Santa Barbara String Quartet Delights KotorArt Audience
In a setting rarely seen on global stages, the intimate 18th-century Church of St. Nicholas Franciscan Monastery in Prčanj hosted a performance by the renowned string quartet from Santa Barbara.
The quartet, consisting of violinists Jessica Guideri and Ina Veli, violist Erik Rynearson, and cellist Trevor Handy, presented an all-American program for the Festival audience, in addition to Mozart’s String Quartet in D Major, K. 575. The program also featured Antonín Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 98, better known as the American Quartet, and Strum, a composition by American composer Jessie Montgomery. Following the main program, the quartet treated the audience to an encore performance of the beloved song Over the Rainbow from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
“The concert was attended by several dignitaries from Santa Barbara, including Mr. George Lilly, Chairman of the Kotor-Santa Barbara Sister Cities Committee, and Mr. Stephen Dreikorn, Head of the Media, Culture, and Education Department at the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro.
Kotor and Santa Barbara have been sister cities since 2009, and this fruitful collaboration is evident in the exchange of knowledge and experiences in music, culinary arts, and sports. In two weeks, young water polo players from Santa Barbara will visit Kotor to work with our esteemed coaches. Last night’s concert provided a rare and memorable experience. The interpretation of famous and challenging string quartets by world-class artists from Santa Barbara will undoubtedly stay with everyone who was present in the stunning and unique setting of the Church of St. Nicholas Franciscan Monastery in Prčanj.” – stated the Festival’s PR team.
