Kicking off their 2025–2026 season, Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Faculty String Quartet (Saul Bitran, violin; Paul Laraia, viola; Markus Placci, violin; and Rhonda Rider, cello) will be joined by acclaimed pianist and professor Michael Lewin to perform the ultra-romantic and crowd-pleasing Dohnanyi Piano Quintet No. 1, following Bohuslav Martinů’s String Quartet No. 2.
Program InformationRepertoire
ERNŐ DOHNÁNYI: Piano Quintet No. 1
BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ: String Quartet No. 2
About the Artists
Saul Bitran, violin, has been the first violinist of the Latin Grammy Award–winning Cuarteto Latinoamericano since 1986. The Cuarteto Latinoamericano is one of the world’s foremost string quartets and champions of new music from Latin America. A devoted pedagogue, many of Bitran’s former students populate some of the world’s leading orchestras and conservatories. Learn more about Bitran.Paul Laraia, viola, was a first-prize winner of the Tertis International Viola Competition and the Sphinx Competition. He is active as a soloist and as the violist of the Grammy-winning Catalyst Quartet. Laraia has performed solos with the major orchestras of Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Bogotá, New Jersey, Nashville, New Haven, St. Paul, and Cincinnati. He studied with Kim Kashkashian at New England Conservatory. Learn more about Laraia. Michael Lewin, piano, is one of America’s foremost concert pianists, winning over audiences in 30 countries with playing of “majestic power and searing emotion” (London Times). His career was launched with top prizes in the Franz Liszt International Competition, the American Pianists Association Award, and the William Kapell International Piano Competition (University of Maryland). His recordings have won a Grammy Award and a Roundglass Music Award. Learn more about Lewin.Markus Placci, violin, has appeared in recitals and solo performances in Europe, South America, Asia, and the US. Winner of the Brahms Preis, the XXVI Vittorio Veneto Competition, and the Tanglewood Reiner Violin Prize, Placci been broadcast on BBC Radio, has collaborated with Gil Shaham and Yo-Yo Ma, and was awarded the Boston Conservatory Outstanding Faculty of the Year and the ASTA Best Studio Teacher in 2016. Learn more about Placci.Rhonda Rider, cello, was a member of the Naumburg Award–winning Lydian Quartet and Triple Helix Piano Trio for over two decades. She has adjudicated at Fischoff, Stulberg, and Concert Artist Guild Competitions and teaches the most creative and inventive students imaginable at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Rider can be heard on more than 30 chamber music and solo recordings. Learn more about Rider. About the Series
This performance is part of Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Artistry in Action series. The Artistry in Action series celebrates exceptional artists and initiatives that exemplify Boston Conservatory’s core values of excellence, innovation, and community engagement. Hosted by the Conservatory’s Music Division, Artistry in Action brings together the school’s prestigious and long-standing Piano Masters Series, String Masters Series, and Chamber Series with exciting new programming for winds, faculty recitals, and ensemble-in-residences. Learn more and view upcoming Artistry in Action events. Concert Services Staff
Assistant Director, Concert Services – Luis Herrera
Coordinator, Concert Services – Matthew Carey
Concert Production Manager – Kendall Floyd
Performance Technology Technicians – Sara Pagiaro, Goran Daskalov
Performance Technology Specialist – Andrei Radu
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