Sidici Strings - Live at Chandor Gardens!

Chandor Gardens Foundation is pleased to bring Sedici Strings (16 Strings, in Italian), comprised of world-class musicians; Jennifer Betz (violin), Molly Baer (violin), Dmitry Kustanovich (viola), and Allan Steele (cello), all members of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, to the Great Room of Chandor Gardens, Weatherford, TX on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

For this concert Sedici Strings will be performing Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms string quartets (See the Program listed below).

The concert tickets include a complimentary pre-concert reception from 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM with wine and hors d’oeuvres. Come enjoy this superb chamber music concert performed by four exceptional artists in the intimate atmosphere of the Great Room at Chandor Gardens.

Seating is limited, as such this event is expected to sell out quickly.

Joseph Haydn op.76 #3, C Major, "Emperor" (1797) – Duration: 27 minutes approx.

The quartet consists of four movements:

• Allegro (a lively, energetic movement in sonata form)
• Poco adagio, cantabile (a slow, song-like movement with variations on the "Emperor's Hymn")
• Menuetto allegro (a lively minuet)
• Finale: Presto (a fast and spirited conclusion)

The "Emperor" nickname comes from the second movement, which features variations on the "Kaiserlied" (Emperor's Hymn), a melody Haydn composed for Francis II, the Austrian Emperor. The Op. 76 quartets, including the "Emperor," are highly regarded as some of Haydn's finest works and a significant contribution to the string quartet genre.

Ludwig Van Beethoven, op.18 #2, G Major (1800) – Duration: 24 minutes approx.

The quartet consists of four movements:

• Allegro (G major)
• Adagio cantabile – Allegro – Tempo I (C major)
• Scherzo: Allegro (G major) - Trio (C major)
• Allegro molto, quasi presto (G major)

This quartet is nicknamed "Komplimentier-Quartett" or "quartet of bows and curtseys" due to the graceful, elegant opening melody of the first violin. The quartet shows the influence of Haydn, but Beethoven also maintains his own unique style and voice throughout. The final movement is full of bright energy, relaxed spirits, and a sense of fun.

INTERMISSION – 20 minutes

Johannes Brahms, String Quartet #1, op.51 in C Minor (1873) – Duration: 33 minutes approx.

The quartet consists of four movements:

• Allegro
• Romanze - Poco adagio (somewhat slow)
• Allegretto molto moderato e comodo
• Allegro

Brahms’ style as a composer is characterized by extreme rigor in the treatment of his material, and a tendency for full, rich textures both of which are evident in all three of his string quartets, and especially in his first one, the C minor quartet. The sudden upward rush that opens the work sets the mood for a movement that has been called “robust and sentimental.” The intensity subsides for some lyrical interludes, but the turbulent mood soon returns. The second movement, which is designated as a Romanze (romantic or tender character), has a restrained, pensive quality. It is followed by a kind of sadness that permeates the third movement. The intensity that marked the opening movement returns in the final movement. The finale is fiery and impulsive.

Jennifer Betz (violin)

Jen Betz has been a member of the first violin section of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

since 2012. Originally from California, she began playing the violin at age seven. She studied at the preparatory division in San Francisco Conservatory with Doris Fukawa and then with Zaven Melikian at the San Domenico School in San Anselmo, CA. She was accepted into the studio of Almita and Roland Vamos at Northwestern University and was also a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago from 2007-2008. After graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree, she moved to Miami to play with the New World Symphony as a Fellow for four years. There she worked closely with conductors Michael Tilson Thomas and Esa- Pekka Salonen. She now lives in Fort Worth with her husband, her beautiful daughter, and two rescued Labrador mixes.

Molly Baer (violin)

Molly Baer joined the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in 2012. Before moving to Texas, Molly

was a violin fellow at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. She graduated from the New

England Conservatory in Boston as a student of Miriam Fried, and received her Master’s

degree from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music, where she studied with Andrés Cárdenes. Molly has participated in the National Orchestral Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, and Music Academy of the West. Molly grew up in a suburb of Baltimore and enjoys returning to spend time with her family.

Dmitry Kustanovich (viola)

Dmitry Kustanovich joined the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in 2005. Dmitry is a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, immigrated with his family to the U.S. at age 5, settling in Worcester, MA. After completing violin studies at the New England Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music, Dmitry became a violist. He then attended the Curtis Institute of Music, working with Joseph de Pasquale. Dmitry has also performed with the Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Seattle Symphony orchestras. He has toured the U.S. and Europe, working with many of the world's greatest conductors.

His summers at the Greenwood Music Camp and participation in Alexander Schneider's New

York String Seminar propelled him into a career in music. In his spare time, Dmitry enjoys playing chamber music with his FWSO colleagues in their group Sedici Strings, road trips, hiking, cycling, baseball and chess.

Allan Steele (cello)

Allan Steele, principal cellist with the Fort Worth Symphony, is a performer, teacher, and composer. Mr. Steele maintains an active solo career and has performed with the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, the American Youth Symphony, and others. He has premiered several works in chamber or orchestral settings by composers such as Mark Antony Turnage and Stephen Cohn, as well as performing the world premiere of Henri Lazarof's Fifth Cello Concerto. Mr. Steele has studied with a number of notable pedagogues such as Tanya Carey, Hans Jensen, and Susan Moses. Music festival appearances include Indiana University's Summer String Program, The Meadowmount School of Music, and the Montreal International String Quartet Academy. He is a graduate of the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, where he studied with Ronald Leonard. He is a regular in the chamber music scene, performing with musicians such as Edgar Myers, Paul Coletti, Arnold Steinhardt, and Vadym Kholodenko. Steele is a founding member of the classical music group, "MC2" and devotes much of his spare time to composing and arranging.

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