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The Formosa Quartet’s American Mirror program encourages the audience to examine common and sometimes narrow assumptions about American music. What defines music as “American”? What does American music sound like? What do American composers look like? This program is colored by the vivid sounds of disparate American eras and landscapes, and by the peoples who are integral to but often overlooked in American society. Some of the pieces will be drawn from well-known repertoires, while others will likely be unfamiliar. Inspired by Derrick Skye’s “American Mirror”—a piece that represents the ongoing amalgamation of cultures in the United States, including refugees, immigrants, enslaved peoples, and Indigenous peoples who have always called this place their home—the program takes the audience on a journey through the complex, rich history of American music, thus holding a mirror to the sound of America today.
Winners of both the First Prize and Amadeus Prize at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, Formosa Quartet is “one of the very best quartets of their generation” (David Soyer, cellist, Guarneri Quartet). The founding ensemble’s deep commitment to championing Taiwanese music and promoting the arts in Taiwan has expanded to include the exploration of the rich folk traditions and heritages found in America today, and an insatiable search for the fresh and new in string quartet expression. Formed in 2002 when the four Taiwanese-descended founders came together for a concert tour of Taiwan, the Formosa Quartet has since expanded its cultural identity to include broader American and pan-Asian roots. Their name “Formosa” is taken in its most basic sense: Portuguese for “beautiful.” Members of the Quartet include Jasmine Lin and Wayne Lee, violin, Matthew Cohen, viola, and Deborah Pae, cello. This concert is made possible by the generous support of the Taiwan Academy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States. Image courtesy of Sam Zauscher |
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