Alianza String Quartet news

Alianza’s latest commercial CD release of Ezra Laderman’s String Quartets is available on Amazon.com, or by direct download below from the Albany Records web site. See below for a review of the CD in the American Record Guide.

Albany Records released the Alianza String Quartet’s recording of the last 3 Ezra Laderman quartets in 2009.

Alianza gave the world premiere of Harold Meltzer’s “Paraphrases” for string quartet at the opening concert of the Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music Series on Sept. 28, 2008.

Alianza String Quartet commissioned a new string quartet from Ezra Laderman, President of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The new work premiered February 1, 2008, at Yale University.

Alianza String Quartet won the grand prize at the 2007 Plowman National Chamber Music Competition. See the prizewinner list here.

Alianza Quartet reviews

There is something lovable about Ezra Laderman’s music. It is modern without losing touch with either emotion or tonality. It is evocative of everything from humor to terror. In a word, it maintains touch with humanity with surprising consistency, considering its technical demands.
     This is Volume 9 of Albany’s Laderman collection. It is announced as the last of the series. Laderman himself says these are his last string quartets. All of this tends to make one think and, perhaps, listen more closely … These are fine pieces. Let’s have all we can get!
     The Alianza is a youthful group from Yale University. They play these works with evident appreciation of all the variety of expression Laderman invites them to use. It’s a fine ending to an important series. Bravo to all involved!

D Moore
American Record Guide   May 5, 2010

It’s always interesting watching the nonverbal communication going on between the members of a string quartet. Showing their inherent affinity with each other, Alianza String Quartet demonstrated how remarkably unified an ensemble can be … They infused Bartók with their forceful control of tempo and dynamics. Their precise exposition was nothing short of breathtaking.

Danbury (CT) News-Times   November 20, 2008

Carnegie Hall debut

The matching of talent makes or breaks a new string quartet, and the young Alianza players seem on an equal level. They have evidently worked scrupulously on blending and balance, and as befits their time of life, they boil over with an edge-of-the-seat eagerness … The Alianza players are musical, well trained and have an unusually elegant sound. I do not fear for their future.

Bernard Holland
The New York Times   October 3, 2007

The Alianza started off with precise and clean playing and elegant phrasing (something one would expect from a quartet mentored by the Tokyo String Quartet) … this quartet won me over with its rock-steady intonation, burnished sound and lively, characterful playing. I especially liked the tricky Andante scherzando second movement played at a tempo more propulsive than usual and the Allegro finale was played with real relish.

Gene Gaudette
Classical Source   October 2, 2007