Aurora Orchestra: American Quartets

Journey through a century of string quartets from America in an immersive setting, performed by the principal string players of Aurora Orchestra.

Settle into a beanbag inside the quartet or take a seat beside the musicians and experience the music from a completely different perspective. Close enough to see every movement, hear every detail and feel the sound shift around you, Aurora’s new series, Aurora at Kings Place, is classical music without the distance.

Time seems to stand still in Samuel Barber’s Quartet, whose second movement became the original source of his most famous work, Adagio for Strings. It is music of extraordinary tenderness and intensity, with long, soaring lines gathering emotion until they seem almost suspended in time.

Written almost a century later, Jessie Montgomery’s Strum weaves together American folk idioms, journeying from wistful nostalgia to ecstatic celebration. From here, the evening culminates in Dvořák’s beloved ‘American’ String Quartet, written during his time in the United States. Its irresistible melodies, rhythmic vitality and sense of open space make it a perfect finale for a performance where the boundaries between player and listener are dissolved.

There are two seating options: beanbags in the middle of the performance area or chairs around the edge. You can choose where you would like to sit on the night, with both options available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Price: £40