accordo |ə'kôrd| m (plural, accordi) 1. accord, agreement 2. (music) chord 3. a group of friends with a passion for making music together.

Accordo’s “auspicious debut amid the flattering acoustics of Minneapolis' Southern Theater” (Star Tribune) this past September sets the bar very high for the ensemble’s second concert (of three), January 31 & February 1, featuring a program that includes Stravinsky’ Concertino for String Quartet, Ravel’s Sonata for Violin & Cello and Debussy’s String Quartet in g minor, Op. 10.

Accordo is an exciting new chamber group made up of some of the very best instrumentalists in the country, eager to share their love of chamber music and infectious enthusiasm on stage in the Southern Theater’s intimate space. Accordo includes SPCO principal players Steve Copes, Ruggero Allifranchini, Maiya Papach, and Ron Thomas and Minnesota Orchestra principal cellist Tony Ross.

“Starting Accordo is a way for all of us to not only add to the chamber music we already do a lot of at summer festivals and with our orchestras, but to branch out into the Southern's intimate space to try to reach an audience that is arguably not a concert hall-going crowd,” said Accordo ringleader Steven Copes. “Playing in a theater space like the Southern tends to change the perception of how classical music is often presented and portrayed, for the audience as well as the performers, and we look forward to making fresh connections with lovers of all types of music.”

January 31 & February 1 program
Stravinsky: Concertino for String Quartet (1920)
Ruggero Allifranchini & Steven Copes, violins
Maiya Papach, viola
Anthony Ross, cello

Ravel: Sonata for Violin & Cello (1922)
Steven Copes, violin
Anthony Ross, cello

Debussy: String Quartet in g minor, Op. 10 (1893)
Steven Copes & Ruggero Allifranchini, violins
Maiya Papach, viola
Anthony Ross, cello

Note on the program: Paris in the 20s was a stew of brash creativity for art and music, and Stravinsky and Ravel composed these two gems of the chamber music repertoire while living there. Ravel dedicated his brilliant Duo to the recently deceased Debussy, whose colorful string quartet had such a profound influence on him as an 18-year old student at the Paris Conservatoire.

Performances: January 31 & February 1, 2009
Sun. at 7pm, Mon. at 8pm

Pre-show reception opening night sponsored by The Red Stag Supperclub (upper lobby)

Accordo concert series concludes at the Southern April 19, 2010

Tickets: $20

Southern Theater box office: 612.340.1725
1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55454
www.southerntheater.org

Thank you to Accordo sponsors:
Classical MPR – official radio sponsor
vita.mn – official print media sponsor

The Red Stag Supperclub – pre-show beverage sponsor