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Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State

Event Slides Per Node 1415

  • A man playing the cello stands in the center of a dark stage with a second man and three women playing various stringed instruments around him.
  •  Two men and three women stand in a row along a dirt road surrounded by trees.

Sybarite5

7:30 pm Friday, January 22, 2016

Sybarite5’s eclectic repertoire and dynamic performance style turns heads throughout the music world. The first string quintet to win the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, Sybarite5 is as comfortable performing contemporary music by Radiohead as it is classics by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From the moment their bows hit the strings, the talented, diverse musicians take audiences on a ride that engages the senses and redefines the rules. “That impassioned playing, those hard-driving rhythms, the blissed-out faces of the mostly young audience,” observes a Washington Post reviewer, add up to “genuine, spontaneous … excitement.” Formed at the Aspen Music Festival, Sybarite5 includes violinists Sami Merdinian and Sarah Whitney, violist Angela Pickett, cellist Laura Metcalf, and bassist Louis Levitt. Disturb the Silence, the group’s debut extended-play disc, features music by Radiohead, Astor Piazzolla, and a pair of original works. The 2011 release soared to the top ten on the Billboard charts. Everything in its Right Place, the 2012 follow-up CD, remixes ten Radiohead songs. “Their rock-star status … is well deserved,” writes a Sarasota Herald Tribune reviewer. “Their classically honed technique mixed with grit and all-out passionate attack transfixes the audience.” The New York City quintet’s program will be announced from the stage.

Adult $42
University Park Student $15
18 and Younger $32

Create your own Choice series, and save 10 percent, by purchasing tickets to four or more eligible events in one transaction. JERSEY BOYS does not qualify for a Choice series.

sponsors
Tom and Mary Ellen Litzinger

media sponsor
WPSU

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation

This engagement of SYBARITE5 is funded through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Artist Websites: 

Secondary Events on Each Event

coolBlue Concert and Conversation

3:00 pm Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Innovation Park at Penn State
Tech Center Lobby

Free and open to the public

The public is invited to hear Sybarite5 perform a selection of its repertoire ranging from works by Radiohead to Mozart. The one-hour session also includes conversation with the musicians.

On the Challenge of Presenting Classical Music to the Millennials

3:00 pm Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Penn State Altoona
Misciagna Family Center Titelman Study

Free and open to the public

The public is invited to listen to a forum and mini performance featuring the musicians of Sybarite5 and Penn State Altoona faculty members.

An Evening with Sybarite5

7:30 pm Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Penn State Altoona
Edith Davis Eve Chapel

Free but requires tickets

Sybarite5 performs a concert of works from its repertoire, which includes classics by composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and contemporary works by the likes of British rock band Radiohead.

Free tickets, required for the evening concert, are available at the Misciagna Box Office, Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or at the door. Free parking is available after 3 p.m. in the Misciagna lot. For more information, phone the box office at 814-949-5452 or visit Penn State Altoona online.

Entrepreneurial Mindset Class Visit

2:30 pm Thursday, January 21, 2016

11 Life Sciences Building

Free and open to the public

The public is welcome to observe as members of Sybarite5 translate their professional and creative accomplishments through the lens of entrepreneurship for students in a Penn State Management 215 Class. The 75-minute talk includes topics such as decision-making, assessing affordable loss, balancing commitments, and differences for artists and entrepreneurs in business and science/technology/engineering/math fields.

Classical Coffeehouse
featuring Sybarite5

8:00 pm Thursday, January 21, 2016

Hintz Family Alumni Center’s Robb Hall

Free and open to the public

This string quintet with the vibe of a rock band performs classical music from the eighteenth century, contemporary tunes by Radiohead, and a whole lot more. The group performs selections from its high-energy repertoire and interacts with audience members. Enjoy complimentary refreshments and receive a Classical Coffeehouse mug, while supply lasts.

Each Penn State student in attendance receives—at the end of the coffeehouse—a voucher for a serving of Berkey Creamery ice cream.

Entrepreneurship and the Arts Lunch

12:00 pm Friday, January 22, 2016

New Leaf Initiative
243 S. Allen St., Suite 337, State College

Free and open to the public

The public is invited to take part in a networking lunch, part of the Salad Club Friday series, featuring a facilitated conversation with members of Sybarite5. The one-hour discussion, targeted at entrepreneurs and young professionals, delves into nuances of multi-tiered careers and professional capacities for entrepreneurship and innovation. Each attendee is encouraged to bring his or her favorite salad ingredient.

New Leaf Initiative is home to mission-driven entrepreneurs, passionate community organizers, engaged businesses, motivated students, determined local government, and many more who are seeking to work better, together.

Penn State School of Music Common Hour/Freshman Experience

2:30 pm Friday, January 22, 2016

110 Music Building I

Free and open to the public

The public is invited to observe as members of Sybarite5 talk with first-year students about experiences and possibilities in professional music. Classical Music Project student ambassador leaders facilitate the one-hour conversation. School of Music faculty and advisers will attend.

Artistic Viewpoints

6:30 pm Friday, January 22, 2016

Schwab Auditorium

Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring members of Sybarite5, is offered in Schwab Auditorium one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders.