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- Season Sponsor: Available
- Series Sponsor: Available
- Concert Sponsor: Available
- Artist Sponsor: Available
- Garden Sponsor: CACTUS & TROPICALS
- Post-Concert Reception Sponsor: DÉLICE BAKERY & CAFÉ
- Print Sponsor: SUN PRINT SOLUTIONS
The acclaimed JUPITER STRING QUARTET returns to our 61st season on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at Libby Gardner Concert Hall on the University of Utah campus. "An ensemble of eloquent intensity...one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene" (The New Yorker).
Program: TBD
First Time? We’re so excited you’re here! Whether you’re a seasoned chamber music lover or brand new to classical music concerts, we are thrilled you’re considering spending an evening with the Chamber Music Society. Please check out the resources to help plan your night, or consider attending one of our free Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30 p.m. before the performance. If you have any additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Featured Performers:
- Mélanie Clapiès, violin
- Meg Freivogel, violin
- Liz Freivogel, viola
- Daniel McDonough, cello
The Jupiter String Quartet is a particularly intimate group, consisting of violinists Nelson Lee and Meg Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (Meg’s older sister), and cellist Daniel McDonough (Meg’s husband, Liz’s brother-in-law). Founded in 2001, this tight-knit ensemble is firmly established as an important voice in the world of chamber music, and exudes an energy that is at once friendly, knowledgeable, and adventurous.
The quartet has performed across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Americas in halls including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Jordan Hall, Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Kennedy Center and Library of Congress, Esterhazy Palace, and Sejong Chamber Hall. Festival appearances include Aspen, Bowdoin, Cape Cod, Rockport, Banff Centre, Virginia Arts Festival, Music at Menlo, Maverick Concerts, Caramoor, Lanaudiere, West Cork, Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival, Skaneateles, Madeline Island, Yellow Barn, Encore Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Athens, and the Seoul Spring Festival, among others.
Their honors include grand prizes in the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (2004), winning the Young Concert Artists International auditions (2005), the Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America (2007), and an Avery Fisher Career Grant (2008). From 2007-2010 they were in residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Two. In 2009 they received a Fromm Foundation grant to commission a new quartet from Dan Visconti for a CMSLC performance at Alice Tully Hall. In 2012 the members were appointed artists-in-residence and faculty at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The Jupiters are committed to core quartet repertoire and new music. They have presented complete cycles of Bartók and Beethoven quartets in various venues and have commissioned works by Nathan Shields, Stephen Andrew Taylor, Michi Wiancko, Syd Hodkinson, Hannah Lash, Dan Visconti, and Kati Agócs; a quintet with baritone by Mark Adamo; a piano quintet by Pierre Jalbert; and participated in a commission for chamber choir and string quartet by Su Lian Tan with words by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
They emphasize educational outreach, performing in schools and community centers and giving masterclasses at institutions including the San Francisco Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, Northwestern, Eastman, Aspen Music Festival, Encore Chamber Festival, Madeline Island, and Peabody.
Their latest album is a collaboration with the Jasper String Quartet (Marquis Classics, 2021), produced by Judith Sherman, featuring the world premiere recording of Dan Visconti’s Eternal Breath, Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat, Op. 20, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round. Their discography includes recordings on Azica Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In fall 2024, the Jupiter Quartet will record their next album with Judith Sherman, featuring world premiere recordings of works by Michi Wiancko, Stephen Taylor, and Kati Agócs composed for the Jupiters.
Recent and upcoming highlights include residencies at Taos School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, and the University of Idaho, as well as performances presented by the Library of Congress, Bay Chamber Concerts, Calgary Pro Musica, San Antonio Chamber Music Society, Buffalo Chamber Music Society, and others. As artists-in-residence at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, they also perform at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
Early exposure to chamber music brought these four musicians together. Meg and Liz grew up playing quartets with their two brothers and came to love chamber music during weekly coachings with cellist Oliver Edel. Nelson’s parents are pianists and his twin sisters are musicians. Daniel originally wanted to be a violinist but chose the cello.
The quartet chose its name because Jupiter was the most prominent planet in the night sky at the time of its formation and the astrological symbol for Jupiter resembles the number four. They are proud to list among their accomplishments the addition of seven quartet children: Pablo, Lillian, Clara, Dominic, Felix, Oliver, and Joelle. You may spot some of these younger Jupiters in the audience or tagging along to rehearsals.