December 22, 1999

Vermeer Quartet to Perform at the Middlebury College Center for the Arts on Jan. 15

“The Vermeer played with a rich tone and exquisite detail.” —Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The Vermeer Quartet will perform in the Concert Hall of the Middlebury College Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15. The ensemble will perform a program of string quartets, including Beethoven’s Opus 132 and the 13th Quartet by Dmitri Shostakovich.

Formed in 1969, the Vermeer has performed in every major city in North America, Europe, and Australia, as well as at major festivals, including Tanglewood and Mostly Mozart. In addition to standard classical compositions, the group also chooses lesser-known pieces and often presents new works written specifically for them.

Praising the quartet for a 1998 performance, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said, “[the Vermeer Quartet] has the breathtaking precision that comes with playing together for many years.”

The group is composed of violinists Shmuel Ashkenasi and Mathias Tacke, cellist Marc Johnson, and violist Richard Young. The Chicago-based ensemble is the resident quartet for Performing Arts Chicago, and also has annual engagements at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, and at the Bay Chamber Concerts on the coast of Maine.

Tickets for this performance, sponsored by the Middlebury College Concert Series, are $9 general admission and $7 for senior citizens. A pre-performance dinner at 6:30 p.m. will be held at Rehearsals Cafe. To order tickets or make dinner reservations, please call the College box office at 802-443-6433.