[Take the 'A' Train; The Harlem Quartet; White Pine Music (2007). Available from WhitePineMusic.com]
The Harlem Quartet, a Sphinx ensemble, has just released its debut professional CD, Take the ‘A’ Train, on the White Pine Music label. The new CD release features the Quartet performing the music of Wynton Marsalis, Billy Strayhorn and more. The cornerstone of the disc is Marsalis’ colorful and evocative string quartet At The Octoroon Balls, a work commissioned by The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and premiered by the Orion Quartet. The CD also offers a new arrangement of the title tune, Joacquin Turina’s celebrated La Oracion del Torero, and Guido Gavilan’s festive Mi Menor Conga. The disc is among the entries for the 50th annual Grammy® Awards in the Chamber Music Performance category.
The new CD adds to an already impressive string of accomplishments. Comprised of all First Place Laureates of the Sphinx Competition presented by JPMorgan Chase, the mission of the Harlem Quartet is to engage young and new audiences and to advance diversity in classical music. The ensemble made its successful debut at Carnegie Hall in October 2006, as part of the annual series made possible through the lead support of JPMorgan Chase, earning rave reviews from The New York Times. They appeared at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York in November 2006, and since then have had two return performances at Carnegie Hall and numerous other performances in New York, Michigan and Boston among other communities. During their most recent return performance at Carnegie Hall, Vivien Schweitzer of The New York Times remarked “The Harlem Quartet played with panache.” In addition, the ensemble was featured on NBC’s Today Show and most recently in the November 2007 issue of Strings Magazine.
Harlem+Quartet" rel="tag">Harlem Quartet
Sphinx+Organization" rel="tag">Sphinx Organization
'A'+Train" rel="tag">'A' Trainclassical+music" rel="tag">classical musicchamber+music" rel="tag">chamber musicminority+performers" rel="tag">minority performers
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