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  • Chilingirian Quartet - maestros to teach and play

    The Oxford Times, UK
    January 30, 2014 Thursday


    Chilingirian Quartet - maestros to teach and play

    by Nicola Lisle


    Nicola Lisle talks to violinist Levon Chilingirian as he brings his
    famous string quartet to Abingdon School

    You wouldn't normally expect to hear an internationally-renowned
    chamber ensemble performing in a school hall.

    But the Chilingirian Quartet will feel quite at home next week at
    Abingdon School, where they will hold a master class for the school's
    advanced violinists and viola players before giving a public concert
    in the evening. It will be the quartet's fourth such visit to the
    school.

    "It's become almost like a tradition," says Levon, who formed the
    quartet in London in 1971.

    "The first time the quartet played, the audience at the concert was
    incredibly responsive and amazing, and it was such a great pleasure
    for us. So on the one side there's the audience, who appreciated it,
    and on the other side the students, who we get on very well with."

    Education is an important part of the quartet's ethos, and they have
    worked with music colleges and conservatoires all over the world. But
    Abingdon is the only school the quartet works with on a regular basis,
    and Levon is delighted with what he calls their "very special
    relationship". As teachers themselves, quartet members appreciate the
    dedication of the school's music teachers.

    "We do realise that the hard work is done by the week-in, week-out
    teachers," Levon says. "Hopefully we can reinforce what they've been
    saying and inspire the boys further. "They will be playing what they
    have prepared, and I am sure there will be a variety of things. There
    will be sonatas, duos and quartets. "We're here to help them with the
    music they are working on, and then they will come and hear us play."

    This year's concert features two great masterpieces of the chamber
    music repertoire - Beethoven's Rasumovsky Quartet Op.59 No.2 in E
    Minor and Schubert's Death and the Maiden. "These are two incredible
    pieces, very substantial, probably two of our favourite pieces,
    probably the audience's as well, so it's a fantastic programme of
    exhilarating music - a great Beethoven quartet and a great Schubert
    quartet," he says.

    The Chilingirian Quartet is one of the UK's longest-running quartets,
    although Armenian-born Levon is now the only original member. He and
    his co-founders started the quartet while still students at the Royal
    College of Music, and he is somewhat surprised at their longevity.

    "We certainly didn't intend in 1971 that we would be playing for over
    40 years as a quartet, but that's what's happened." he laughs.

    Michael Stinton, director of music at Abingdon, is delighted to be
    welcoming Levon and the quartet back to the school. "The boys can
    learn so much from hearing these internationally famous musicians who
    are at the top of their game and to have the quartet coach our young
    chamber musicians beforehand is a huge bonus," he says. "The quartet's
    last visit in February 2012 was an unforgettable experience for us and
    there's growing excitement as the next concert draws near."

    "The combination of master-classes and concerts is something we love
    so we're enormously looking forward to it," Levon says. "There's
    always a great atmosphere, and we enjoy being at the school."

    Chilingirian Quartet
    Amey Theatre, Park Road, Abingdon
    Wednesday, February 5, 7pm
    [email protected] or www.abingdonbooking.info

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