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The
Alexander String Quartet Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2006, THE ALEXANDER STRING QUARTET has performed in the major music capitals of four continents, securing its standing among the world’s premier ensembles. Widely admired for its interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, and Shostakovich, the quartet has also established itself as an important advocate of new music through over 25 commissions and numerous premiere performances. In 1999 BMG Classics released the Quartet’s nine-CD set of the Beethoven cycle on its Arte Nova label to tremendous critical acclaim. The FoghornClassics label released a three-CD set of Mozart quartets in 2004; as part of an ongoing project, that label released the first three CDs of the Shostakovich cycle in March 2006. At
home in San Francisco, the members of the Alexander String Quartet are a
major artistic presence, serving as Ensemble in Residence of San Francisco
Performances and as directors of the Morrison Chamber Music Center at the
School of Music and Dance in the College of Creative Arts at San Francisco
State University. The Alexander String Quartet was formed in New York City
in 1981 and the following year became the first string quartet to win the
Concert Artists Guild Competition. In 1985, the Quartet captured international
attention as the first and only American Quartet to win the London International
String Quartet Competition, receiving both the jury’s highest award
and the Audience Prize. In May of 1995, Allegheny College awarded Honorary
Doctor of Fine Arts degrees to the members of the Quartet in recognition
of their unique contribution to the arts. Honorary degrees were conferred
on the ensemble by St. Lawrence University in May 2000. |
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