For more than three decades, the Marian Anderson String Quartet -- named after the extraordinary 20th century contralto Marian Anderson -- has been sharing their artistry and passion not just in concert halls, but in churches, libraries, museums, soup kitchens and prisons. The award-winning chamber ensemble was originally called the Chaminade Quartet, after the French composer Cecile Chaminade. But in 1991, the Quartet won the International Cleveland Quartet Competition, becoming the first African American ensemble in history to win a classical music competition, inspiring them to ask permission of Marian Anderson to use her name.
The LENTO movement from Antonin Dvorak's String Quartet, played by the Marian Anderson String Quartet from a 9/11 Interfaith Service of Remembrance and Peace, is today's Beautiful Music.
