Pacifica Quartet with pianist Christopher Shih

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Saturday, April 14, 2012 8:00 PM, Smith Theatre
Pre-concert discussion 7:15pm

The Pacifica Quartet, one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today, will be joined by pianist Christopher Shih for the Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat Major, Op. 44

Program will include:

Beethoven: String Quartet in B flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 9 in E flat Major, Op. 117
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E flat Major, Op. 44

pacificaquartet.com

Pacifica photos by Anthony Parmelee

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Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and often daring repertory choices, the Pacifica Quartet has gained international stature as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today. Recently named quartet-in-residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art – a position held for 43 years by the Guarneri String Quartet – and named Ensemble of the Year by Musical America, the Pacifica also received the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance.

Guest pianist Christopher Shih – winner of the Van Cliburn Foundation's Sixth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™ (May 2011) - has been hailed by The Washington Post as flawless" and "compelling," with "an easy command of the instrument and an uncanny ability to project material." He has performed in major venues in over a dozen countries around the globe, including France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Taiwan, Canada, and numerous cities in the United States. Dr. Shih was also the grand prize winner of the 2006 Washington International Piano Artists Competition, the 2007 Boston International Piano Competition for Exceptional Amateurs, and the 2008 Paris Concours des Grands Amateurs de Piano. Dr. Shih is a gastroenterologist and works as a partner with the Maryland Digestive Disease Center, a division of Capital Digestive Care.