March 11, 2020: Important Announcement re: Duke Performances presentations through April 20

Dear Friends,

Due to precautionary measures related to COVID-19, Duke University has temporarily suspended on-campus classes and is postponing all events with an expected attendance of more than 50 people taking place both on- and off-campus between now and April 20.

Sadly, we must cancel all Duke Performances presentations, both on- and off-campus, up until April 20, including our presentations of Belcea Quartet Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 15.

We wish these changes weren’t necessary, but under the circumstances an aggressive course of action is justified to protect public and community health.

The Duke University Box Office will issue refunds to patrons holding tickets for Belcea Quartet. Tickets purchased with a credit card will be refunded to the card of purchase. If card of purchase is expired, refund will be issued via check. Tickets purchased via check or cash payment will receive a check reimbursement sent to the address on record. All refunds are expected to be completed within 8 weeks. We are doing everything we can to expedite refunds and appreciate your patience.

We thank you for your support of Duke Performances and hope you will attend our presentations later in the spring should conditions change.

Until then we wish good health for you and your loved ones as we endure this unprecedented challenge.

With best wishes,

Scott Lindroth
Vice Provost for the Arts
Duke University

Eric Oberstein
Interim Director
Duke Performances

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In honor of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Duke Performances, for the first time, in collaboration with the Chamber Arts Society of Durham, proudly offers six concerts of the complete cycle of Beethoven quartets.

“There is no end to exploration of Beethoven’s riches; and yet what is most compelling is that his music speaks so directly to us as human beings.” As a preamble to its recording of Beethoven’s complete string quartets (2012), the Belcea Quartet articulates this artistic vision of expedition and self-discovery, a vision abundantly clear in its recordings and performances. A longtime audience favorite here, the Belcea undertakes to give us one half of Beethoven’s output in this genre over the course of three concerts in one weekend. (The second three concerts will be offered by Quatuor Ébène in April.)

These concerts feature the brisk classicism of the early quartets, the engaging maturity of the middle quartets, and the glory of the late works that surpasses all understanding.

BEETHOVEN CYCLE: CONCERT NO. 1-3 WITH BELCEA QUARTET

Concert No. 1: Friday, March 13, 2020
Quartet in F Major, op. 18, no. 1
Quartet in B-flat Major, op. 130, with Große Fuge ending, op. 133

Concert No. 2: Saturday, March 14, 2020 (Chamber Arts Series)
Quartet in A Major, op. 18, no. 5
Quartet in C Major, op. 59, no. 3
Quartet in E-flat Major, op. 127

Concert No. 3: Sunday, March 15, 2020
Quartet in C Minor, op. 18, no. 4
Quartet in E-flat Major, op. 74 (“Harp”)
Quartet in F Major, op. 59, no. 1