University Calendar

The Cali School of Music’s Quartet-in-Residence Harlem Quartet will perform an exciting concert of classical and contemporary chamber music.

The quartet already has a storied history – including a performance at The White House for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009 and a highly successful tour of South Africa in 2012.The musically versatile ensemble has performed with such distinguished artists as Itzhak Perlman, Ida Kavafian, Carter Brey, Fred Sherry, Misha Dichter, Jeremy Denk and Paquito D’Rivera. The quartet also collaborated with jazz masters Chick Corea and Gary Burton on the album Hot House, a 2013 multi-Grammy® Award winning release.

Founding members Ilmar Gavilán (violin) and Melissa White (violin) are joined by Jaime Amador (viola) and Felix Umansky (cello). Although the group once shared a headquarters In Harlem, they hail from all over the hemisphere: Gavilán from Cuba, White from Michigan, Amador from Puerto Rico and Umansky from Indiana.“We realized we have the same mission as Cali,” says Gavilán. “With the Harlem Quartet, we have been bringing the music to locations and audiences that otherwise won’t be exposed to it for various reasons like personal identification. A lot of kids didn’t have any sense that they could make a career out of music, especially classical music.

”Besides, notes Gavilán, his name means “hawk” in Spanish, making the move to the home of the Red Hawks feel something like fate. www.harlemquartet.org

As required by Cali School policy, all attendees must wear masks and provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.