Kontras Quartet  at Leola Hall at the Sauk Prairie River Arts Center (105-9th Street, Prairie du Sac)

Saturday, April 19th 2025 at 2pm,  $30

Currently made up of violinists Eleanor Bartsch and Sherri Zhang, violist Ben Weber and cellist Jean Hatmaker, KONTRAS QUARTET boldly explores the evolving role of chamber music in the new millennium. Equally committed to time-honored classics, contemporary compositions, and genre-bending collaborations, Kontras strives to continually enrich the string quartet art form, expand audiences, and champion diverse voices.

Formed in 2009, the “superb Chicago-based ensemble” (Gramophone Magazine) has become known for its vibrant and nuanced performances, “crisp precision” (Palm Beach Daily News), “superlative artistry” (CVNC Arts Journal), and a passion for exploring the folk roots of classical music. Kontras’s “enjoyable musical personality” (Fanfare Magazine) and welcoming, friendly approach to the recital stage have attracted audiences near and far for over fifteen years. Kontras means ‘contrasts’ in the Afrikaans language – fitting for a string ensemble whose colorful repertoire spans centuries, genres, and continents.

Kontras Quartet’s recent engagements include international tours of South Africa and Europe, broadcasts on classical radio stations nationwide (including Performance Today and a 3-month residency with Chicago’s WFMT 98.7 fm), performances at Chicago’s Symphony Center and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and television appearances on NBC and PBS.

2024’s “All Made of Stories” on MSR Classics is Kontras’s fifth studio album. Their discography also includes three albums in collaboration with the Kruger Brothers– a beloved pairing that explores the intersections of classical and American folk and bluegrass music. Other notable projects for the Kontras/Krugers include national and international tours, performances at Merlefest and Telluride festivals, and an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman with Steve Martin on banjo.

All four Kontras members are passionate music educators. Currently holding faculty positions at Elmhurst University, Kontras served as Quartet in Residence at Western Michigan University from 2014 through 2020. The group has held short-term teaching residencies at the University of Chicago, University of California-San Diego, University of Oregon, and many others. In 2016, Kontras received a grant from the Boeing Company to perform outreach programs for thousands of students across the Chicagoland area. Kontras travels to Virginia each summer for their beloved Kontras Quartet Chamber Music institute, which teaches the joy of the string quartet to advanced students and adult amateur learners against the beautiful backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains.

Kontras Quartet gained early acclaim during a four-year chamber music residency with the Western Piedmont Symphony established through Chamber Music America’s Residency Partnership Program. While in North Carolina, the quartet made a significant community impact in the Hickory metro area with their innovative and interactive programming, performing for over 40,000 school-age and college students in addition to their popular recital series.

Kontras Quartet’s early mentors included the Vermeer and Juilliard Quartets.