'A musical safari’: Verona Quartet collaborates with local musicians for performance

The Verona Quartet will be bringing an animalistic musical flair to UNC’s campus. 

The quartet performance is part of the UNC Department of Music's William S. Newman Artists Series. It is part of the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle's UpClose Chamber Music Series series as well. 

The quartet embarked on a worldwide concert schedule after winning the Concert Artists Guild Competition in 2015. Their name stems from William Shakespeare, whom they admire for his storytelling abilities. 

The concert will be on Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. in UNC’s Moeser Auditorium. Adult tickets will be $15, but UNC students and faculty can purchase tickets for $10. 

The night will feature "The Carnival of the Animals," a 14-movement musical piece composed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1886. The various movements each focus on an animal, attempting to emulate its essence and sound. 

The concert is also partnering with the UNC Department of Music. The Verona Quartet will play strings alongside pianist Clara Yang, associate piano professor at UNC. 

Yang said the event will be her first time playing with a quartet, and she is excited about the music selection.

“'Carnival of the Animals' is a piece that’s loved by many,” Yang said. “There’s an orchestral version, but this particular version we’ll be playing is for quartets.”  

The Verona Quartet will also perform "Carnival of the Animals" in collaboration with members of the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. Vivienne Benesch, the Playmakers Repertory Companys’ Producing Artistic Director, will narrate the 25-minute piece.

Marc Dinitz, director of marketing and patron loyalty at the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, said he is eager to hear the diverse musical elements of "Carnival of the Animals."

“'Carnival of the Animals' is an amazing piece, and to be able to do it with faculty members of UNC as well as added musicians from our orchestra, that’s definitely different,” Dinitz said.

Dinitz said the concert will be family-friendly, and he encourages children to come to the event because the Verona Quartet and the music will appeal to them. 

“They’re so much fun to watch," Dinitz said. "You see the communication and the music-making as they play." 

After playing "Carnival of the Animals" as a greater collaboration, the Verona Quartet will perform two pieces by themselves. This will help demonstrate their variety of musical experience and help the audience to connect with the quartet separately from the other musicians. 

Dinitz said the Verona Quartet’s stage presence is engaging for listeners. 

“They’re fantastic communicators, and they enjoy talking to their audience,” Dinitz said. “They paint a picture of what they’re going to play and really narrate the story.” 

The concert spurs from the Verona Quartet’s residency at the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. As part of the residency, they will be performing at over 40 community events during the 2019-2020 concert season. 

Dinitz said they will be helping out with a music composition class at UNC in addition to performing at venues in the Triangle area. 

“They play at community events, and they even play at retirement homes,” Dinitz said. “They also perform with Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle when we have a full orchestra, which tends to be about once a month.” 

In addition to the Verona Quartet’s musical abilities, Dinitz said their character and likability also separates them from the pack. 

“They’re fantastic people, and they’ve made a huge commitment to education and to working in schools with kids of all ages,” Dinitz said. “They are a fabulous quartet.” 

arts@dailytarheel.com