Music for Montauk Brings American String Quartet to High School

Music for Montauk will present the American String Quartet in a free concert at the Montauk School auditorium on Saturday at 5 p.m. Consisting of Peter Winograd and Laurie Carney on violin, Daniel Avshalomov on viola, and Wolfram Koessel on cello, the quartet will perform, in addition to masterpieces by Haydn and Beethoven, a new work by Robert Sirota, “American Pilgrimage.” That composition is dedicated to the memory of Ruth Widder, a resident of the hamlet who founded Music for Montauk in 1991 and played a significant role in the development of the American String Quartet.

Haydn’s string quartet in G Major (Op. 76, No. 1) strikes a balance between tradition and the composer’s drive toward innovation. Beethoven’s Quartet in C Major (Op. 59, No. 3) acquired the nickname “Eroica” because of its triumphant finale.

Mr. Sirota composed his first string quartet, “Triptych,” in 2002 as an impassioned response to 9/11. According to the composer, “‘American Pilgrimage’ is conceived as a true companion piece to ‘Triptych.’ ” which he called “a meditation on one of the most tragic chapters in our national history. ‘American Pilgrimage’ is a celebration of the beauty, pathos, and variety of both our geography and culture.” 

The composition is informed by different location: Waldo County, Me.; Charleston, S.C.; Santa Fe, N.M., and Manhattan.