Opus One Piano Quartet

OPUS ONE brings together four of the leading musicians of our time, Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, Violinist Ida Kavafian, Violist Steven Tenenbom, and Cellist Peter Wiley. Veterans as well as present members of the world's most prestigious chamber groups including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Tashi, the Beaux Arts Trio and the Orion and Guarneri String Quartets, OPUS ONE is the result of a mutual love of music making between four extraordinary instrumentalists and friends. As soloists as well as chamber musicians, they are each familiar figures in concert halls throughout the world and have joined together to form one of the most exciting groups performing anywhere.

The members of OPUS ONE are deeply committed to chamber music education and one of the innovative projects they have developed is workshops with amateurs as well as students. Concepts to help break down barriers include special concerts in which the members of OPUS ONE collaborate together with young musicians. Their dedication to the works of contemporary American composers is reflected in their programming, and the sheer, obvious joy they have in performing together communicates directly to their audiences.

1998-99 marked the inaugural season of OPUS ONE. The group made their debut on October 23, 1998 at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC to a packed, enthusiastic house. Subsequent seasons have included recital debuts in New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, San Diego, Philadelphia and Portland, OR, all to great acclaim. Their orchestral debut was with the Chattanooga Symphony, performing Beethoven's "Triple Concerto" and a work written by Douglas Lowry especially for the entire group with orchestra. OPUS ONE has presented several other World Premieres as well. Along with the Pittsburgh and Cleveland Chamber Music Societies, OPUS ONE commissioned the outstanding composer, Stephen Hartke to write a new quartet, "Beyond Words" which was premiered in December, 2001. The piece, an emotional musical tribute to 9/11, was enthusiastically received.

Friends of Music Concert Repertoire:

Beethoven, Quartet in E-Flat Major for Piano and Strings, Op. 16
Roberta Sierra, Fuego de angel, Quartet for Piano and Strings (2011)
Dvorak: Quartet in E-Flat Major for Piano and Strings, Op. 87