Quad City Arts Visiting Artists Invoke -- October 5 through 7 (photo by Nathanial Russell).
Tuesday October 5, through Thursday, October 7
Various Quad Cities Locations
Presented by Quad City Arts
Praised by NPR for their music that “all sounds impeccable without losing its sense of lightness and joy,” the string quartet Invoke serves as the latest guests in the Quad City Arts Visiting Artist series, with the musicians' five concert events between October 5 and 7 sure to demonstrate why the Austin Chronicle calls the group “purveyors of chamber music that busts through genres in the quartet's spicy performances.”
Composed of Austin-based string musicians Geoff Manyin, Zachariah Matteson, Karl Mitze, and Nick Montopoli, Invoke was described by SiriusXM classical-music producer David Srebnik as “not classical … but not not classical,” suggesting that the quartet continues to successfully dodge even the most valiant attempts at genre classification. The multi-instrumental band’s other “not-nots” encompass traditions from across America, including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism. Invoke weaves all of these styles together to create truly individual music, written by and for the group.
Invoke enjoyed a particularly banner year in 2018 when its musicians won First Prize at the M-Prize International Chamber Arts competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as well as First Prize in the Coltman Competition in Austin and the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York, where they were named “New Music/New Places” Ensemble. Invoke was also the Young Professional String Quartet in Residence at the University of Texas from 2016 to 2018, and the group has previously been selected to participate in the Emerging String Quartet Program at Stanford, as Artists in Residence at Strathmore, and as the Emerging Young Artist Quartet at Interlochen. Having shared stages with some of the most acclaimed ensembles in the country, ranging from the Ensō Quartet to the U.S. Army Field Band, Invoke has also appeared with musicians in greatly varying genres – from chamber rock powerhouse San Fermin to Washington DC beatboxer/rapper/spoons virtuoso Christylez Bacon.
The group's 2015 debut release Souls in the Mud and their 2018 follow-up Furious Creek both feature original works composed by and for the group, Invoke's third album Fantastic Planet will be released mere days before their Quad Cities visit (on October 1), and the quartet has also performed and recorded numerous world premieres. Invoke's members are also true believers in championing diverse American voices, including their ongoing commissioning project American Postcards, which asks composers to pick a time and place in American history and tell its story through the quartet's unique artistry.
During their October 5 through 7 tenure as Quad City Arts Visiting Artists, Invoke will deliver five public performances. On October 5: a 2 p.m. informal performance at Wesley United Church of Christ (400 Iowa Avenue, Muscatine) and a 6:30 p.m. meet-and-greet and demonstration at Griggs Music (3829 North Brady Street, Davenport). On October 6: a 6:30 p.m. PASS performance at Davenport Country Club (25500 Valley Drive). And on October 7: an informal 11:30 a.m. pop-up performance in Davenport's Kaiserslautern Square (East Third Street across from the Adler Theatre) and a full 7 p.m. performance at the Rust Belt (533 12th Avenue, East Moline).
All of Invoke's area performances are free, though donations are appreciated, and more information is available by calling (309)793-1213 and visiting QuadCityArts.com.
