An afternoon of Haydn, Webern, Schubert with the Florestan Quartet, Sat., Feb. 24, 5pm

Adina Tsai, violin Michael Rau, violin Chi Lee, viola Lauren Peacock, cello The Florestan Quartet's musicianship will be on full display with their performance of Haydn's String Quintet in B flat major ("Sunrise") and other works. These young artists' musical brilliance is complemented by a dedication to community engagement,  including collaborating with museums, non-profits, and creating a music program for Taiwanese youth. Free admission. Donations welcome. Please reserve at rhoveninc@gmail.com.

About the Quartet

            The Florestan String Quartet was formed by four members of The Orchestra Now at Bard College including Adina Tsai, Michael Rau (violins), Chi Lee (viola), and Lauren Peacock (cello). The primary location of the Florestan String Quartet is in Annandale-on-Hudson in New York, focusing on the Hudson Valley Area and the Greater New York Area.

            They had the privilege of working with Luis Garcia-Renart, a renowned cellist on faculty at Bard College, and he toured with legendary cellist Pablo Casals during his career. The Florestan String Quartet was involved in a chamber music series called “Candide’s Journey” in February 2017 at the Hudson Opera House in Hudson, New York. Other appearances include a masterclass with violinist, Arnaud Sussmann, and they were invited to play Schubert Octet in F major, D. 803 for a fundraising concert for The Orchestra Now. Robert Schumann’s First String Quartet was the first piece that gathered the four enthusiastic musicians for chamber music and where they developed their name.

            Beyond bringing the established string quartet repertoires, the Florestan String Quartet strongly believes in the importance of  community engagement. They have collaborated with museums and non-profit organizations, including musicians from "The Orchestra Now," Olana State Historic Site, Hudson Opera House and Tivoli Free Library in upstate New York. The recent project includes “Florestan String Quartet’s Journey: USA to TAIWAN” in the summer 2017. They fundraised in the Hudson Valley NY and traveled to Taiwan where they gave numerous musical activities for the kids. In total, they gave four concerts, six workshops in four different cities in Taiwan during the two-week tour.