Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and the Emerson String Quartet will open the 1997-98 Cornell Concert Series with a performance Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. in Bailey Hall. Tickets, which start at $17.50 for adults and $14 for students, are available from the Lincoln Hall Ticket Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Stoltzman is considered one of the most influential barrier breakers in classical music and the first solo clarinetist since Benny Goodman to transcend the boundaries between classical, jazz and popular music. The Emerson String Quartet, which has assumed the unofficial mantle of the world's best string quartet, is the winner of three Grammy Awards and is the only chamber music ensemble ever to win the Grammy for "Best Classical Album."
The program features Mozart's Clarinet Quintet in A Major, Steve Reich's New York Counterpoint, Leos Janacek's String Quartet No. 1 and Hugo Wolf's Italian Serenade.
In addition to his performance, Stoltzman will conduct a master class/demonstration Sept. 10 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Barnes Hall. Admission is free. Cornell faculty pianist Xak Bjerken will assist.
More information on the Cornell Concert Series can be found at http://www.arts.cornell.edu/Cornell_Concert_Series.