Fry Street Quartet thrilled to debut in Salt Lake at chamber music concert

After two full seasons as the quartet-in-residence at Utah State University, the Fry Street Quartet will finally be making its official Salt Lake debut Thursday as part of the Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City's roster of ensembles.

"We're thrilled to be finally performing there in a public capacity," said violinist Rebecca McFaul.

It was a private concert for the Chamber Music Society's board of directors last year that led to the ensemble being invited to be part of the series' 2004-05 season. "They liked how we played and asked us to come back," McFaul said.

The Fry Street Quartet, or FSQ as they like to be called, has an eclectic program lined up. There are only two works on the program, but they are worlds apart in style, content and technique.

The concert will open with Ned Rorem's String Quartet No. 4. The work was written for the Emerson String Quartet, which premiered it in 1995, the year after it was composed. "It's very evocative," McFaul said. "The quartet is in 10 brief movements based on paintings by Picasso."

A big fan of Rorem's music, McFaul said he has a distinctive language. "He's always tonal, even when his music gets extremely chromatic. Some critics consider his music sentimental, but that doesn't bother me. He has his own self-imposed rules, and he manages to do a lot within those confines."

FSQ recently recorded Rorem's Fourth Quartet. "We really are committed to it," McFaul said, adding that the CD should be available in January.

The second half of Thursday's concert is devoted to one of Brahms' chamber masterpieces, the Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34. "Ned wouldn't like being paired with Brahms, because he hates anything German," McFaul joked. "But the F minor is such an utterly delicious, melodic work."

Joining the quartet for the Brahms will be pianist Eugene Albulescu. "We've played the same work with him twice before," McFaul said. "We like him. He's a marvelous pianist and a very expressive player."

McFaul said that she and her colleagues have enjoyed their residency in Logan. "We just started our third season here. It's marvelous to have a base and be able to give concerts without always having to travel."

She said that the music department at Utah State is impressive. "The string department is growing and the piano department is quite strong. The students are marvelous. And since we all like teaching, we've been enjoying our residency in Logan, and we've tried to be a musical force in the community."