THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Tokyo String Quartet
Admission (reserved seating): $19-$60. For tickets call 713-348-5400.
Limited number of complimentary tickets for Rice faculty, staff, and students.
8:00 p.m., Stude Concert Hall

Founded in 1969, this remarkable ensemble of Eastern and Western musicians appears regularly in the major music centers of the world. Praised for their superb technical command and the commitment and intensity they bring to performances and recordings, the members of the Tokyo String Quartet have captivated an entire generation through their continuing musical achievements.

Although officially formed in 1969 at the Juilliard School of Music, the Tokyo String Quartet traces its origins to the Toho School of Music in Tokyo, where several of the founding members were profoundly influenced by Professor Hideo Saito. Instilled with a deep commitment to chamber music, the original members of what would become the Tokyo String Quartet. including violinist Kazuhide Isomura and cellist Sadoa Harada, eventually came to America for further study with Robert Mann, Raphael Hillyer, and Claus Adam. In 1969 the ensemble was officially created and scholarships were awarded by Juilliard. Soon afterward, the Tokyo String Quartet won First prize at the Coleman Auditions in Pasadena, the Munich Competition and the Young Artists International Auditions, which captured worldwide attention. Kikuei Ikeda, who also trained at the Toho School, joined the Quartet as second violinist in 1974, and Peter Oundjian became first violinist in 1981.

The Tokyo String Quartet has been featured on major television programs, including PBS's Great Performances, the CBS program Sunday Morning and a taped concert from the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, broadcast nationally on public television.