Shanghai Quartet to perform March 31
March 9, 2009

The final performance of this year’s inaugural Callaway Concert Series takes place March 31 when LaGrange College welcomes the internationally acclaimed group The Shanghai Quartet to Callaway Auditorium.

“This is a great way to close out the series,” said Toni Anderson, Chair of the College’s Music Department. “The Shanghai Quartet has played some of the world’s great venues, and it’s a special treat to have them come to LaGrange and perform at Callaway Auditorium.”

Originally formed in Shanghai, the ensemble is known for its passionate musicality, virtuosic technique and multicultural innovation. The string quartet blends the delicacy of Eastern music with the power of Western repertoire, from traditional Chinese folk music to the most challenging classical works.

The quartet has appeared frequently at New York’s Carnegie Hall and also performed the soundtrack for Woody Allen’s 2005 film “Melinda and Melinda.”

The Callaway Concert Series kicked off in November when classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco paid a visit to LaGrange. Last month The Empire Brass performed.

The new series was made possible thanks to a gift from Callaway Foundation, Inc. Anderson said the idea behind the concerts was “to expose our students to a variety of professional talents” and to “give those in the community the opportunity to enjoy world-class performances.”