A virtuosically surgical multimedia work for amplified string quartet and multi-channel video by Paul Pinto performed by Bergamot Quartet and The Rhythm Method.

Commissioned by The Rhythm Method and Bergamot String Quartets, String Quartet No. 3 OCTET continues Paul Pinto’s playful exploration of video and theatrical chamber music. Just shy of an hour, the performance begins with a close-up on a tablescape of string instruments “operated” by four methodical musicians, their eight dexterous hands, and hundreds of pencils. Alternating through moments of Foreman-like precision and virtuosic irreverence, OCTET is a subtle and one-of-a-kind marriage of sonic slowness and visual anticipation.

Paul Pinto’s String Quartet No. 4: I PASS’D A CHURCH has become a cornerstone of The Rhythm Method’s repertoire, and was released on New Focus Recordings in 2024.

Credits for OCTET
Composed and directed by Paul Pinto
Zach Herchen, video and sound engineer

Performed by:
Bergamot Quartet (Friday at 7pm & 9pm)
Ledah Finck, violin
Sarah Thomas, violin
Martine Kinsella Thomas, viola
Irène Han, cello

The Rhythm Method (Saturday at 7pm & 9pm)
Leah Asher, violin
Marina Kifferstein, violin
Carrie Frey, viola
Meaghan Burke, cello

Run time: 50 minutes

Regular Tickets: $25
Students/Seniors: $15
Senior tickets for 65+, student tickets for students enrolled in a full-time program.