Western Carolina University

This article features an event that occurred in the past.

Bremen Clarinet Quartet

The music department at Western Carolina University will continue with its Catamount Concert Series on Tuesday, March 27, featuring the Bremen Clarinet Quartet.

The Bremen Clarinet Quartet was founded in Bremen, Germany, in 1988, though its current members have performed together since 1993. The quartet has performed around the world and includes masters of clarinet Barbara Rössler, Christian Dawid, Martin Kratzsch and Allan Ware.

The free concert will be held at 8 p.m. in the Coulter Building recital hall and will include repertoire by Ferenc Farkas, Jean Francaix and Domenico Scarlatti. The performance also will include a Klezmer piece by quartet member Christian Dawid and his arrangement of tango hits by Astor Piazzolla.

The quartet also will conduct a public masterclass on Wednesday, March 28, at 11:15 in the recital hall.

Critics have praised the quartet for its perfect technique and polished sounds. “The high quality and humor that the Bremen Clarinet Quartet presented in its concert proves that so-called ‘classical’ music and ‘music for entertainment’ are not necessarily mutually exclusive,” one European music critic said. “If Bach had been able to hear what these four masters of the clarinet can do, he would surely have sat down and started writing for them,” said another.

Sponsors of the event include the WCU Visiting Scholar program, the Arts and Sciences Deans’ Colloquy and the department of music.

For more information, contact Shannon Thompson, associate professor of music, at (828) 227-3956.