Lancaster Cultural Arts Center
A Charleston Symphony Orchestra string quartet will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at the Lancaster Cultural Arts Center. The event will wrap up Lancaster’s Red Rose Festival.
The ensemble is led by Yuriy Bekker, the orchestra’s critically acclaimed concertmaster.
In addition to works by Mozart and Romanian folk dances, the string quartet will present a world-premiere performance of “Four Elements” by Charleston-born composer Thomas Cabaniss.
“Four Elements — Earth, Air, Fire and Water” is inspired by dance and the tension between humans and nature. Each of the four movements is named for one of the elements.
Bekker said the 17-minute composition asks the listener to imagine the earth after humans are gone and nature reclaims the world.
“The piece is very tonal and beautiful and accessible,” he said.
Cabaniss described his composition as starting from a very grounded and solid place — the earth. The second movement — air — is very light and played in the upper register “almost disappearing before it starts.”
Fire, the fastest movement in the piece, suggests burning embers and is followed by water. Cabaniss said the water finale is the most hopeful ending, since humans are mostly made of water and that element is how we are essentially connected.
“At the end, everything returns back to one drop of water,” he said.
Cabaniss writes for opera, theater, dance, film and concerts. He lives in New York City and teaches at the Juilliard School. He works on arts education projects and his mission is to encourage musical creativity and collaboration, and to work with those in need. He thrives on helping cultural institutions support partnerships between artists and communities.
The premier of “Four Elements” at the CAC checks all the boxes in his mission statement. If his schedule permits, Cabaniss will attend the performance. He will be with Bekker and the CSO string quartet during recording in Columbia two weeks before the performance.
Other music on program
Bekker said they will also play Mozart’s masterpiece String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, nicknamed “Dissonance” because of its slow introduction.
The string quartet will close with Romanian dances by composer Béla Bartok.
“It starts out slow and ends really fast and is folksy and fun,” Bekker said. “It’s fun to play and makes you want to dance.”
CAC concert organizer John Craig said Bekker always brings an interesting program and top performers to the CAC.
“It’s quite an honor to have composer Thomas Cabaniss attend the world premiere of ‘Four Elements’ at the CAC — schedule permitting,” Craig said. “He is quite a distinguished composer and a big player in the New York City music world.”
Micah Gangwer will join Bekker on violins. Jan-Marie Joyce will play the viola. They all are principal players of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Guest cellist Jason Calloway will complete the quartet.
Bekker was born in Belarus and his family immigrated to the United States in 1992, when he was 10 years old. He studied at Indiana University and the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. He became CSO concertmaster in 2007. In 2016, he was appointed Pops conductor.
For more information on Bekker, visit his website, https://www.yuriybekker.com. For more information on Cabaniss, visit http://thomascabaniss.com.
The Cultural Arts Center is housed in the Old Presbyterian Church, at 307 W. Gay St. Advance tickets ($15, plus a small service fee) can be purchased at www.lcshp.org. Patrons are encouraged to call 803-287-6826 if they have any difficulties on the website. Tickets at the door will be $20.
