Meet the Zorá String Quartet!

On October 1, the Zorá String Quartet will host an afternoon of interactive music-making, best enjoyed by children ages 5-12. Below, the members of the quartet share their thoughts on the program, and why they’re so excited to perform for Philadelphia’s families!

Tell us about the program you’ll be presenting at the family concert and what children especially enjoy.
We’ll be presenting a very interactive concert with a wide variety of styles of music, starting in the 18th century with Joseph Haydn and ending with Scott Joplin’s rag “The Entertainer,” and passing through the Romantic period with music by Mendelssohn. The program focuses not only on introducing the musical pieces and styles but also on exploring how musicians bring the music to life. Families will have the opportunity to participate actively in this process rather than simply observing it as spectators.
 
How did you tailor the program for children? Is there a specific age you think is best suited for the program? Can children participate if they haven’t had any formal music training or can’t play an instrument?
The program was constructed with the idea of immersing families as much as possible into the world of the string quartet and music in general. The concepts we chose to introduce, however, don’t apply only to music. We’ll relate them to more familiar subjects, making them accessible for people of any age. Everybody is musical! You just have to be guided in the right way. We hope that even the parents will learn a lot from this concert!

In your opinion, what do children get out of hearing and playing classical music, especially in a concert setting? When did each of you start playing, and how did your parents support your musical aspirations?
Music’s goal, like any other form of art, is to express the different qualities of life itself. The nature behind the way that the notes and the players interact with each other, especially in chamber music, is no different than any other kind of human interaction. A family concert is the ideal setting to experience this because the children have the opportunity to be guided through this process. This allows them to absorb the information at a much deeper level.
 
We all started our musical studies at a relatively young age, around 7 years old, and we were very lucky to have very supportive parents. Music is a very challenging and expensive career and having someone to help you through difficult and challenging times, as well as supporting you financially, is something vital for any musician to succeed.

What are you most excited about or looking forward to about this concert?
We always look forward to this kind of event. Sharing our love for music and seeing the excitement on children’s faces fills us with tremendous joy. This concert in particular is a special one, because we’ll have the chance to perform side-by-side with the kids at the end of the show. We couldn’t be more excited about it!

“Meet the Zorá String Quartet” takes place on Sunday, October 1. For tickets or more information, visit www.curtis.edu/familyconcerts.