Quartet For-Te, Featuring Wakefield Musicians, Has Saturday Concert

Join Quartet For-Te as they showcase some of their favorite works written for string quartet. The concert is at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newburyport (166 High St.) on Saturday, November 16, at 7:30pm The local quartet will feature pieces by Schubert, Barber and Beethoven.

Audience members may be familiar with the second movement of the Barber Quartet, as the “Adagio for Strings” evokes national memories. Ranging from the soundtrack of the movie, “Platoon” to a live broadcast after the assassination of J.F.K., the profound emotion in this piece is lasting. This performance will put the well-known movement in context of the whole work. The Beethoven quartet (Op. 59, no 3), composed after the Eroica Symphony and after Beethoven began losing his hearing, is a very emotional, bold, and playful work. 

Newburyport violinist Loren Lee remarks, “I have always wanted to perform the Barber in its entirety, and to do it on a program with this Beethoven quartet makes for a very exciting program. 

Audience members of all ages are welcome. General admission is $10, and children are free with a paying adult.

Quartet For-Te features Wakefield cellist John Bumstead and violinist Caroline Lieber, as well as Loren Lee on violin and Karen McConomy on viola. Established in 2012 the quartet explores a diverse repertoire from classical to contemporary music, and performs extensively throughout the Boston area.  Advocating for continued musical education, the ensemble has expanded beyond the concert venue and into local schools to perform and conduct master classes.