Freya Quartet: BYOB

This ain't your grandma's classical music concert. Bring a date and a bottle for an evening of great music and discussion in a laid-back atmosphere. Program includes works by Ravel, Philip Glass, and Pittsburgh-based composer Sean Neukom.

Featuring Pittsburgh's very own Freya String Quartet, artists with Symbiotic Collusion. Founded in 2009, the Freya String Quartet (Jason Neukom, Ashley Buckley, Jason Hohn, Katya Janpoladyan) is dedicated to performing a wide range of music, advocating artistic evolution, and teaching the importance of classical music in the Pittsburgh area. It has been the personal goal of the ensemble to go beyond the traditions of the classical music world by breaking boundaries and reaching new audiences through innovative performances and methods. Freya joined Symbiotic Collusion in 2011 in an effort to maximize the possibilities of these goals.

The members have been featured in performances throughout the US, Asia, South America and Europe and have studied with members of the Cleveland Quartet, the Ying Quartet, the Alexander String Quartet, The Cavani String Quartet, the Daedalus Quartet, the Fry Street Quartet, The Los Angeles Piano Quartet, among others. Freya gives many performances in a variety of venues, using a vast array of repertoire that spans from Vivaldi to Glass and Cole Porter to Radiohead. The quartet is also very supportive of new music, having commissioned works to be used in performance, and always looking for interesting collaborations and projects.

Recent performances of Freya include collaborating with Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and The Attack Theatre, staging a well-received production of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Euridice and Orpheus outdoors in the heart of Pittsburgh’s historic Allegheny Cemetery. Freya was also recently featured on WQED’s Bach, Beethoven, and Brunch series, receiving acclaim for both their musicianship and adaptability in different musical styles. The ensemble also has substantial studio experience, most recently recording an entire album of string quartet tracks for The Isaac Merz Band.