News Release

The 2003-2004 Evergreen Concert Series begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, with a performance by the New Century Saxophone Quartet in the Carriage House at Evergreen, 4545 N. Charles St. in Baltimore.

It is the first of four Friday evening concerts honoring former Evergreen resident Alice Warder Garrett's tradition of bringing talented musicians to Baltimore and inviting audiences to interact with them. Since the inception of the concert series in 1954, the Evergreen House Foundation has brought more than 189 emerging ensembles to Evergreen in celebration of Garrett's contribution to the arts.

The New Century Saxophone Quartet has performed in major concert venues in Los Angeles, New York and Amsterdam, and played for President Clinton in the White House. The quartet is a pioneering and versatile group, winning newfound enthusiasm for the saxophone quartet and its diverse repertory from baroque to contemporary works to imaginative transcriptions. It is the only ensemble of its kind to win first prize in the Concert Artists Guild Competition. The quartet has received grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Chamber Music America and the North Carolina Arts Council. The evening's repertoire will include works by Mintzer, Bach, Shaffer and Peck.

The Daedalus Quartet will perform on Friday, Nov. 7. It is one of America's outstanding young string quartets, having won the grand prize and swept all the special prizes at the 2001 Banff International String Quartet Competition. During the 2002-2003 season, the Daedalus Quartet performed coast-to-coast in Canada, including major series in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver, as well as Japan. The quartet has coached with Donald Weilerstein and Peter Salaff of the Cleveland Quartet. Its members hold degrees from The Juilliard School, The Curtis Institute of Music, the Cleveland Institute, and Harvard University. The group is made up of Kyu-Young Kim and Min-Young Kim, brother and sister violinists who alternate on first violin; cellist Raman Ramakirshnan; and violist Jessica Thompson. The quartet's performance at Evergreen will include works by Beethoven and Hindemith.

Chatham Baroque will perform on Friday, March 12, 2004. The group's lively interpretations, stylistic innovation and dazzling technique transport audiences from the court of Louis XIV to the taverns of England, and from the Scottish highlands to the exquisite palaces of Peru. Honored by National Public Radio as "Best New Classical Artist of 1999," Chatham Baroque is ensemble-in-residence at Chatham College and WQED-FM, both in Pittsburgh, and tours internationally and throughout the United States. The ensemble has released five CDs to critical acclaim. Chatham Baroque has been recognized for its commitment to introducing audiences of all ages to baroque music with the 1999 Early Music Brings History Alive Award from Early Music America and the 1999 Logan Award from Penn State Erie. The performance at Evergreen will include baroque works by Corelli, Purcell, Vivaldi, Handel, and Bach.

The final concert of the season features the Duo Paganini on Friday, April 23, 2004. Named in honor of violinist and composer Niccol• Paganini (1782-1840), the duo of violinist and violist Nancy Bean, assistant concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and guitarist Allen Krantz has been praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer for its "solid musicianship, sensitivity and keen ears." Duo Paganini's repertoire ranges from Bach and early 19th-century Italian to Spanish, French and contemporary works. Additionally, their programs often feature original arrangements and compositions by Krantz, director of the guitar program at Temple University. The pair appears frequently in the Philadelphia area, performing at the Academy of Music, Laurel Hill Mansion and Gretna Music at Elizabethtown College. Their performance at Evergreen will feature works by Paganini, Barrios, Schubert, Krantz, and Piazzolla.

Tickets are $15 per person and all concerts begin at 8 p.m. A reception with the artists follows each performance. Evergreen fellows, associates and sponsors admitted free with one guest to two concerts. To make reservations or for information, call 410-516-0341 or visit www.jhu.edu/historichouses.