Shanghai Quartet - Grieg & Mendelssohn: String Quartets (1994)

“An hour before concert time the line stretched outside. After the doors opened every seat was taken. Standing room was filled…Later there was an announcement [about] avoiding this problem in the future. Palmer Stadium came to mind as a solution… And what was this all about? Madonna? Guns N’Roses? Would you believe the Shanghai String Quartet…?” The New Jersey Star Ledger

Since its celebrated New York concert debut in 1987, the Shanghai has been hailed by press and presenters as one of the leading quartets of its generation. The ensemble’s touring schedule is already impressive, with multiple New York appearances each season. – The Shanghai has been Ensemble-in-Residence at the Tanglewood and Ravinia Festivals and has appeared on three occasions at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival. It is presently Quartet in Residence at the University of Virginia in Richmond. – The Quartet was formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983. Brothers WeiGang and HongGang Li both began violin studies with their parents; WeiGang was featured in the Isaac Stern film “From Mao to Mozart.” – Comments resulting from the Shanghai’s live performances seem to agree about its exceptional balance, the coexistence of great expressiveness and sensitive precision, and the rapturous quality of the group’s musical energy. – The pairing of the favorite Mendelssohn 2nd Quartet with the Grieg Quartet is a “first” in the CD catalog.