ANTARES

"… powerful virtuosity and striking razor-sharp ensemble playing."
- The Chicago Tribune

"… exciting, expressive, nuanced and captivating…."
- The San Diego Reader

Vesselin Gellev, violin
Rebecca Patterson, cello
Garrick Zoeter, clarinet
Eric Huebner, piano

First Prize 2002 Concert Artist Guild
International Competition
Winner
Victor and Sono Elmaleh Award

Comprised of four virtuoso instrumentalists, Antares draws from a vast and colorful repertoire for the piano-clarinet quartet formation, as well as its various trio and duo permutations. This versatility allows Antares to create programs which span the traditional eras of classical music from the 18th century through the music of today, and the group has quickly gained a stellar reputation for its dedication to the commissioning and promotion of music by living composers.

In January 2004, Antares received its second ASCAP/CMA Award for Adventuresome Programming and, since its founding in New Haven, the quartet has won top prizes in four national chamber music competitions. A recent New York Times review accurately described Antares' approach to the music they perform: "The four musicians play with superb technical polish and, equally important, a sense that they not only are comfortable with this music but also understand its vocabulary and syntax."

Current engagements for Antares include a return to the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art for a pair of concerts, as well as performances and residencies at New York's Merkin Concert Hall, the Krannert Center at the University of Illinois, the Aspen School of Music, the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild, and a great number of other venues. In April 2004, the ensemble's distinctive sound was featured on a nationwide broadcast of Minnesota Public Radio's ever-popular program "St. Paul Sunday."

Recent highlights include the ensemble's highly praised New York debut at Weill Recital Hall and their critically acclaimed recital at The Kennedy Center, presented by the Washington Performing Arts Society, as well as concerts and residencies at the University of Iowa's Hancher Auditorium, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Market Square Concerts (PA), Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music, and the La Jolla Chamber Music Society's Discovery Series.
The members of Antares are also dedicated to education, giving frequent lecture/performances and master classes and participating in community educational outreach programs. Antares is in residence at Columbia and Weslyan Universities, and is on the Touring Roster of the Connecticut State Commission.