UC San Diego

The Kreutzer Affair is an immersive theatrical concert program created by the Tesla Quartet with pianist David Kaplan, exploring how music was captured into words and then rebottled into music again.

The Tesla Quartet is known the world over for their “superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless of era, style, or technical demand” (International Review of Music). From cutting edge contemporary works to established masterpieces, the Tesla Quartet’s emotive and thoughtful interpretations reveal the ensemble’s deep commitment to the craft and to their ever expanding repertoire. The quartet recognizes the power of their platform to amplify underrepresented voices and to encourage the proliferation of an equitable and just future for society as well as a hospitable climate for posterity. The Tesla Quartet is Ross Snyder (violin), Michelle Lie (violin), Edwin Kaplan (viola), and Austin Fisher (cello).

David Kaplan, pianist, has been called “excellent and adventurous” by the New York Times, and praised by the Boston Globe for “grace and fire” at the keyboard. Kaplan has consistently drawn critical acclaim for creative programs that interweave classical and contemporary repertoire, often incorporating newly commissioned works.

Multi-genre work Requiem for the Enslaved by Carlos Simon is a musical tribute to commemorate the stories of 272 enslaved men, women and children sold in 1838 by Georgetown University, infusing original compositions with African American spirituals and familiar Catholic liturgical melodies.

Performed by the Hub New Music ensemble with Carlos at the piano, Requiem features spoken word and hip hop artist Marco Pavé, and trumpeter MK Zulu.

Requiem for the Enslaved was nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.