From it’s hometown of Kansas City, The Opus 76 Quartet has become recognized in journals worldwide for its entertaining and energetic interpretations of the classics. The Strad reviewed a recent performance, commenting “a beautiful Sunrise from [the] Opus 76 Quartet…you’re still allowed to watch [the performance], in fact we insist that you do.” The Spectator (London), reviewing a recent performance of a Late Beethoven Quartet lauded the group, remarking: “a brilliant young string quartet…[a] luminous performance.”

In the USA, The Kansas City Star recently described the group’s complete Beethoven Cycle as “certainly passionate performances, fully expressing all of Beethoven’s many emotions from the the lighthearted and jocular to the feverish and intense.”

Artists-in-residence at the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College, The Opus 76 Quartet perform 50 concerts a year nationwide. In the 2021-22 season, the Quartet made their debut with orchestra, and appeared as guest artists with the Kansas City Ballet, delivering critically acclaimed performances of works by Philip Glass in the Ballet’s season opening performance of “Wunderland” at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Bachtrack noted that Opus 76’s performances of the Glass were “complements to the movements, athletic, sinuous, centripetal and centrifugal, both tense and harmonious. It was a powerful, postmodern mix..” – with Broadway World commenting: “Of note is the accompaniment provided by the Opus 76 Quartet and pianist Ramona Pansegrau. This was a relentless, memorable performance, and easily this reviewer’s favorite piece of the evening.”

They also recorded the Six Quartets dedicated to Haydn by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for Kansas Public Radio, and became the first Artists-in-Residence at The Midwest Trust Center. Highlights of this season includes the Opus 76 Quartet beginning an educational residency with The Youth Symphony of Kansas City, continuing their artistic residency at The Midwest Trust Center for concerts in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, and making their much anticipated debut at Carnegie Hall in March 2023. During the Pandemic of 2020, The Opus 76 Quartet performed and recorded all 18 Beethoven String Quartets in front of a live audience over a six week period. These performances were broadcast statewide on Kansas Public Radio.

The ensemble released complete recordings of these works in association with KPR digitally on iTunes, Spotify and other streaming services and physically on their own label. In addition to performances with The Kansas City Ballet, the Quartet has collaborated with a number of celebrated artists and groups, including “The Priests” on a tour of the USA, American clarinetist David Krakauer, as well as Norwegian pianist Julie Coucheron and French ‘cellist Noemie Golubovic. The Quartet looks forward to performances with pianist Ramona Pansegrau and violist Paul Neubauer in 2023 & 2024. The Opus 76 Quartet is fully committed to improving society through music – and its non-profit foundation, The Friends of the Opus 76 Quartet, oversees its “Music Making Minds” initiative – which performs charitable works in the community of Kansas City including masterclasses, educational concerts, and chamber music workshops.

Recitals, masterclasses, educational workshops, immersive events involving collaboration across artistic and literary disciplines, school outreach concerts, lecture recitals.

Most performance fees fall in the $2,000-6,000 dollar range. The fee is determined by how any performances are given for a specific event as well as number of days involved for projects like education residencies. The Opus 76 quartet is committed to working with presenters to make performances possible for programs of varying budget sizes.

We provide masterclasses for performers/ensembles, artist lectures and lecture recitals, school outreach programs in group settings for students of all ages, private and group lessons on string instruments, audition and performance preparation classes, performance psychology workshops, business for musicians lectures.

Generally speaking each additional activity would fall in the $1,000-2,000 range but may already be incorporated into the performance fee and in that case would an extra fee associated with the additional project.

We are willing to travel throughout the state of Kansas and beyond, however our performing schedule does fill up quickly so booking as far in advance as is possible is recommended. We do not perform recitals outdoors unless there is a contingency plan for rain and a shelter that protects the instruments from weather and direct sun. We also do not perform outdoors in temperatures below 60 degrees or above 80 degrees.

We are happy to work with you to make your community project come to life and are always interested in new outreach ideas. Some of the programs that we have put on nationwide include: a soccer and music clinic and concert bridging the world of athletics and arts for kids, outreach concerts and group lessons for the elderly, recording and reading projects with local composers, corporate team building lecture recitals, and workshops for amateur musicians.

More Links

• https://opus76.org/reviews
• https://opus76.org/groups-bio
• https://opus76.org/performances-1
• https://opus76.org/yskc-academy
• https://opus76.org/news