The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will kick off its spring 2017 Artspree Concert Series with a performance by the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet. 

Presented in collaboration with the Chamber Music Society of Little Rock, the concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the UALR Fine Arts Building.

A master class composed of UALR and local high school student musicians will also perform with the group at 12:15 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. This performance is free and open to the public.

The group is composed of violinists Daniel Chong and Ying Xue, violist Jessica Bodner, and cellist Kee-Hyun Kim. They hold graduate degrees in performance and chamber music from the New England Conservatory of Music and were part of the New England Conservatory’s prestigious Professional String Quartet Training Program from 2006 to 2008.

Inspiring performances, luminous sound, and exceptional musicianship are the hallmarks of the Parker Quartet. Renowned for its dynamic interpretations and polished, expansive colors, the group has rapidly distinguished itself as one of the preeminent ensembles of its generation, according to the quartet’s website.

The Quartet has appeared at the most important venues worldwide since its founding in 2002. In 2016, the group released its own recording for Nimbus Records of Mendelssohn Quartet’s Op. 44, Nos. 1 and 3.

The Parker Quartet’s numerous honors include winning the Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Grand Prix and Mozart Prize at France’s Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, and Chamber Music America’s prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award. They are also Blodgett artists-in-residence at Harvard University’s Department of Music and in residence at USC School of Music.

UALR students and employees may attend the 7:30 p.m. performance for free. General admission tickets are $15, while tickets for students from other institutions are $5. Tickets may be reserved at the UALR Music Office on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office can be reached at 501.569.3294. Tickets may also be picked up at the door prior to the concert.

Artspree is funded in part by the UALR Chancellor’s Circle and KLRE Classical 90.5. Artspree is affiliated with the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and the Southwest Association of Presenters.

For more information, contact the UALR Music Department at 501.569.3294 or music@ualr.edu or visit the Parker Quartet website.