Juilliard prodigies for benefit concert

The Jamaica Red Cross and the Immaculate Conception High School Orchestra will benefit from a performance by the Renaissance String Quartet, a group of outstanding Juilliard School graduates.

The concert, which is scheduled May 4, will be held at The UWI Chapel.

The quartet’s repertoire includes compositions by Mozart and Beethoven as well as contemporary pieces which are interpreted in Renaissance’s signature style. For the Jamaica concert, the group is adapting popular songs by Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, in addition to classical works.

The four exceptionally talented musicians met in 2012 as teens while studying together with legendary teacher Itzak Perlman at his summer workshop in New York. They all went on to pursue degrees at the prestigious Juilliard School. Serendipitously, they performed together on school projects and discovered that they had good chemistry as a quartet.

The New York City-based quartet was formed two years ago by violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow; violist Jameel Martin; and cellist Daniel Hass. Each member of Renaissance is an accomplished musician, pursuing separate and successful careers. Combined, the young maestros produce a distinctive sound which is influenced by their unique perspectives.

The classical musicians are acutely aware of the importance of presentation. They therefore represent and articulate an inclusive vision of the future of classical music, which sees a culture of music in which all lives and histories are welcomed and celebrated.

The quartet has a proud record of conducting free classical music workshops for students and underserved communities. While in Jamaica, Renaissance’s members will conduct a series of workshops with the Immaculate Conception High School Orchestra, in keeping with their ethos of contributing to the development of young musicians.