Opus 76 Quartet – 'Tchaikovsky and Schumann'
March 12, 2023 | Polsky Theatre
Past Event
Hailed as “Kansas City’s Premier String Quartet” (KC Independent), the Opus 76 Quartet and pianist Ramona Pansegrau, Kansas City Ballet Music Director, reunite to perform Robert Schumann’s E-flat major Piano Quintet, following Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D major.
Program
- String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
- Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44 by Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
The Quartet last joined forces with Pansegrau for the Kansas City Ballet’s 2021 production of “Wunderland,” when Opus 76 appeared as guest artists performing works by Philip Glass. In a review, Bachtrack observed the musical performances were “complements to the movements, athletic, sinuous, centripetal and centrifugal, both tense and harmonious. It was a powerful, postmodern mix.”
Pansegrau is an accomplished pianist, music director and conductor. Before joining the Kansas City Ballet, she held the positions of principal pianist, solo pianist, music director and conductor at the Boston and Tulsa ballet companies. She was on the faculty at Aspen/Snowmass Dance Festival, taught at the Boston Conservatory and served on the faculty and as music director of seven International Ballet Competitions.
She has performed the piano concertos of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Gottschalk, Hindemith and Chopin as a piano soloist for ballet with many symphony orchestras, including the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra. Other continuing engagements for Pansegrau include Music Director and Conductor for the USA International Ballet Competition and guest conductor for Orlando Ballet.