Poiesis Quartet. Photo by Peter Ringenberg
By Emma Castleberry
The Asheville Chamber Music Series will launch its 72nd season with a performance by the Poiesis Quartet on Sunday, September 1, at 4 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church. The Poiesis Quartet was founded at Oberlin Conservatory by Drew Dansby, a cellist who performed in the ACMS Rising Stars series in 2022. “Poiesis is a Greek word that means to create something new out of nothing, found in words like poetry or hemopoiesis,” says Dansby. “As such, our mission is not only to bring a unique synergy and sensitivity to each performance, but we are also invested in the creation of new commissioned works and artistic collaborations. We are a group of young, queer, multidisciplinary artists, and as such we are always concerned with platforming musical voices and genres that are not traditionally associated with chamber music.”
Poiesis Quartet features Dansby on cello, Jasper de Boor on viola, and Sarah Ma and Max Ball on violin. Polly Feitzinger, programming committee chair for ACMS, says that the group has shattered tradition with its rapid establishment as a major performing quartet. “Student quartets normally break up for a different career path after graduation,” she says. “This group, however, bonded musically and immediately rose to the top in international competitions including being finalists in the prestigious Concert Artists Guild competition which provides career opportunities for the most talented musicians from an international pool of contestants.” Poeisis Quartet has also been awarded the Grand Prize, Senior Strings Gold Medal, and Lift Every Voice Prize at the 2023 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, as well as the Gold Medal and BIPOC Prize at the 2023 St. Paul String Quartet Competition.
The quartet’s Asheville performance will include Beethoven’s String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132 and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, which will be performed with Amer Hassan, winner of the 2021 Astral Artists National Competition. “Both of these works were some of the last that Mozart and Beethoven ever wrote,” says Dansby. “Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet is one of the first chamber works written especially for the clarinet, and through this mature work Mozart captures a sublime spirituality even while reckoning with his financial difficulties and failing health.
Beethoven’s monumental and iconic Op. 132 quartet, also known as the Heiliger Dankgesang (Song of Thanksgiving) quartet, was written after recovering from a long period of illness and serious intestinal disease. Centered around a prayer-like third movement, this impassioned and emotional work reflects on pain, gratitude and survival.”
In addition to the Poiesis Quartet, the 2024-2025 ACMS season will include “piano windtet” ensemble 4.1, Lysander Piano Trio, Goldmund Quartet, Aspen String Trio and the Isidore String Quartet.
Unitarian Universalist Church is located at 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. ACMS season tickets are available at $250 each; individual tickets are $45. For tickets and more information, visit AshevilleChamberMusic.org.
