In today’s ProJo: Kronos Quartet, Community MusicWorks student performers come together for homage to Syria

photo by Jay Blakesberg

In today's Providence Journal, Arts Writer Channing Gray writes:

"It has taken three years for the pieces to fall into place. But
Friday, a bold partnership will come to fruition on the stage of the
RISD Auditorium.

Three generations of musicians will team up to
perform the premiere of a new work for three string quartets by Kareem
Roustom, a 42-year-old Syrian-American composer who lives in Sharon,
Mass. The Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet will be on hand, along with the
resident quartet from Providence’s Community MusicWorks and a group of
its students.

Roustom’s piece, called “A Voice Exclaiming,” grew
out of talks between Kronos founder David Harrington and Community
MusicWorks’ Sebastian Ruth. Ruth, who has known Roustom for years, had
been on a trip to Israel and came home with the flavors of Middle
Eastern music in his ears.

At the same time, Harrington had just
seen a documentary about residents in the West Bank protesting the
erection of an Israeli barrier in their village. The film is called
“Budrus,” and Roustom wrote the music for it.

So when Ruth and
Harrington started talking about a joint commission, Roustom came to
mind. And when the two approached the sponsoring FirstWorks arts series,
things came together, said Roustom…."

Read the full piece here.

The Kronos Quartet performs Friday at 8 p.m. at the Rhode Island
School of Design Auditorium, 17 Canal Walk, Providence. Tickets are
$28-$65 and available online at first-works.org or by calling (401) 421-4281.