Dvořák’s American Quartet

Journey through a century of string quartets from America in an immersive setting, performed by the principal string players of Aurora.

Settle into a beanbag inside the string quartet or take a seat beside the musicians and experience the music from a completely different perspective. Close enough to see every movement, hear every detail and feel the sound shift around you: Aurora’s new series Aurora at Kings Place is classical music without the distance.

Time suspends in Samuel Barber’s Quartet, the second movement of which is the original source of his most famous work, Adagio for Strings – music of extraordinary tenderness and intensity: its long, soaring lines gathering emotion until they seem almost to suspend time.

Written almost a century later, Jessie Montgomery’s Strum weaves together American folk idioms, journeying from wistful nostalgia to ecstatic celebration. From here, the evening culminates in Dvořák’s beloved ‘American’ String Quartet, written during his time in the United States. Its irresistible melodies, rhythmic vitality and sense of open space makes it a perfect finale for a performance where the boundaries between player and listener are dissolved.

There are two seating options: beanbags in the middle of the performance or chairs around the edge of the performance area. You can choose where you want to sit on the night, but both seating options will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.