Leah Hollingsworth hears the performance of Mozart, Kurtág and Ravel at the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Vermont, US, on 21 August 2025
Run by esteemed chamber musicians Soovin Kim and Gloria Chien, the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival has presented terrific performances in the heart of Vermont for 17 summers. The Parker Quartet appeared in a sold-out performance for the second season in a row, and its programme demonstrated both sophistication and spirit.
First violinist Daniel Chong approached Mozart’s D minor String Quartet K421 with elegance and great depth and the Andante balanced poise and sensitivity. I was continually impressed by the projection of each voice within the ensemble, the viola line given fine clarity by Jessica Bodner. The Menuetto’s Trio was another highlight and the final movement possessed captivating phrasing and imaginative playing.
György Kurtág’s Officium breve followed and the quartet’s deep understanding of and respect for the score was evident throughout, with the players presenting each movement as a masterpiece, with devotion and admirable attention to detail.
Ravel’s F major String Quartet closed the programme, led by Chong with energy and beauty. But then every member of this quartet is special, and plays with tremendous purpose, with captivating results.
At the start of the programme Kim remarked that Mozart’s music is like a finely cut diamond – ‘just perfect’, which pretty much summed up the Parker’s interpretations on this occasion.
LEAH HOLLINGSWORTH
Review: Parker Quartet, Kim Kashkashian: Kurtág, Dvořák
Read: Parker Quartet members named co-artistic directors of Concord Chamber Music Society
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