Returning after a sold-out show last year, The Takács Quartet, celebrated for their innovative programming and virtuosity, is back at BroadStage. This time, they present a compelling mix of Haydn, Beethoven, and a new piece by Los Angeles native and esteemed violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama, featured in the California Festival. Ngwenyama’s composition, “Flow,” commissioned for the Takács Quartet, is a contemplative work on climate change. In her exploration of the natural world, she delves into diverse phenomena like starling murmurations, black hole collisions, and the musical translation of protein sequences, including Sars-Covid-2 variants, reflecting on nature’s dynamic flow and interconnectedness.
The New York Times has lauded The Takács Quartet as “one of the world’s greatest string quartets.” Celebrating their 49th season, they mark this occasion with a performance that embodies the creative spirit flourishing in California.
Nokothula Ngwenyama, hailed by Gramophone for her “bold mesmerizing character” in music, rose to fame at 16 after winning the Primrose International Viola Competition. She has since performed globally, including with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and in prestigious venues like the Kennedy Center and the Louvre. An alumna of Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences and the Colburn School, she furthered her studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris as a Fulbright Scholar and holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University. Ngwenyama has served as the president of the American Viola Society and director of the Primrose International Viola Competition.