Ridgecrest Chamber Music Society concert, Nov. 14

The Ridgecrest Chamber Music Society is happy to present the second concert of their 2021-22 seven-concert season on Sunday, Nov. 14 with music performed by the Ariel String Quartet.

The concert will take place at the Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores Avenue, Ridgecrest, Calif. at 4 p.m. Tickets ($30/general, $25/senior and $5/students and active duty military) are available on the RCMS website http://www.rcchambermusic.org, at Red Rock Books, the Maturango Museum and at the door. For more information, please visit the website or call Elaine Janson, (760) 267-0272.

The program of selections by modern classical composers Lara Auerbach, Dmitri Shostakovich and Antonin Dvorak are sure to please lovers of beautiful music. Auerbach's "Frozen Dreams" is her contribution to Four Seasons, a collaborative work exploring the perpetual flux of the natural world. The String Quartet No. 4 in D Major Opus 83 by Shostakovich was somewhat of a departure from his previous works and included references to the Jewish folk-dance background. Dvorak's Quartet In F Major, Opus 96 "American" speaks to the happy experiences the composer had while he was in residence in the United States.

This is the first time Ariel has been to Ridgecrest and the Ridgecrest Chamber Music Society is very excited to be able to present this internationally known group. Distinguished by its virtuosity, probing musical insight and impassioned, fiery performances, the Ariel Quartet has garnered critical praise worldwide over the span of nearly two decades.

Formed when the members were only teenagers studying at the Jerusalem Academy Middle School of Music and Dance in Israel, the Ariel celebrated their 20th Anniversary in 2020-21. The ensemble serves as the Faculty Quartet-In-Residence at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, where they direct the chamber music program and present a concert series in addition to maintaining a busy touring schedule in the United States and abroad.

This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity.