Festival, and at other venues
in Mexico and Canada. Its first performances elicited great
success. The ensemble has participated in workshops and
masterclasses by the Fine Arts, Lark, Ying and Shanghai quartets,
as well as the Borodin Trio. The Quartet is making its long-awaited
first U.S. tour this month. The group
includes Silvia Santa Maria on first violin, Sandra Diaz on second
violin, Sergio Carrillo on viola and Orlando Espinosa on
violoncello, and is now based in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where the
members hold principal positions with the Symphony Orchestra as
well as teaching and giving solo performances while enjoying the
support which allows them to continue developing their primary
interest in chamber music. For information about
ticket availability, prices, reservations or more information,
contact the Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566 or e-mail joannp@goshen.edu. Future concerts in the
Performing Arts Series at the Goshen College Music
Center: * March 12, 7:30 p.m. --
Greg Brown (Add-On) Goshen College,
established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal
arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The
college's Christ-centered core values -- passionate learning,
global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and
servant-leadership -- prepare students as leaders for the church
and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program,
Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys
in Education, Kaplan's "Most
Interesting Colleges" guide and U.S.News & World
Report's "America's Best
Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit
www.goshen.edu. Editors: For
more information, contact Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu. ###
* Feb. 14, 7:30
p.m. -- Bonnie Rideout and the Scottish Trio, with piper Jerry
O'Sullivan