The little group that could

The Enterprise Quartet will be the featured performers in the St. Albert Chamber Music Recital Series third concert this coming Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The Enterprise Quartet, a university-based string ensemble that came to life 18 months ago, brings to Don’s Piano Warehouse some of the area’s leading musicians — University of Alberta violin professor Guillaume Tardiff, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) violinist Alissa Cheung, ESO violist Charles Pilon and freelance cellist Joanne Yu.

Tardiff, the driving force behind the quartet, explains that while visiting Enterprise Square, an atrium in the old Hudson Bay store on Jasper Avenue, he was inspired to put on a concert in the large open space. He proposed the idea to the university and they jumped on the opportunity.

“There was a desire to cross the river and show more activity. For me it was an opportunity to feature strings,” says Tardiff, explaining the University of Alberta now owns the building dedicated to international studies and developing research.

The quartet launched its first concert in September 2009 with a slate of six shows. Through grapevine advertising, word of their concerts spread and the half dozen morphed to 14.

Tardiff is quick to give his musicians full credit for their success. “Alissa is a good listener. She has valuable insights and a great sense of humour. Charles has an overall perspective. I instigated the group, but I had unconditional support from Charles. And Joanne is a bit more quiet. She listens and is well prepared and leads us in a good direction. She has a calm personality.”

During the recital, the quartet will perform three works. Their first work is Bach’s The Art of the Fugue, several selections that explore the process of the fugue. “It is quite a tour de force, an absolutely sublime piece of music.”

Their second work is Haydn’s four-movement Sunrise. “It has a youthful humour, grace and elegance. For me every bar is a marvel.”

The final pieces are excerpts from Czech composer Bedrich Smetana’s La Moldau. “It is very romantic, very outward with emotion and quite noble. He’s very passionate and very high-spirited.”

Opening for the string quartet is violinist Lara Hyrak, a Grade 10 Bellerose High student. Hyrak is in her fourth season with the Singing Strings and in her second season with Edmonton Youth Orchestra. She will play Vittorio Monti’s Czardas.

Nancy Watt, the series organizer, has been Hyrak’s piano accompanist for five years and is impressed with the young violinist’s musical growth. “She has a really good tone and she’s very precise in terms of keeping time. She has a good ear and for me the violin is the closest to the human voice in terms of expression and she plays very expressively.”

Truffles and champagne will flow after the recital.