2025-2026 Program Offerings
Soundtrack to a Nightmare
Description:
This Halloween-inspired program follows the arc of a classic horror movie – from eerie atmospheres and unsettling beauty to blood-chilling terror and otherworldly transformation. Featuring Schubert’s feverish Death and the Maiden, Mozart’s ominous Dissonance Quartet, haunting tracks from Radiohead, and iconic Halloween hits, this spine-tingling journey blends classical drama, cinematic suspense, and supernatural flair!
Repertoire:
Tan Dun: Eight Colors for String Quartet, Movement VII: Cloudiness
Bernard Herrmann: Prelude from Psycho Suite
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465 “Dissonance”, Movement I
Amy Beach: Romance for Violin and Piano, arr. Eunghee Cho
Rentaro Taki: The Moon Over the Ruined Castle, arr. Mina Kim
Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, D. 810 “Death and the Maiden”, Movement I
Radiohead: Motion Picture Soundtrack, arr. Sarah Whitnah
The Fretless: Jig of the Blood Moon / Kylebrack Rambler
Michael Jackson: Thriller, arr. Tracy Silverman
Total Time: 53 min of music
Roots to Sky Ft. Moira Smiley
Description:
Singer and composer Moira Smiley joins forces with Rasa String Quartet in a program that explores the rich intersection of folk and classical traditions. Centered around Smiley’s Rhizome Project—where voice, banjo, piano, and strings intertwine through ancient and original folk songs—the program also features works by Caroline Shaw, Tchaikovsky, and Sato Matsui. Together, these pieces reflect on the hidden networks that connect and sustain us, much like the underground rhizomes that quietly nourish life from beneath the surface.
Repertoire:
Traditional, arr. Moira Smiley: Go Dig My Grave
Jean Ritchie, arr. Moira Smiley: Now Is the Cool of the Day
Caroline Shaw: Plan & Elevation II. The Cutting Garden
Moira Smiley: Mourning Dove
Traditional, arr. Moira Smiley: Arthur McBride
Sato Matsui: Free & So Thankful
Traditional, arr. Moira Smiley: Soul Cake
Maura Shawn Scanlin: Time Check
Moira Smiley: Great Trees
Caroline Shaw: Plan & Elevation IV. The Orangery & V. The Beech Tree
Moira Smiley: Who We Are
Moira Smiley: Haiku
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Movement I
Traditional, arr. Moira Smiley: John O’Dreams
Total Time: 56 min of music
Counterpoint in Bloom
Description:
Every musical masterpiece begins with a simple line, groove, or pattern. In Counterpoint in Bloom, Rasa String Quartet explores how that nascent seed can flourish into a boundless ecosystem. Featuring Bach and Beethoven alongside Guns N’ Roses, Prince, and foot-stomping folk traditions from around the globe, this genre-blending program takes you on a journey from humble riff to full-throttle banger!
Repertoire:
J.S. Bach: The Art of Fugue – Contrapunctus 1
Guns N’ Roses: Sweet Child O’ Mine
The Fretless: Bird’s Nest
Alexandra Vrebalov: Pannonia Boundless
J.S. Skinner: Bovaglie's Plaid
The Fretless: Alphonso McKenzie’s/Salkantay
L.V. Beethoven: String Quartet Op. 59 No. 3, 1st Mvt
Danish String Quartet: Shore
L.V. Beethoven: String Quartet Op. 59 No. 3, 4th Mvt
Total Time: 54 min of music
Previous Program Offering
Season 2024-2025
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Immerse yourself in a whimsical blend of folk dances, classical treasures, and rock anthems in A Popular Tune! This program fuses the timeless with the contemporary, featuring reimagined favorites like Stand By Me, Scandinavian folk traditionals, and classical interpretations of popular tunes. From Mumford and Sons to Henry Purcell, this show offers a fun and fresh way to experience the string quartet, where every tune is a hit!
Repertoire:
The Fretless: Hidden View
Danish String Quartet: Old Reinlender From Sonndala
Henry Purcell: Fantasia in D minor Z. 739
Pink Floyd: Shine on You Crazy Diamond
Jungyoon Wie: A Popular Tune
Ben King: Stand By Me, Arr. Zach Reaves
Erik Satie: A New Satiesfaction (Gymnopédie No.1), Arr. Stephan Koncz
Giovanni Sollima: Sonnets et Rondeaux
Donogh Hennessy: Inion Ni Scannlain / J.S. Bach: Minuet II, Arr. Maura Shawn Scanlin
Danish String Quartet: Sekstur from Vendsyssel - The Peat Dance
Mumford and Sons: Little Lion Man, Arr. Jesse MacDonald
Total Time: 54 min of music
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Journey & Transformation is a program that evokes longing and nostalgia for distant places and cherished memories. From William Grant Still’s tender mermaid fairytale, to composers' reflections on faraway homelands, and the lively melodies of a Haydn quartet, this concert invites you to reconnect with the beloved stories that shaped your past.
Repertoire:
William Grant Still: Prince and the Mermaid Suite
Traditional Korean Lullaby, Arr. Mina Kim
Graham Cohen: String Quartet No. 3 “Cape Breton Set”
Donnacha Dennehy: Pushpulling
Christine Hedden: Cuimhne
Joseph Haydn: String Quartet No. 64 in D Major, Op 76, No 5
Total Time: 55 min of music
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Multidisciplinary percussionist Brian Shankar Adler and the Rasa String Quartet present: Redefining Home, a concert that celebrates each artists’ musical roots. Spanning from evocative Indian ragas and mysterious Argentine tangos to spirited Celtic fiddle tunes, this collaboration evokes the feelings of home and comfort inherent in our earliest musical memories, while also exploring the rhythmic connection across a wide array of genres. The program culminates in the world premiere of a new work for string quartet and percussion by Brian Shankar Adler, inspired by this unique collaboration.
Repertoire:
Seiche, Arr. Brian Shankar Adler
Maura Shawn Scanlin: The Squall
James Scott Skinner: Bovaglie’s Plaid
Maura Shawn Scanlin: Time Check
Brian Shankar Adler: Young Blood
Kala Ramnath: Amrit, Arr. Reena Esmail
Brian Shankar Adler: A Memory of Fire (Rudram)
Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion
Astor Piazzolla: Spring (Primavera Porteña)
Brian Shankar Adler: Echoes of the Gomero
Astor Piazzolla: La Muerte del Ángel
Total Time: 53 min of music
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Join Rasa String Quartet for an unforgettable journey through the intricate beauty of fugue and the wonders of nature. Featuring works by Caroline Shaw, Aleksandra Vrebalov, The Fretless, Bach, and Beethoven, we reveal how small, delicate elements—like a Bird’s Nest, a Beech Tree, or the interwoven voices of a fugue—unite to create something extraordinary. Discover how music and nature mirror each other, weaving together into breathtaking masterpieces that celebrate the complexity, harmony, and unity of our world.
Repertoire:
The Fretless: Bird’s Nest
J.S. Bach: The Art of Fugue – Contrapunctus 1
J.S. Skinner: Bovaglie's Plaid
Alexandra Vrebalov: Pannonia Boundless
Caroline Shaw: Plan & Elevation, V. The Beech Tree
The Fretless: Alphonso McKenzie’s/Salkantay
L.V. Beethoven: String Quartet Op. 59 No. 3
Total Time: 54 min of music