Sunday, May 22, 2022- 4pm
$15 youth, $20 Senior/Student, $25 general admission
Tickets available through Eventbrite.
Friction Quartet exists to modernize the chamber music experience and expand the string quartet repertoire. Friction achieves this mission by commissioning new works, curating imaginative programs, collaborating with artists, and presenting interactive educational outreach. Joshua Kosman (San Francisco Chronicle) has declared them, “The Bay Area's redoubtable new-music ensemble.”
Since forming in 2011, Friction has commissioned fifty works for string quartet and given world premiere performances of more than eighty works. They won Second Prize in the 2016 Schoenfeld Competition, were quarter-finalists in the 2015 Fischoff Competition, and placed second at the 2015 Frances Walton Competition.
Friction has held residencies at the New Music for Strings Festival in Denmark, Interlochen Arts Camp, Lunenburg Academy of Music, Napa Valley Performing Arts Center, Old First Concerts, San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music, and was the first ensemble in residence at the Center for New Music. They are ensemble educators with SF Symphony’s Adventures in Music Program, Km, “DFC Playground Pop Ups, and more.
Featuring:
Kevin Rogers, violin
Otis Harriel, violin
Mitso Floor, viola
Doug Machiz, cello
YOUR SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT TO OUR OFFERING THIS SHOW: Proof of full vaccination is required to attend, and a properly-worn mask is required at all times. Admission will be limited to 50% of capacity. All performers and staff are fully vaccinated.
Concert Program:
George Gershwin - Lullaby
Mario Godoy - Attention Economy
Bedřich Smetana - String Quartet no. 1 "From my Life"
What the press has to say about Friction Quartet:
“The members of the Friction Quartet — four gifted and alert young string players with roots in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music — seem to have adopted an appropriate name not just for their ensemble, but for an entire vein of musical thought." - Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle
“The entire experience was chillingly effective.” - Stephen Smoliar, The Examiner
“[Roger Briggs’] ‘Friction’ is a caffeinated and colorful piece, juxtaposing furious bowing with gossamer harmonics. Burning through this short and exhilarating romp, players expertly balanced the volatile energy with intense focus and precision. . . . In the midst of recent high-profile orchestra strikes, it’s clear that the economic model for Classical Music is changing, and musicians and presenters will have to adapt. But seeing the Friction Quartet live should leave us without any doubts: the future is energetic, colorful, technically exquisite, conceptually adventurous and very much alive. Bravi!” - Nicholas Rich, News and Record Greensboro
Artist Profiles:
Doug Machiz, cello: A native of Washington, DC, cellist Doug Machiz resides in Oakland where he is co-founder, manager, and cellist of Friction Quartet. With Friction, Doug is extremely fortunate to perform old and new string quartets around the United States with amazing musicians. He is also grateful for the many opportunities Friction has to inspire young people with the power of music.
In addition to his work with Friction Quartet, Doug is an active free-lance musician and teacher. He has participated in the Banff Chamber Music Residency, Deer Valley Music Festival with the Muir Quartet, the St. Lawrence Emerging String Quartet Program, Bang on a Can Summer Festival, Fontainebleau Conservatoire Americain in France, and the Zephyr International Chamber Music Course and Festival in Italy.
While beginning his cello studies at the late age of 14, he was able to progress quickly thanks to his previous experience studying classical and jazz piano, bass guitar and classical and electric guitar. He was fortunate to study with Mike Reynolds at Boston University despite his limited experience. He went on to earn a Masters degree from UT Austin with Bion Tsang, and a Professional Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory where he studied with Jennifer Culp.
Violinist Otis Harriel earned his Bachelors Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in Spring 2013. He began his studies with Rob Diggins in his hometown of Arcata, CA. Under his teacher’s guidance he began performing with many local orchestras and chamber ensembles including the Eureka Symphony and Humboldt State Symphony. He attended the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop, Idyllwild Chamber Music Program, Sphinx Academy of Music. Mendocino Music Festival and Castleton Festival.
Otis studied with Wei He at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has participated in master classes with the first violinist of the Shanghai Quartet, Weigang Li, William van der Sloot, and Pinchas Zukerman. While at the conservatory he developed his love of chamber music under the guidance of coaches including Mark Sokol, Jennifer Culp, Jean-Michel Fonteneau and Jodi Levitz. He has a passion for reading, baking and Haydn.
Kevin Rogers, violin: As a young violinist, works of composers such as Penderecki, Boulez, and Berio captivated Kevin Rogers long before his first exposure to even a complete Beethoven Symphony, setting the groundwork for his passionate career in contemporary classical music. He is the founding violinist/violist of Nonsemble6, a contemporary Pierrot Ensemble based in San Francisco. As part of this group he has performed at the Astoria Music Festival as guests-artists-residence, at Universities throughout the country, in unorthodox venues through Classical Revolution SF, and at the Kennedy Center.
He began his solo career at sixteen in South Carolina. His most recent solo performances have included the Lou Harrison Violin Concerto at the Hot Air Music Festival in San Francisco, and a premier of Manly Romero’s concerto for two violins and two trumpets titled “Doppelgaenger” with the Blue Print Series under the Baton of Nicole Paiement.
Kevin Rogers recently graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with a Masters degree in Violin Performance. While there he received the award for Violin in New Music, and the award for Violin in the String departments. He studied with Bettina Mussumeli and worked closely with Jennifer Culp, Jodi Levitz and Mark Sokol. Having grown up on a farm, you can occasionally hear him slip into a southern accent after many hours of practicing or in moments of excitement.
Mitso Floor, viola: Seattle native Mitso attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the University of Miami, where he finished his master’s degree last May. He is Assistant Principal Viola of the Rogue Valley Symphony.
