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Palo Alto Online

Party of four

by Robyn Israel

I t's a chilly late November evening on the Stanford campus, and the St. Lawrence String Quartet is assembled in an upstairs lounge, located on the second floor of the Braun Music Center. The four members -- violinists Geoff Nuttall and Barry Shiffman, violist Lesley Robertson and cellist Alberto Parrini -- have just returned from a performance in Pittsburgh, and are getting ready to attend an on-campus recital given by their students.

Stanford's ensemble-in-residence looks a little tired, but is still animated, energetic and playful during the interview. Now 13 years into their career, the St. Lawrence String Quartet is used to the grueling touring schedule that keeps them on the road much of the year, with 100 concerts this season.

This weekend, they will perform at Stanford's Memorial Auditorium with the Pilobolus Dance Theatre in a special program presented by Stanford Lively Arts. The event -- a rare offering of modern dance and live music -- promises to be a unique collaboration between two innovative companies renowned for their risk-taking.

"It's fascinating," Shiffman said. "They have a completely different way of looking at and listening to music. You count one, two, three four -- four straight beats. They hear those beats in a completely different way.

"We'll hear an emotional world we're convinced of, and their choreographer might express it visually in the same way, or they might have a completely different take on it. But if they have integrity, then you trust them to explore different worlds of the same music. Then I think something great can happen."

The program will include the world premiere of a piece commissioned by Stanford Lively Arts. Still unnamed, it will feature Canadian composer Christos Hatzis' second string quartet, which he adapted specifically for this project.

"Mr. Hatzis was very complimentary of their ability to play this music. It's quite difficult musically to play," said Pilobolus Artistic Director Michael Tracy. "I knew it had depth, but I didn't know how difficult it was technically. He told me their playing has a kind of power and strength that not many quartets can bring to bear. And that's used in this piece. It's required."

In addition to the Hatzsis piece, the quartet will also perform works by Shastakovich (his haunting score will accompany Pilobolus' 1991 abstract piece, "Sweet Purgatory") and Tchaikovsky. Pilobolus' recent duet, "Symbiosis" (1991) will have the St. Lawrence String Quartet performing works by Arno Part, Thomas Oboe Lee and Jack Boty.

The group's considerable talent was recently recognized with a Grammy nomination for best chamber music performance, in honor of "Yiddishbbuk" (EMI). The 2002 recording also scored a nomination for best classical contemporary composition, in recognition of the album's composer, Osvaldo Golijov. The Grammys will be awarded in New York City on Feb. 23.

But don't think the Grammy nod has gone to the group's head. With a hectic lifestyle that includes teaching at Stanford and touring internationally, the quartet has little down time. Still, it's a dream gig all four members relish, especially given the way the university accommodates their grueling schedule.

"It's tempting to get a job like this; as a musician it's a real luxury. But Stanford is smart. They don't want you to take a job and then just coast. They want you to grow in your international presence, and to facilitate that, they're very generous in giving us reduced teaching loads and flexibility with our schedules.

"Having said that, I think we do as much if not more than we would if we were (teaching) full-time. There's a certain energy when the group's really busy," Shiffman said.

Formed in Canada in 1989 under a program jointly sponsored by the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, the ensemble derives its name from the St. Lawrence River. In 1992, the ensemble won both the Fourth Banff International String Quartet competition and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, followed by debuts in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and the Paris Opera.

They have performed for President Bill Clinton at the White House and in cities and music festivals throughout North and South America, Europe, Japan and Vietnam.

Until last summer, the ensemble still had all four original members, including cellist Marina Hoover. But she departed in August in order to move to Chicago with her husband and 2-year-old son. The couple is currently expecting another child.

The group's grueling schedule ultimately proved incompatible for Hoover's family, a common obstacle faced by female chamber musicians. Still, the ensemble's ability to stay intact for 13 years is a testament to their strong friendship.

"A lot of string quartets have personnel changes because they can't stand each other anymore, given the nature of working so closely. A lot explode 'cause of personnel conflict. We're blessed to be together for 13 years, and have someone leave for family reasons," Shiffman said.

The group's search for Hoover's replacement took seven months, bolstered by word-of-mouth recommendations. Joel Krosnick, a cellist with the Julliard Quartet and a former teacher for the St. Lawrence String Quartet, had also taught Parrini, and highly recommended him. High praise for his talent also came from Nuttall's wife, Olivia Sohn, a violinist who had been in school with Parrini and played with him in a piano trio.

"It was interesting to hear his name pop out of mouths you trust," Nuttall said of Parrini, a native of Padua who most recently was assistant principal cellist with the Richmond Symphony.

After auditioning and playing with 13 cellists, the decision came down to more than just pure talent.

"Everyone could play the cello great," said Nuttall, a native of London, Ontario. "But in the end, what seemed appealing was someone who was a risk-taker, not playing it safe."

"And a hot car!" joked Robertson, who hails from Edmonton, Alberta.

Shiffman, a Toronto native, also saw Parrini as someone they could get along during a month-long tour, a person who "wouldn't drive us crazy."

For Parrini, a quiet and soft-spoken man whom the group has playfully nicknamed Frodo (after the character Frodo Baggins in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) the new job is a blessing, a steady gig with an established ensemble.

"Not to gush, but it's a dream come true. I'm very happy to be doing this," Parrini said.

The quartet will re-team with Pilobolus for additional performances this year, including a week-long engagement in New York City in June, a gig greatly welcomed by the group.

"That's perfect -- one week in New York City!" Shiffman said. "It's rare for us to have an extended run like that in one city. It's usually one night here, one night there."
The St. Lawrence String Quartet will accompany the Pilobolus Dance Theatre tonight and Saturday at Stanford University's Memorial Auditorium. Both shows are sold-out. However, there will be a post-performance discussion on Saturday that will be free and open to the public. It is scheduled to begin around 9:45 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium.