FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 27, 2008
CONTACT: Christine Paul, Director of Communications
Longy School of Music, One Follen St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617.876.0956 x623

‘Chamber music where you least expect it — a jazz bar!’
Longy at the Regattabar with the electrifying Pacifica Quartet: April 11, 7 pm

Cambridge, Mass. — A renowned music school and an acclaimed jazz bar are teaming up to create a matchless musical milestone — the first performance of world-class chamber music presented by Longy School of Music at the Regattabar, located in Harvard Square. The evening will feature the Pacifica Quartet, which is mesmerizing audiences worldwide with their virtuosity, exuberant style and “performances filled with vigor, humor, delicacy and swing” (New York Times, February 1, 2008).

“This is chamber music where you’d least expert it — a jazz bar,” said Karen Zorn, president of Longy, where the Pacifica Quartet is serving a four-year residency as visiting artists in chamber music. “Our partnership with the Regattabar allows us to showcase top-tier music to a brand-new audience, people gathered at a nightclub for an evening of entertainment and fun.” The event also will be webcast live so thousands of people worldwide can swing online with Longy and the Pacifica Quartet in this evening to remember.

“We are thrilled to partner with Longy,” said Alex Attia, general manager of The Charles Hotel, which houses the Regattabar. “This concert is surely the first of many such collaborations between two wonderful Harvard Square establishments, both known the world over for excellence in their respective industries."

WHAT: “LONGY AT THE REGATTABAR” FEATURING THE PACIFICA QUARTET
WHEN: Friday, April 11, 7 pm
PROGRAM: Where else would you find such a vibrant mix of music on the same program?
Dvorak: Piano Quintet in A Major, with guest pianist Wayman Chin, chair of chamber music at Longy
Mendelssohn: Octet in E Flat Major; for this glorious piece, the Pacifica Quartet will be joined by four of Longy’s top Conservatory students
Duke Ellington: like you’ve never heard before, Paul Chihara’s Ellington Fantasy for strings
Allman Brothers: Whipping Post for string quartet, the world premiere of a super-charged arrangement by John Howell Morrison, chair of Longy’s composition department
WHERE: Regattabar, The Charles Hotel, One Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA
REFRESHMENTS: Served between pieces for a relaxed nightclub atmosphere
TICKETS $20: 617.395.7757, purchase online
LIVE WEBCAST: www.BandDirector.com will do a live webcast of the performance

About the Pacifica Quartet
Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style and often daring repertory choices, the Pacifica Quartet has carved out a compelling musical path. Since the group first came together in 1994, the ensemble has swept top prizes in several leading international competitions from the Cleveland Quartet Award to the Naumburg. In 2006, the Pacifica was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant — only the second chamber music ensemble ever to be selected. The Pacifica Quartet tours extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, performing in the world’s major concert halls. Each season, the ensemble can be heard on many of the nation’s most prominent radio broadcasts, including Chicago’s WFMT, Boston’s WGBH, National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” and Minnesota Public Radio’s “St. Paul Sunday.” The Quartet is an ardent advocate of contemporary music, commissioning and performing as many as eight new works a year. In 2004, the Pacifica Quartet was appointed Faculty Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. The quartet also serves as resident performing artists at the University of Chicago and Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, visit www.pacificaquartet.com.

About Longy School of Music
Longy School of Music, founded in 1915, is a degree-granting Conservatory and school of Preparatory and Continuing Studies located in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school serves 223 undergraduate and graduate students from 37 states and 21 countries, and nearly 1,000 children and adults from the Greater Boston area. For all students, Longy provides a distinguished faculty that promotes profound musical understanding and technical mastery, encourages growth of imagination, and fosters inquiry about the role of music and the musician in the larger world. With a curriculum rooted in the traditions of Western music, Longy’s mission is to prepare musicians to make a difference in the world. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the National Association of Schools of Music. For more information, visit www.longy.edu.

About the Regattabar
The Regattabar opened its doors to the public in 1985. Since then, it has become the leading jazz club not only in Boston, but also New England. Named one of the “Best of Boston” by Boston Magazine an astonishing nine times, the Regattabar has made its mark on the cultural landscape of New England. Honors have also been bestowed on the Regattabar by the Boston Phoenix and the Improper Bostonian. In addition to showcasing acts not normally found on the Boston scene, the Regattabar is home to an annual Jazz Festival that features the best of today's jazz. The famed 225-seat venue is located on the third floor of The Charles Hotel at One Bennett Street in Cambridge, Mass. All Regattabar concerts are open to all ages, though we request that children under the age of 13 be accompanied by an adult. For more information, please visit www.regattabarjazz.com.

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