The brothers Erik, Ken, and Mark Schumann founded the Schumann Quartet in 2007 and it might well have been an all-family affair had the cellist’s twin sister chosen to switch from violin to viola and join them. The Schumann brothers are of German-Japanese heritage – an interesting mix of temperaments – and perhaps because of their sister they were drawn to a female becoming the fourth among equals. The Estonian violist Liisa Randalu did so in 2012 and in this audio podcast she is spokesperson for the group – only fitting since she is at the centre of the sound – and talks about the quartet’s journey so far.
It’s been a wild ride to date with the quartet turning heads and attracting notice wherever they perform. Their reviews have reflected the excitement they generate and with their second CD release (an ARS Production) challenging expectations and bringing together Mozart, Verdi and Charles Ives, the plot certainly thickens. Schumann is a name to live up to and how could the quartet bearing such an extraordinary composer’s name not want to push the envelope?
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