A concert to benefit the Roger Tapping Scholarship at Yellow Barn
Saturday, May 6 | 5:00-6:30pm
At the home of Ann Glazer and Barkley Stuart
45 East 19th Street, New York
$75 per person
Space for this event is limited and advance reservations are necessary.
Give to the Roger Tapping Scholarship at Yellow Barn
James MacMillan (b.1959) In Memoriam, for viola solo (2023)
Dedicated to the memory of Roger Tapping
World Premiere
Jörg Widmann (b.1973) Cavantina (2022)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op.130 (1826)
Juilliard String Quartet
Areta Zhulla and Ronald Copes, violins
Molly Carr, viola
Astrid Schween, cello
A reception with the musicians will follow the performance.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
In 2019, Roger Tapping, a Yellow Barn violist for nearly 20 years and violist of the Juilliard String Quartet from 2013 to 2021, approached Jörg Widmann about commissioning two string quartets to be performed alongside late quartets by Beethoven. On May 6th, his colleagues will realize his conception, in performance together with the world premiere of a work for solo viola commissioned by Yell0w Barn for violist Molly Carr, who succeeded Roger as violist of the Juilliard String Quartet. James MacMillan's In Memoriam is one of nine works commissioned by Yellow Barn for Roger Tapping, all of which are being premiered by violists connected to Roger who will then pass them to other violists for exploration and performance, ultimately making a significant contribution to the viola repertoire in his memory.
ABOUT ROGER TAPPING
Roger Tapping at Yellow Barn
"There’s so much going on that you have to find ways of being colorful, but without turning into a wall of sound. I often describe it as 'translucence' – making something beautiful that you can also see the other beauties through."—Roger Tapping for The Strad
Roger Tapping, who died of cancer in January 2022 at the age of 61, was a violist known for his beautiful sound, selfless music-making and generosity of spirit. Born in England February 5, 1960, Tapping received degrees from the University of Cambridge and moved to the U.S. in 1995 to join the Takács Quartet, of which he was a member until 2005. In addition to the Juilliard and Takács quartets, he was a founding member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and a member of the Allegri String Quartet, Schubert Ensemble, and Raphael Ensemble. His recordings and performances—including multiple Beethoven and Bartók quartet cycles in major cities all over the world—earned accolades including three Gramophone awards, a Grammy award, and three additional Grammy nominations.
ABOUT THE JUILLIARD STRING QUARTET
With unparalleled artistry and enduring vigor, the Juilliard String Quartet continues to inspire audiences around the world. Founded in 1946 and hailed by The Boston Globe as “the most important American quartet in history,” the ensemble draws on a deep and vital engagement to the classics, while embracing the mission of championing new works, a vibrant combination of the familiar and the daring.
Since its inception, it has been the quartet-in-residence at the Juilliard School. It has received numerous awards, including four Grammy awards and membership in the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. In February 2011, the group received the NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award for its outstanding contributions to recorded classical music.
(Photo at top by Erin Baiano)