KWUR to sponsor Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Community Partnership concert Feb. 11

KWUR (90.3 FM), Washington University’s student-run radio station, will launch KWUR WEEK, a series of on-campus events, with a free concert by four of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra’s newest—and youngest—players.

The performance begins at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, in Karl Umrath Hall Lounge. Umrath Hall is located immediately north of the Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd. For more information call (314) 935-4841 or email staylor@wustl.edu.

The four musicians are violinists Joo Kim and Jooyeon Kong; violist Jonathan Chu; and cellist James Czyzewski — all of whom joined the Symphony Orchestra’s string sections within the past two years. The program will feature Franz Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in G Major, op. 77, no. 1, and Johannes Brahms’s String Quartet in C minor, op. 51, no. 1.

Both selections reflect the dominance of the Viennese in composing chamber music for strings in the 19th century. Haydn (1732-1809) pioneered the string quartet format — first and second violins, viola and cello — in the mid-1700s, while in the employ of the wealthy Esterházy family. The quartet on the program, published in 1802, was one of his final works in this genre. Conversely, the piece by Brahms (1833-97) was the composer’s first work for string quartet, written in 1873, at the age of 40.

Mark Thayer, vice-president for the Symphony Orchestra’s Education and Community Partnerships Program — a co-sponsor of the event — notes that a goal of the concert is to provide WUSTL students with an opportunity to see and hear performers close to their own ages in a relaxed, informal setting. During the concert, performers will offer commentary about the music while also answering questions from the audience.

Begun in 1995, the Education and Community Partnerships Program presents more than 300 events each year, in schools, churches, parks, retirement communities and other venues throughout the area. The program has been widely acclaimed, both locally and nationally, for its innovative outreach to various aspects of the community. Other WUSTL-related activities include trips sponsored the ArtSci Council and discounted student tickets.

The concert is also sponsored by the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences. KWUR receives its funding from Student Union.