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Munich Philharmonic String Quartet
A Valentine-themed evening concert with the music of Hildegard von Bingen, Beethoven and Borodin.
The concert opened with a performance by Monroe-Woodbury High School’s Chamber Orchestra.
Friday, February 9th, 2024 at 7:30 PM
St George's Episcopal Church
105 Grand Street, Newburgh NY 12550
Bernhard Metz, Violin
Clement Courtin, Violin
Konstantin Sellheim, Viola
Manuel von der Nahmer, Cello
The quartet’s program will feature music by St. Hildegard von Bingen, the 12th century German Catholic nun and mystic. One of the few prominent women in medieval church history, and the rare female composer, her work sparked new interest in the latter part of the 20th century, leading to numerous translations and recordings of her chant melodies.
The quartet will perform a string arrangement of the antiphon “O Virtus Sapientiae” (“O Strength of Wisdom”). The program also will include Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 18 No. 1, in F Major, and Alexander Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2 in D major.
Composed between 1798 and 1800, the Beethoven quartet was reportedly inspired by the tomb scene from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Borodin wrote his quartet in 1881 and dedicated it to his wife, Ekaterina Protopova. Some scholars, such as his biographer, Serge Dianin, suggest that the quartet was a 29th anniversary gift.
The audience will also be treated to an appearance by rising stars from one of Orange County’s leading high school ensembles, Monroe-Woodbury’s Chamber Orchestra, which is led by music educator Lauren Byrne. After a coaching lesson from the quartet earlier in the day, the orchestra will open with a short work.
About The Munich Philharmonic Quartet
Founded in 2007, the quartet has distinguished itself through unusual programs in a variety of formations.
The artists –- violinists Bernhard Metz and Clement Courtin, violist Konstantin Sellheim, and cellist Manuel von der Nahmer --are long-time members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. They individually have won prestigious international competitions and performed with many world-class conductors, including Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel and Christian Thielemann.
Courtin, a native of France, began playing the violin at age 8. He joined the Munich Philharmonic in 2006. Previously he was coneertmaster of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra in France, with which he made solo appearances in Norway, China and Japan.
Sellheim has toured throughout Asia and America, After serving as a member of the Staatskapelle Berlin under Daniel Barenboim, he joined the Munich Philharmonic in 2006. He has appeared on numerous radio and television programs and recorded albums with his sister Katharina and with the Munich Philharmonic’s viola quartet.
Von der Nahmer, a native of Germany, took his first cello lessons at age 9. He has been a cellist with the Munich Philharmonic since 1997. He has won numerous competitions in Europe and studied at the Yale School of Music. He has appeared as a soloist with several orchestras in Europe and the United States.
Photos by Brian Wolfe
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