|
Our 2010--2011
Past Seasons: |
The Jupiter String Quartet
The Jupiter String Quartet, formed in 2001, is an intimate group, consisting of violinists Nelson Lee and Megan Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (older sister of Meg), and cellist Daniel McDonough (husband of Meg, brother-in-law of Liz). Meg and Liz grew up playing string quartets with their two brothers, Ben and J. Rehearsals were often quite raucous, but the siblings grew to love chamber music during weekly coaching with Oliver Edel, a wonderful cellist and teacher who taught generations of students in the Washington, D.C., area. Nelson also comes from a musical family---both of his parents are pianists (his father also conducts) and his twin sisters, Alicia and Andrea, play clarinet and cello. Although Daniel originally wanted to be a violinist, he ended up on the cello because the organizers of his first strings program declared that he had "better hands for the cello." He remains skeptical of this comment (he was, after all, only five), and suspects they may just have needed more cellists, but is happy that he ended up where he did. Daniel, Nelson, and Meg met at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and when they were searching for a violist Meg suggested they might consider her sister Liz, who was at nearby Oberlin College. The quartet finished up their schooling together at the New England Conservatory of Music, where they were in the Professional String Quartet Training Program. They currently reside in Boston, Massachusetts. The quartet chose its name because Jupiter was the most prominent planet in the night sky at the time of its formation, and the astrological symbol for Jupiter resembles the number four. There are also musical references (for example, Holst's The Planets, in which Jupiter is ?"he bringer of jollity") that emphasize the connotations of happiness and strength associated with the Roman god Jupiter. The Jupiters have been fortunate to receive several recent chamber music honors, including first prize in the Banff International String Quartet Competition, grand prize in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, membership in Lincoln Center's Chamber Music Society Two, and Chamber Music America's Cleveland Quartet Award, which "honors and promotes a rising young string quartet whose artistry demonstrates that it is in the process of establishing a major career." The quartet also won the 2005 Young Concert Artists International auditions and now holds YCA's Helen F. Whitaker Chamber Music Chair. Most recently, they were honored to receive an Avery Fisher Career Grant. |
