Pittsfield — The New York City-based Isidore String Quartet will perform a program of Mozart, Duttileux, and Mendelssohn at South Mountain Concert Hall on Sunday, September 29, in the penultimate concert of the South Mountain season.
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover—unless, perhaps, the “book” is the Isidore String Quartet. One look at these guys, and you are ready to believe every word of their mission statement:
The Isidore String Quartet cultivates joyful, accessible, and intimate experiences that create community through in-depth relationships and explore the power of the collective to uplift the individual. The gloriously vital tradition of the string quartet is our playground to impact the world we live in and inspire others through the art of collaboration and play.
The quartet comprises violinists Adrian Steele and Phoenix Avalon, violist Devin Moore, and cellist Joshua McClendon, all Juilliard graduates. The group launched in 2019 with their vision as an ensemble fully formed. Inspired by the Juilliard String Quartet and the idea of “approaching the established as if it were brand new and the new as if it were firmly established,” its members aim to impact the world by rediscovering and reinvigorating the chamber music repertory. And, by all accounts, they are succeeding.
The Chicago Classical Review wrote: “Exquisite poise and balance … the Isidore projected the infinite variety that Beethoven mines. Time stood still … exceptional.”
Violinist.com wrote: “A focus and command beyond their years … the sweeping coherence and blazing virtuosity of their narrative had the audience leaping to their feet at the end.”
Appearances in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Durham, Washington, San Antonio, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa, and collaborations with people like James Ehnes, Jeremy Denk, Shai Wosner, and Jon Nakamatsu all attest to a growing awareness of the group’s rising prominence. Their current season includes appearances in Berkeley; Boston; Washington, D.C.; New York; Chicago; Baltimore; Ann Arbor; Denver; Houston; Indianapolis; Tucson; Phoenix; Santa Fe; La Jolla; Aspen; Vancouver; Calgary; Edmonton; Edinburgh; Lucerne; Brussels; Amsterdam; Hanover; Frankfurt; and Hamburg.
Violinist Adrian Steele is a founding member of the Isidore Quartet. In addition to studying with Laurie Smukler at Juilliard, Mr. Steele attended the Kneisel, Aspen, and Bowdoin festivals, which is where he developed a passion for chamber music. As a member of the Isidore String Quartet, he attended the Ravinia Steans Music Institute in 2022 and has worked with such mentors as Joel Krosnick, Roger Tapping, Misha Amory, and Timothy Eddy. Other past teachers include Lewis Kaplan and Ron Patterson.
Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, violinist Phoenix Avalon studied at Juilliard under a Kovner Fellowship with Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin. He started playing the violin at age three, studying with Rick Lohmann and Carmelo de los Santos, and subsequently attended the Meadowmount School of Music, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, and the Perlman Music Program. As a scholarship student at the Cleveland Institute of Music Young Artist Program, he worked with Jaime Laredo and Jan Sloman. He has additionally studied chamber music with members of the Cavani String Quartet, the Juilliard String Quartet, and the Cleveland Quartet. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Jena Philharmonic, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, the Boulder Symphony, the Arapahoe Philharmonic, the New Mexico Philharmonic, and Performance Santa Fe Orchestras. Awards include first prize at the Louis Spohr International Violin Competition, third prize at the Johansen International Competition, and silver medal at The Fischoff National Chamber Music Association as a member of the Razumovsky Quartet. In 2019, he received a prize from the European Union of Competitions for Youth, as well as the Davis New Mexico Arts Excellence Scholarship.
Pittsburgh-born violist Devin Moore began studying the violin at age nine and was a member of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, and the Youth Chamber Connection. Since switching to viola, Devin has performed in such venues as the Kennedy Center, Spivey Hall, Carnegie Hall, Maison Symphonique, Elbphilharmonie, Concertgebouw, and the Esterhazy Palace. As a student, he held the position of principal violist of the Juilliard Orchestra, Juilliard Orientation Orchestra, Juilliard Chamber Orchestra, Juilliard Lab Orchestra, Juilliard Commencement Orchestra, and the student-run contemporary music ensemble AXIOM. He has also performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra as co-principal violist, as well as the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra All-Stars Orchestra, Apex Ensemble, Tertulia, Knights, and Jupiter Chamber Players.
Cellist Joshua McClendon picked up the cello at age eight under the tutelage of Paul Wingert. He started his undergraduate studies at the Juilliard School in 2018, studying with Professors Richard Aaron and Timothy Eddy. Other important mentors include Joel Krosnick, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Natasha Brofsky, Astrid Schween, Miriam Fried, Jonathan Koh, Roger Tapping, and Laurie Smukler. He has collaborated with such artists as James Ehnes, Shai Wosner, Efe Baltacigil, Jon Nakamatsu, Barry Shiffman, and the Adelphi and Leonkoro Quartets. He performs on a Giovanni Grancino cello, built in Milan circa 1697, on loan from Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.
The program for Sunday is as follows:
Mozart — String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K.465 “Dissonance”
Duttileux — “Ainsi la nuit” (“Thus the Night”)
Mendelssohn — String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 44, No 3
Hear the Isidore String Quartet perform a program of works by Mozart, Duttileux, and Mendelssohn on Sunday, September 29, 3 p.m., at South Mountain Concerts, 730 South Street, Pittsfield. South Mountain is located two miles south of Pittsfield center on U.S. Route 7 (South Street in Pittsfield). More information and tickets are available here.
