Orion String Quartet Says Farewell With Final Westchester Concert

In about 100,000 years, Betelgeuse, the Alpha star of the Orion constellation, is expected to end its life in a supernova explosion that will be visible from Earth. Anyone reading this article will certainly not be around to experience this phenomenon; but on October 22, a Westchester audience will be around for a different type of finality related to Orion. The famed Orion String Quartet (OSQ) will perform its final Westchester area concert.

The OSQ, which formed in 1987, is internationally known not only for their spirited performances of chamber music masterworks, but also for commissioning original works by a broad range of contemporary composers. The Quartet, according to its website, took its name “from the Orion constellation as a metaphor for the personality each musician in its collective pursuit of the highest musical ideals.”

Now the group will disband in Spring 2024. The upcoming concert, presented by Westchester Chamber Music Society (WCMS) at Congregation Emanu-el in Rye, will be its only Westchester stop on this last tour.  

“They have shared their passion and extraordinary talent with us many times over the years… [so] our listeners have enjoyed a special relationship with the Orion,” says Shelley Lotter, WCMS president.

Lotter is thrilled that WCMS patrons will hear the quartet in an “intimate setting akin to those where chamber music was originally played. The venue has amazing acoustics, and chairs are arranged in a semi-circle. Everyone sits close to the performers, so you can see faces, and fingers flying. Being right there makes a big difference.”

The members of The Orion String Quartet are violinists Daniel Phillips and Todd Phillips, violist Steven Tenenbom, and cellist Timothy Eddy. For their WCMS show, they will perform Schubert’s Quartet in G Major, Op. 161/D 887, and

Beethoven’s Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130, with Grosse Fugue, Op. 133.

Along with these “favorite classics,” as Lotter calls them, audience members will enjoy additional personal touches during this afternoon performance. Following the music will be a Q&A and an opportunity to mingle with the performers. Lotter emphasizes that “WCMS strives to create a feeling of community, especially after the difficult period of not being able to listen to music in person.”

Patrons will also be treated to program notes by a professional musicologist, which will help to bring to life the music, the composers, and their times.

“You won’t get this experience at a large venue in New York City,” Lotter adds.

In order to reach as many listeners as possible, the concert will also be live-streamed, and available to streaming ticket holders for 48 hours after the event. “This is a wonderful opportunity for listeners who are not able to join us,” Lotter says, adding that WCMS wishes to also reach people who are more comfortable in their own homes, or those who may have a conflicting engagement.

Photos by Andreas Hafenscher