OPUS ONE brings together four of the leading musicians of
our time, Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, Violinist Ida Kavafian,
Violist Steven Tenenbom, and Cellist Peter Wiley. Veterans as well
as present members of the world's most prestigious chamber groups
including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Tashi, the
Beaux Arts Trio and the Orion and Guarneri String Quartets, OPUS
ONE is the result of a mutual love of music making between four
extraordinary instrumentalists and friends. As soloists as well as
chamber musicians, they are each familiar figures in concert halls
throughout the world and have joined together to form one of the
most exciting groups performing anywhere. Their dedication to
the works of contemporary American composers is reflected in
their programming, and the sheer, obvious joy they have in performing
together communicates directly to their audiences.
1998-99 marked the inaugural season of OPUS ONE, with a
debut at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC to a packed,
enthusiastic house. Their orchestral debut was with the Chattanooga
Symphony, performing Beethoven's "Triple Concerto" and
a work written by Douglas Lowry especially for the entire group
with orchestra. OPUS ONE has presented several other World
Premieres as well. Along with the Pittsburgh and Cleveland Chamber
Music Societies, OPUS ONE commissioned the outstanding
composer, Stephen Hartke to write a new quartet, "Beyond Words"
which was premiered in December, 2001. The piece, an emotional
musical tribute to 9/11, was enthusiastically received. More recently,
the group gave the World Premiere performance of a work
they co-commissioned (along with the festival, Music from Angel
Fire) by the Charles Ives Living and the Grawemeyer Award recipient,
George Tsontakis. The summer of 2007 brought another
World Premiere, this one by the celebrated Composer, Pianist and
Conductor, Marc Neikrug, called Green Torso. In the summer of
2009, OPUS ONE premiered two additional movements of Mr.
Neikrug's work, commissioned for them by the Bravo! Vail Valley
Music Festival. The composer Lowell Lieberman is currently writing
a new quartet for the group, slated for premiere in August,
2010.
OPUS ONE has recorded the two piano quartets of Dvorak,
due for release some time in 2009. They also recorded works by
Aaron Kernis and Stephen Hartke as part of the "Americans in
Rome" project on Bridge Records.
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