Attacca Quartet: Music of the Fallen
Music of Mendelssohn, Crumb & Ortiz
Memory Unwrapped
| Mendelssohn | String Quartet No. 6, Op. 80 |
|---|---|
| Gabriela Ortiz | Mujer Ángel |
| George Crumb | Black Angels |
| Amy Schroeder | violin |
|---|---|
| Domenic Salerni | violin |
| Nathan Schram | viola |
| Andrew Yee | cello |
The two-time Grammy Award-winning Attacca Quartet is recognized and acclaimed as one of the most versatile and outstanding ensembles of the moment. A true quartet for modern times, at this performance they glide through classical and contemporary repertoire as one of the world’s most innovative and respected ensembles, playing Mendelssohn, Gabriela Ortiz and George Crumb.
Mendelssohn’s Quartet No. 6 was composed feverishly after the death of his sister, Fanny, and two months before his own untimely passing. It is Felix’s last completed work. This quartet brings to mind the myth of Orpheus’ failed attempt to free his wife Eurydice from Hades’ clutches, if only Eurydice be, instead, Felix’s beloved sister Fanny.
Mujer Ángel, dedicated to the Attacca Quartet, is Gabriela Ortiz’s sonic response to the sensations and emotions embedded in a photograph taken by Graciela Iturbide. Themes represented in the first two movements include the fragility of human existence in the face of nature’s grandeur and the evocation of the intimacy and strength of Seri women, whilst the third movement develops material that makes the listener aware of the presence of the camera and the person behind it.
Black Angels was conceived as a parable on our troubled contemporary world. The image of the black angel was a device used by early painters to symbolise the fallen angel. The underlying structure of Black Angels is a huge arch-like design which is suspended from three threnody pieces. The work portrays a voyage of the soul, and the performers also pay maracas, tam-tams, and water-tuned crystal glasses.
Concessions & Under 30s tickets
Kings Place Concessions Tickets
We want to ensure that people who may be struggling financially to purchase a ticket can still enjoy visiting Kings Place. A limited number of tickets are allocated for certain events (if the ticket type does not show in the booking pathway, it means they are not available for this event or have all been sold). Concessions tickets are accessible for people on the following criteria (for more information visit our FAQs)
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Disability Benefit
- Income Support or Job Seekers allowance
- Students
£10 ‘Under 30s’ tickets
A limited number of £10 tickets for attendees aged under 30 are available for certain shows. To purchase an ‘Under 30s’ ticket, please choose the ‘Under 30s’ price type when selecting your ticket(s). If the option does not appear, this means all ‘Under 30s’ tickets have sold out or are not available for this performance. Please note that proof of age may be requested at the venue. The £10 offer does not apply to premium price categories.
Plan your visit
Getting here
Kings Place is situated just a few minutes’ walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, one of the most connected locations in London and now the biggest transport hub in Europe.
Our address is:
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG.
The Venue
Our performance spaces are situated on the lower ground floor. Hall One, Hall Two and St Pancras are located in level -2, reached by stairs, escalator and lift from the ground floor entrance level.
Event Times
Door times indicate auditorium entrance times only. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the Kings Place seating areas, gallery-level art, canal-side terrace, café, restaurant and bar throughout the day and evening.
- Our events begin promptly at the advertised start time. Typically, there is no support unless otherwise stated.
- We recommend arriving in good time before the performance. The Hall doors will open 30 minutes before the performance to allow time to take your seats, or to choose a space for standing shows.
- Latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance where possible
Access
We aim to make your visit to Kings Place as comfortable as possible. For more information about the accessibility of Kings Place, including details about our Access Scheme, please visit this page.
If you would like to discuss your access requirements with a member of our team, please get in touch with the Box Office team at info@kingsplace.co.uk.
Food & Drink
Rotunda Bar & Restaurant
Rotunda, situated on the ground floor of Kings Place, offers a unique dining and drinking experience alongside Regent’s Canal. The concert bar in the venue foyer will also be open for select events.
Green & Fortune Café
Recently re-furbished and now open with a new look, the Green & Fortune Café is open for selected concerts. Serving hot and cold food and drinks, including sandwiches, salads, soup, stew and a pie of the day, alongside a choice of cakes made by the on-site bakery team. See here for selected concert dates and standard opening hours.
About Attacca Quartet
The two-time Grammy Award-winning Attacca Quartet is recognized for its outstanding playing and versatility – a true quartet for modern times.
In 2021 the Quartet released two albums that embody their redefinition of what a string quartet can be. The first, Real Life, was followed up by Of All Joys, which features works from Phillip Glass, Arvo Pärt, and music of the Renaissance period. Their 2019 release Orange, with with Caroline Shaw, saw them win the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance. Their follow-up album Evergreen won the 2023 Grammy Award in the same category. Ravel’s String Quartet, their most recent release, marks the start of a new recording relationship with Platoon.
The quartet tours extensively in the US, in mainland Europe, the UK and South America and in 2026 makes a visit to Australia.
The founding members of the Attacca Quartet met while all studying at the Juilliard School in the early 2000s and they made their professional debut at the Carnegie Hall in 2003.
The Attacca Quartet engages in educational and community outreach projects, working with the Lincoln Center Institute, University of Texas, Juilliard School, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Bravo! Vail Valley among others.
Reviews
‘exuberant, funky and…more exactingly nuanced.’ The New York Times
‘Attacca Quartet is quickly becoming the authoratitive ensemble for chamber works by Ms. Shaw, John Adams and, recently, Gabriella Smith.’ The New York Times
‘They may be a relatively young ensemble, but already they come very close to epitomizing the string quartet ideal…Mastery like this is scarce enough in quartets that have played together for decades.’ Washington Post
‘The Attacca Quartet enthralled a standing-room-only crowd.’ The Strad