THE KQ FAMILY GROWS

09/01/2018

Since our founding in 2009, first violinist Dmitri Pogorelov has inspired us with his passionate artistry, his warm heart, his poise and grace, both onstage and off. After nine years of devoted commitment to the KQ cause, the time has come for him to enter a new chapter in his career. Although we will all miss Dmitri dearly as he transitions from quartet to orchestra, we are excited to welcome a new voice to the KQ sound and family, one that belongs to Eleanor Bartsch!  

Violinist Eleanor Bartsch is an active orchestral and chamber musician based in Chicago. She is currently Concertmaster of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Associate Concertmaster of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and a performing member of the Chicago Philharmonic / Joffrey Ballet Orchestra where she frequently serves as Concertmaster, Associate Concertmaster, and Principal Second Violin. Ms. Bartsch also performs regularly with the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, the Grant Park Festival Orchestra, the Milwaukee, Nashville and Cincinnati Symphonies, and the Minnesota Orchestra.  

As a founding member of Madison's Willy Street Chamber Players, Eleanor maintains a passion for chamber music and community.  She is also a member of The Chicago Ensemble, the Elgin-based Apas Piano Trio, and has appeared recently with both the Grammy-nominated Spektral Quartet and multiple Grammy award-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird.  

Eleanor holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she was a Paul Collins Distinguished Graduate Fellow and studied with David Perry and Felicia Moye.  During her studies she was a member of the Madison Symphony and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

KQ & BRANFORD MARSALIS PREMIERE NEW QUINTET

04/03/2018

On April 8, a one-night only special presentation of “Highways & Byways” will feature a lineup including a world premiere by acclaimed young Chicago composer Dan Visconti, the Chicago-based Kontras Quartet, and legendary jazz artist Branford Marsalis, at Music Box, the premiere concert venue in downtown San Diego.  

The show will include the world premiere of “Beg, Borrow or Steal,” composer Dan Visconti's quintet for string quartet and saxophone, which Kontras and Art of Élan co-commissioned. This special collaborative concert includes pieces that are rooted in various folk traditions, tying together the old and new, the familiar and less-traveled, the classical and jazz/blues traditions.  

• Erwin Schulhoff - Duo for Violin & Cello  
• Heitor Villa-Lobos - Assobio a Jato ("The Jet Whistle") for Flute & Cello  
• Dan Visconti - Black Bend  
• Osvaldo Golijov - Tenebrae  
• Dan Visconti - Beg, Borrow or Steal  
• Adolph Busch - Quintet for Alto Saxophone & String Quartet

KQ MAKEs OUR INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

03/16/2017

The Kontras Quartet is coming to the Vrystaat Arts Festival in Bloemfontein, South Africa in July 2017! Our first international tour has been made possible by a generous grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.  

About the Vrystaat Arts Festival  

The Vrystaat Arts Festival • Kunstefees • Tsa-Botjhaba is an Afrikaans language festival that forges creative connections with English and Sotho cultures. The VAF contributes to the exchange of ideas around arts, culture and society through connections with other national and international creative communities.  

This year's festival takes place from 18 to 22 July at the Bloemfontein campus of the University of the Free State.  

Our Sincere Thanks to Our Supporters  

This engagement is supported by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through USArtists International in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  

USAI is the only national initiative in the United States solely devoted to supporting performances by American artists at important international cultural festivals and arts marketplaces. USAI provides grants to ensembles and individual performers in dance, music, and theatre, resulting in the promotion of international cultural exchange and the creative and professional development of U.S.-based artists.  

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. The Foundation is the largest private funder of arts and culture in Illinois, awarding more than $11 million in grants annually to more than 300 Chicago arts groups, part of its overall Chicago Commitment.