The Mivos Quartet
in concert at Bourgie Hall

The complete string quartet works of American composer Steve Reich

March 15, 2025

The Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts will host the Mivos Quartet on Tuesday, April 1st at 7:30 PM for an exceptional evening dedicated to the complete string quartet works of Steve Reich.

A world-renowned ensemble in contemporary music since its formation in 2008 in New York, the Mivos Quartet has established itself as a major player in contemporary music. Comprised of Olivia de Prato (violin), Adam Woodward (violin), Victor Lowrie Tafoya (viola), and Nathan Watts (cello), the group has collaborated with numerous artists and composers, performing in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Lucerne Festival, and the Elbphilharmonie.

A world-renowned ensemble in contemporary music since its formation in 2008 in New York, the Mivos Quartet has established itself as a major player in contemporary music.

Known for their vitality and mastery of contemporary techniques, the Mivos Quartet explores a wide range of musical aesthetics. They regularly commission and premiere new works while also training young talents at events like the Darmstadt Summer Courses and the VIPA Festival in Spain. Additionally, they support musical creation through their Mivos/Kanter Composition Competition.

The quartet is also acclaimed for their interpretation of Steve Reich’s works, an iconic figure of minimalism. Reich himself recognized their talent by inviting them to record his quartets, solidifying their role as successors to the Kronos Quartet in this repertoire. Their unique approach promises a memorable evening for contemporary music enthusiasts.

Their rich and unique musical personality combines great vitality in interpretation with an increased mastery of contemporary playing techniques. Moreover, their openness leads them to explore a wide variety of aesthetics and stylistic influences, making the quartet a leader in the interpretation of new music. They have also seamlessly taken up the torch from the Kronos Quartet for the interpretation of Steve Reich’s string quartet music.

A Tribute to Steve Reich

Known for his repetitive and minimalist aesthetic, American composer Steve Reich has established himself as one of the most important composers of the last 100 years. Born in 1936 in New York, he founded Steve Reich and Musicians in 1966, an ensemble that would achieve worldwide success. Influenced by visual artists like Sol LeWitt and Robert Smithson, Reich translated this new minimalist thinking into music, notably in his iconic works Drumming (1972) and Desert Music (1984).

‘The quartet is also acclaimed for its interpretation of Steve Reich’s works, an emblematic figure of minimalism.’

From the 1990s, Reich moved away from minimalism and explored various technological possibilities (City Life, 1995) as well as multimedia creation (The Cave, 1993; Three Tales, 1998-2002). His aesthetic has significantly influenced the contemporary creative scene and has greatly inspired the world of electronic music and contemporary dance.

Throughout his career, Steve Reich has composed three works for a string quartet. He won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition with Different Trains, written in 1988 for string quartet and tape. This work parallels his experience aboard Union Pacific trains in 1939-42 with that of Jews deported in death trains. Triple Quartet, for string quartet and tape, dates from 1993. WTC 9/11, for string quartet and tape, was composed in 2010 in tribute to the World Trade Center attacks.

These three works were recorded and released in February 2023 on Deutsche Grammophon by the Mivos Quartet. This is the first complete recording of Steve Reich’s works for a string quartet. These three major works from Reich’s repertoire will be heard during the concert at Bourgie Hall.

‘Reknown for his repetitive and minimalist aesthetic, American composer Steve Reich has established himself as one of the most important composers of the last 100 years.’

The Mivos Quartet‘s interpretation, renowned for their mastery and deep understanding of Reich’s work, promises to bring these compositions to life with remarkable intensity and precision. This concert is sure to captivate contemporary music enthusiasts, offering a unique glimpse into the musical legacy of one of the most influential composers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Feature image: Courtesy of Bourgie Hall

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