The renowned musicians of the “Argus Quartet” are coming to Macon on April 2 to deliver a performance at Wesleyan College. Their website calls the group “one of today’s most dynamic and versatile young ensembles,” and they are currently on tour across the country.
The Argus Quartet started six years ago in Los Angeles.
“We gathered a group of friends who loved to play chamber music and wanted to pursue it as their career,” said Clara Kim, the quartet’s violinist. “Most of us had already graduated from school at that time, so we worked very seriously from the beginning to create a professional endeavor.”
Their namesake comes from the street, Argus Drive, where the group would get food from a taco truck. Ever since those early days, the group has gone on to play in countless concert halls and win numerous awards, such as first prize at both the 2017 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and 2017 M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition.
The group does much more than play contemporary music; the Argus Quartet is well known for the innovative and engaging concerts. According to their website, “the Quartet’s core mission is to connect with and build up a community of engaged listeners, with the strong belief that today’s ensembles can honor the storied chamber music traditions of our past while forging a new path forward.”
The quartet aims to play a variety of musical genres from different sources.
“Our quartet enjoys presenting a diverse representation of music-- we have two pieces written by our friends who are still living, as well as two gorgeous traditional works (written by a brother and a sister). We aim to bring a fresh vibrant energy to all the music we play, and design programs that will offer something for everyone,” Kim said. “Some of the more contemporary music is dance-like, maybe even closer to pop music, but there is dance and a certain vivaciousness to the traditional pieces too.”
Kim said the group enjoys interacting with the differences and similarities of music across the ages.
“We enjoy giving a platform for the dialogue between those pieces-- between centuries of music that have evolved in many different ways but still have a common thread of holding and expressing an immense range of emotion and color,” Kim said. “What we strive to do is give the audience a live, meaningful experience that doesn’t come with any expectations, but rather with just an openness on both sides to be together for the moment.”
Currently, the group travels around the country playing for many different audiences.
“We love playing for all sorts of different audiences-- from older crowds to younger children and everything in between. We particularly enjoy visiting educational communities like Wesleyan University and meeting students, faculty members and neighbors from those communities,” Kim said.
The Argus Quartet will play at Wesleyan College on April 2 from 7 p.m. until midnight. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students.
Preview: Argus Quartet to play at Wesleyan
