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Oct. 16, 2006
Emory’s first-ever resident string quartet at home in Atlanta

BY Nancy Condon

“We love food, and Atlanta is a great place to eat. We also love the outdoors, and can do most everything here, from hiking to boating,” said violinist Jessica Shuang Wu, a founding member of the award-winning Vega String Quartet, Emory’s first-ever resident string quartet, on the ensemble’s affinity for this Southern city. The three other members include violist Yinzi Kong, violinist Wei-Wei Le and cellist Guang Wang. The quartet hails from Shanghai, China, and arrived at Emory this year by way of New York City.

For their residency, the quartet will teach throughout the University in the upcoming year, offering classes that explore music’s relationship to every field, from biology to law. They will also work with student chamber music ensembles and the Emory Symphony Orchestra, and will perform extensively, here and abroad.

“This might come as a surprise,” said Wu, “but many Emory students are not aware of the Schwartz. Our goal is to introduce as many students as possible to this great venue and to classical music in general. Whatever their major, music can only enrich their educational experience.”

This season, there will be many opportunities to learn from the Vega String Quartet as they perform the Bach/Bartók Cycle, a six-concert series hosted by the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta featuring Bach’s complete works for solo strings and Bartók’s complete string quartets. The quartet’s next concert—the second of the series —takes place on Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. They will perform Bach’s “Cello Suite no. 2 in D Minor” and “Violin Partita no. 1 in B Minor” and Bartók’s “String Quartet no. 2.” Remaining concerts take place on Nov. 17, Jan. 26, Feb. 16 and March 23.

Tickets are $20 general admission; $15 faculty and staff; and students free. For more information, call 404-727-5050 or visit www.arts.emory.edu.

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