The Ehnes Quartet, embarking on an exciting three-year partnership with the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music as the school's visiting string quartet in residence, launches its eagerly anticipated Beethoven Quartet Cycle—a comprehensive six-concert chronological exploration of Beethoven's complete string quartets.
This concert marks the first installment of this ambitious six-concert series, offering audiences an immersive journey through Beethoven's early mastery of the string quartet medium. As the ensemble brings its signature interpretive depth, seamless collaboration, and profound musical insight to campus, this series celebrates Beethoven's confident assertion of equality with Haydn and Mozart while unveiling the innovative transformational processes—motivic evolution, variation, and interconnection—that foreshadow his revolutionary later works. With 2027 approaching as the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death (March 26, 1827), this cycle arrives at a poignant moment, highlighting the enduring power and timeless relevance of his quartets as the world prepares to honor his legacy.
Drawing on Professor William Kinderman's seminal study The String Quartets of Beethoven, the cycle highlights how these youthful quartets refine classical forms with emerging dramatic intensity, metrical nuance, and expressive contrasts, laying essential foundations for the composer's monumental contributions to the genre.
The Ehnes Quartet, hailed as “an important new force in the chamber music arena” with a “dream-team line-up” (Strings), is comprised of four internationally renowned string musicians: violinists James Ehnes and Amy Schwartz Moretti, violist Che-Yen Chen, and cellist Edward Arron.
Program I – The first concert of the cycle
Monday, March 16, 2026 at 7:30pm
Schoenberg Hall
String Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1
A grand, energetic opener whose famous turn motive propels relentless development in the Allegro con brio, contrasted by the deeply felt pathos of the Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato.
String Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2
Graceful and witty, with a lyrical Adagio cantabile and lively Scherzo that playfully subvert expectations.
String Quartet in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3
The earliest of the set, radiating serene lyricism, elegant balance, and a spirited Presto finale.