The Balourdet Quartet
and
Pianist Alon Goldstein
Sunday, February 7, 2027, 4:00 pm
Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
PROGRAM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)
Partita no. 4 in D major
Ouvertüre
Allemande
Courante
Aria
Sarabande
Menuet
Gigue
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Sonata no. 3 in A major, Op. 69 for cello and piano
Allegro ma non tanto
Scherzo: Allegro molto
Adagio cantabile – Allegro vivace
INTERMISSION
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
Ständchen D. 957, No. 4 arranged for cello and piano
Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856)
Fantasiestücke Op. 73 for cello and piano
Zart und mit Ausdruck (Tender and with expression)
Lebhaft, leicht (Lively, light)
Rasch und mit Feuer (Quick and with fire)
Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)
Wie Melodien Op. 105 No. 1 arranged for cello and piano
Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841 - 1904)
Rondo in G minor Op. 94 for cello and piano
Acclaimed for its vibrant energy and emotional depth, the Balourdet Quartet creates “a world where memory and transformation coexist” (Seen and Heard International). Described as “an ensemble unafraid to show its personality” (The Strad), the Quartet was awarded the 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant as well as Chamber Music America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award. In 2026 the Balourdet Quartet was named the inaugural fellow of the Resonance String Quartet Fellowship.
Highlights of the 2025–26 season include performances at Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian Museum, Boston’s Celebrity Series, the Rockport Music Festival, and La Jolla Music Society. The Balourdet collaborates with leading artists of our time including Yo-Yo Ma, Marc-André Hamelin, James Ehnes, Misha Dichter, Simone Dinnerstein, Zuill Bailey, and the Dover, Pacifica, and Ying Quartets.
Deeply committed to community engagement, the Quartet creates programs that “inspire their creativity” (Seattle Times)—a core part of its mission—through ongoing residencies with the Seattle Chamber Music Society and the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. Their “infectious spirit” (Chicago Classical Review) resonates with audiences in diverse settings, from breweries to schools.
The Balourdet is also making a “positive impact” (Seattle Times) through its work with Seattle’s Memory Hub, co-designing music-based programming for people living with memory loss. In collaboration with the University of Washington, the Ensemble is conducting research aimed at developing a practical blueprint for arts and health initiatives worldwide.
Collaboration lies at the heart of the Quartet’s work, and its members regularly lead workshops on teamwork and leadership for entrepreneurs, and work with conservatory students and amateur musicians nationwide in activities ranging from masterclasses to interdisciplinary programs where music intersects with topics ranging from art history to business and the sciences.
The Quartet was formed in 2018 at the Taos School of Music, where its members bonded around Chef Antoine Balourdet’s table, inspired by his joie de vivre. They later named the ensemble in tribute to him, honoring the generosity and spirit of friendship he brought to their early days. After forming at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, within just a few years the Balourdet held prestigious graduate residency positions at the New England Conservatory and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where the ensemble earned top prizes at the Banff, Borciani, and Nielsen International String Quartet Competitions, won the Gold Medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, received the Chamber Music Award from the National Federation of Music Clubs, and was honored with Stanford University’s John Lad Prize. In 2021, it received the Grand Prize at New York’s Concert Artists Guild Competition, which included joint management by Concert Artists Guild in the United States and Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) in the United Kingdom and Europe.
"Goldstein exhibited superb technique. Goldstein's fingers playing so lightly they could have floated over the keys. The pianist was so charming and engaging in the pre concert talk, you'd pay a whole other ticket just to see him talk and play solo"
- InFORum newspaper
Brahms Concerto no. 2 with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony under Christian Zimmerman
"Such performances take a kind of courage so seldom heard these days you want to hear him at every possible opportunity"
- Philadelphia Inquirer
Beethoven 1 with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Rossen Milanov
"A beautifully balanced approach to the score, refined yet impetuous, noble yet spirited"
- New York Times
Solo recital at the International Keyboard Institute and Festival , New York, NY
"Stylish and Spirited Playing"
- Chicago Tribune
Beethoven Choral Fantasy with the Grand Park Orchestra under James Paul
"Electrifying Performances"
- Tel Aviv, Israel
Mendelssohn Concerto no. 1 and 2 with the Israel Chamber Orchestra under Yoav Talmi, Live Recording for a CD
"The dazzling clarity of Alon Goldstein playing"
- BBC Music Magazine
Mozart Concerti nos. 9 & 17 with the Fine Arts Quartet
"We ask for more Scarlatti to be played like this!"
- Crescendo (France)
Scarlatti - 19 solo sonatas, Naxos