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Join North Central College Fine and Performing Arts for the Faculty Recital Series - Chamber Music featuring Balourdet Quartet!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. Highlights of the 2025-2026 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. 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 and won the gold medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. 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.
The Balourdet Quartet will be collaborating with North Central College piano faculty member Susan Chou for this concert. The program will include Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 3, and Dvořák’s Piano Quintet, Op. 81.
Date: October 30, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Wentz Concert Hall
Tickets: $15
Learn more: https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/events/faculty-recital-series-chamber-music-balourdet-quartet
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Event venue
Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave,Naperville, Illinois, United States
Tickets
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