Society & Culture

Franklin College Chamber Music Series to feature Ebène Quartet

Franklin College Chamber Music Series to feature Ebène Quartet

Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia will host one of the most creative ensembles in international chamber music when members of the Ebène Quartet come to Hodgson Concert Hall at the UGA Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Feb. 21. The performance, the sixth annual William Jackson Payne Memorial Concert, is sponsored by the Franklin College Chamber Music Series and begins at 3 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.

A string ensemble whose traditional repertoire is heavily influenced by its love of jazz, the Ebène Quartet formed in Paris and won the prestigious ARD Music Competition in Munich in 2004. In addition to a heavy international touring schedule, the quartet was also selected to take part in the BBC’s “New Generation Artists” series. The quartet’s recital at Wigmore Hall in London was broadcast on BBC Radio Three in July 2009.

The performance at UGA will feature pianist Orion Weiss along with members of the Ebène Quartet. It will include selected compositions by Franz Schubert, Gabriel Fauré and Johannes Brahms.

“Franklin College is honored to host musicians of the caliber and renown of the Ebène Quartet and particularly so in the memory of my predecessor Jack Payne,” said Garnett Stokes, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “The series allows us to recognize Dean Payne’s vision and commitment to fostering a vibrant arts community both on and off campus.”

The Franklin College Chamber Music Series was established in 1978 by former dean Payne and continues to be presented without charge because of individual contributions from music lovers and patrons of the cultural life of both the university and the community.