Nothing short of extraordinary!

May 4, 2025 | Concert Recap, Amator Musicae

The Isidore Quartet’s performance for the San Antonio Chamber Music Society on Sunday, May 4, 2025, was their second in two years – their first was on April 23, 2023, when they stepped in for the St. Lawrence Quartet and gave a stunning performance. Back by popular demand, last Sunday’s much-anticipated concert was nothing short of extraordinary! It was a masterclass in chamber music-making, blending youthful vigor with profound musical insight. Comprising violinists Adrian Steele (24) and Phoenix Avalon (23), violist Devin Moore (25), and cellist Joshua McClendon (26), this young ensemble has swiftly ascended the classical music echelon, almost immediately after winning the prestigious First Prize at the 2022 Banff International String Quartet Competition, and a coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2023.

The afternoon’s program was a thoughtfully curated journey through time and emotion. A very informative pre-concert talk by SACMS Board member Daniel Anastasio helped set the stage for what the audience was about to experience. Opening with Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465 “Dissonance,” the quartet captured the listener with their precise articulation and dynamic interplay, breathing new life into this classical masterpiece. The performance of American composer/Jazz pianist/arranger/conductor Billy Childs’ String Quartet No. 3 “Unrequited” showcased the ensemble’s versatility and commitment to contemporary works, delivering a rendition that was both emotionally charged and technically impeccable. Concluding with Beethoven’s monumental String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat Major, Op. 127, the Isidore Quartet demonstrated their profound understanding of the composer’s  intentions, navigating all its contrapuntal intricacies and unexpected complexities with beguiling grace and exceptional cohesion.

Critics have lauded the Isidore Quartet for their “polished sonority and well-balanced, tightly synchronized ensemble with nearly faultless intonation,” affirming that “chamber music is in good hands with such gifted young ensembles.” Their performance last Sunday was a testament to all this praise, leaving the very appreciative audience in awe and anticipation of their next visit to San Antonio.

– Amator Musicae