{program_image_alt Concert

Third Wednesday: Kontras Quartet

Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 2025

shape/shift

This sweeping, bold program of music that highlights the modern string quartet includes the endearing folk music of Armenia and the captivating soundscapes of Paul Wiancko and Julia Wolfe, and will culminate in the extraordinary and haunting first quartet by Leoš Janáček.

Program:

Komitas arr. Aslamazyan - selections from 14 Armenian Folk Songs (arr. 1950)

  • Dear Shogher
  • Festive Song
  • Red Shawl
  • Echmiadzin Dance
  • Song of the Little Partridge

Paul Wiancko - selections from Lift

Julia Wolfe - Four Marys

Janáček quartet 1

This event is free and open to the public, with donations gratefully accepted in support of the Museum’s ongoing cultural programming and community days.

About the Performers

KONTRAS QUARTET boldly explores the evolving role of chamber music in the new millennium. Equally committed to time-honored classics, contemporary compositions, and genre-bending collaborations, Kontras strives to continually enrich the string quartet art form, expand audiences, and champion diverse voices. Formed in 2009, the “superb Chicago-based ensemble” (Gramophone Magazine) has become known for its vibrant and nuanced performances, “crisp precision” (Palm Beach Daily News), “superlative artistry” (CVNC Arts Journal), and a passion for exploring the folk roots of classical music. Kontras’s “enjoyable musical personality” (Fanfare Magazine) and welcoming, friendly approach to the recital stage have attracted audiences near and far for over fifteen years. Kontras means ‘contrasts’ in the Afrikaans language - fitting for a string ensemble whose colorful repertoire spans centuries, genres, and continents. In addition to a robust national and international performing and touring schedule, Kontras Quartet has released five critically acclaimed albums, most recently 2024’s “All Made of Stories” on MSR Classics. The group’s first album, “Origins”, also on MSR classics, was commended by Gramophone Magazine for the quartet’s “scrupulous shading and control.” Kontras has released three albums in collaboration with the bluegrass trio, the Kruger Brothers: Lucid Dreamer, Roan Mountain Suite, and Moonshine Sonata, all on Doubletime records. The unique Kontras/Kruger pairing has become beloved by audiences all over the world, including those at the Telluride and Merlefest festivals, as well as on Late Night with David Letterman with special guest banjoist Steve Martin. All four members are passionate teachers at Elmhurst University. The group holds short-term residencies and gives regular masterclasses and clinics at institutions throughout the United States.