Balourdet Quartet Performs On Shelter Island

Shelter Island Friends of Music presents a concert of live chamber music with the Balourdet Quartet on Saturday, June 4, at 7 p.m. at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church.

The string quartet, composed of Angela Bae and Justin DeFilippis on violin, Benjamin Zannoni, viola, and cellist Russell Houston, is based in Boston and is currently in residence at the New England Conservatory’s Professional String Quartet Program. They will perform music by Haydn, Wolf and Beethoven.

The quartet was formed in 2018 at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and has been playing together ever since. During the pandemic, the quartet performed virtually to raise money for Music for Food and Massachusetts Peace Action. The group also curated and performed an educational program for more than 500 children in schools across the Michiana region of Michigan and Indiana, as well as gave master classes for high school students through the Fischoff Chamber Music Academy.

The Balourdet Quartet takes its name from Antoine Balourdet, the musicians’ favorite chef at the Hotel St. Bernard in New Mexico and a member of the Taos School of Music community. Among other honors, the quartet received the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition as well as the top prize awarded in the 2021 Premio Paolo Borciani in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Admission to the June 4 concert is free, though donations are appreciated. A reception with the musicians follows. Shelter Island Presbyterian Church is located at 32 North Ferry Road on Shelter Island. For more information, visit shelterislandfriendsofmusic.org.