On less than a week’s notice we were told, the Brentano String Quartet stepped in for the Doric String Quartet who canceled due to illness. The concert occurred Thursday, May 2, 2024. Everyone from management to the audience were ecstatically glad that they could, as they were very fine indeed. The lovely Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall was the venue.

 

MUSICIANS

Arriving on campus, many of us were thrown into disarray. Having to pass the guardhouse to enter the campus, I was told that due to student unrest on campus, we were not allowed to go any further. The campus would not risk damage to our cars during the student uprising. I had to ask if the concert would be canceled. Oh, no, said the security guard, but I can’t allow you to go any further. You must turn around and find street parking in town. As I turned around, I saw two cars behind me drive straight through protesting security. Now, I was uncertain as to what awaited me on the Princeton University campus. But I had come all this way, and I was determined to try to reach the campus.

 

Arriving outside the campus, all was quiet, calm, and sedate. Where was this riot? It could not be seen. I informed staff at the theater of what I had been told. They were puzzled. One person said there was a bit of a protest the day before, but as far as she knew, none that day, thankfully.

 

The concert began and proceeded without incident. The Brentano Quartet played beautifully. Classics such as those by Joseph Haydn (1781), and Beethoven’s monumental Op. 130 (1827) were joined by modern pieces written by James Macmillan (1994 and 2011). 

 

This concert brought the 2023-2024 season to a close. 

The 2023-2024 concert series has been announced, with many fine artists performing. For information on these concerts and subscriptions as well, visit …

www.PUC.Princeton.Edu .