NYC string quartet Ethel premieres work commissioned by the Ringling
The new Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion at the Ringling is primarily a gallery for the Ringling Museum of Art’s extensive glass collection, but it provides a spectacular new entryway in the Historic Asolo Theater.
Your first chance to enter the theater through the pavilion comes this weekend, when Ethel, the great New York-based string quartet, comes to Sarasota.
Ethel, which bills itself as “the string quartet of now,” will premiere a new work created specifically for the Ringling. It is titled “Circus: Wandering City” and it’s a multi-media piece that combines new music, written by Ethel, with images from the archives of the Ringling’s Circus Museum.
“It’s been two years in the making,” said Steven High, the executive director of the Ringling. “We gave them access to our archives and the result is something that will give audiences not only music but a fast-paced visual experience.”
Ethel was formed 20 years and has become one of the most-acclaimed representatives of a new breed of string quartet, a breed that also includes Kronos Quartet and Soldier Sting Quartet, which combines traditionally based world-class musicianship and innovative showmanship with a contemporary attitude.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26-27, Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. $30; $10 students. 941-358-3180, ringling.org.
Marty Clear: 941-708-7919, @martinclear
This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 5:21 PM with the headline "NYC string quartet Ethel premieres work commissioned by the Ringling."