Don’t expect balloons and noisemakers for the 50th anniversary season celebration of the Takács Quartet, which performs at La Jolla Music Society’s Baker-Baum Concert Hall on Saturday. Also don’t expect teary-eyed nostalgia, despite the world-renowned chamber music group’s fascinating and illustrious past.
The string quartet was founded by four Hungarians enrolled at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. After a decade of winning prestigious competitions in Europe and a few successful visits to the U.S., the group left the Iron Curtain country to become artists in residence at the University of Colorado Boulder in 1985.
Now with a yearly schedule split between touring the world and their educational work in Boulder, this Grammy award-winning group doesn’t seem distracted by this landmark anniversary. Its focus remains, as always, on interpreting both traditional and contemporary works in a precise, heartfelt and unified way.
Cellist András Fejér, 75, the Takács’ only remaining founding member, reminisced matter-of-factly.
“Whatever we were imagining for the quartet 50, 40 or 30 years ago, we got on that path,” he said from his Boulder home, shortly after a recent rehearsal. “Now we embrace even more of what the composer wanted. We always are trying to get to the right attitude and expression.”
Even so, the quartet values its stellar reputation and legacy.
“One reason why we’re still, after 50 years, playing and being very active is because the group handles and embraces change,” explained Harumi Rhodes, the Takács’ second violinist since 2018. “How you thrive is to never forget your roots, but to always be looking forward.
“It is very special that the quartet has had longevity in this tradition and these kinds of roots. On the other hand, do I think about those Hungarian roots like when we’re rehearsing? No, I don’t, because I look around and, you know, we’re not a Hungarian group anymore, right?”
Playing alongside Rhodes and Fejér — who will be 75 next year — are first violinist Edward Dusinberre and violist Richard O’Neill, who joined the quartet in 2019.
Dusinberre, a British-American musician and author, is in his mid-50s. Korean-American O’Neill, won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo Performance in 202. He is one of only two violists to win a Grammy in this category. He and Rhodes are in their mid-40s. Dusinberre and Rhodes married 2-1/2 years ago.
Rhodes, who is of Japanese, American, Russian and Romanian descent, starting teaching at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2015. Having an office across the hall from the Takács, she often collaborated with the quartet before joining as second violinist six years ago.
“Sometimes people ask me: ‘Isn’t it boring to be second violinist all the time?’ And I say to them: ‘It’s anything but boring! Like, the things I’ve got to do!’ ” Rhodes said with a chuckle. “There are times when I literally do five different things in one bar of music.
“The second violin represents the inner circulation of the blood of the organism. I’m more of an inner voice. Along with the viola, we have this beautiful responsibility of shaping the music from the inside. And it’s something that I absolutely love doing.
“I find it challenging and rewarding. And it’s all for the greater good of the group. It’s usually never for personal glory. And I think that’s cool,” Rhodes said.
Her parents were both professional string players, a violinist and violist. Her father was a member of the famed Juilliard String Quartet for four decades.
She studied with acclaimed violin teacher Shirley Givens, from her first lesson to college. Givens was working on her now well-known series of colorfully illustrated books, “Adventures in Violinland,” during Rhodes’ time with her.
“I learned violin through storytelling,” she said. “I still feel that way about musicmaking — going on a treasure hunt and finding new meaning in the works.”
Accompanying Rhodes on this adventure are her Takács cohorts, who all consider Boulder their home. The decision to move there from Hungary in 1984, Fejér recalled, was a clear one.
“We knew an ideal world when we saw one,” the cellist said.
“Denver has an international airport, so that was an important factor. We could visualize the future. We saw that this was a place where we could just work, grow and travel the world.”
While Takács frequently works with composers and performs contemporary works, Saturday’s La Jolla concert will feature string quartets by Haydn, Ravel and Beethoven.
How does the group’s approach to traditional classical repertoire differ from its treatment of newer compositions?
“This may sound weird, but the process isn’t all that different,” Rhodes replied. “When we’re in the rehearsal room by ourselves, the spirit of discovery, exploration and freshness is the same, whether it’s old or new, especially an old piece that we love, like the Ravel.”
Fejér pointed out that some listeners think the String Quartet in F Major by Ravel, a French composer, should be played softly, like breathing in and out.
“We always approach it with a late-Romantic attitude and spiced flavors,” Fejer noted. “The Haydn quartet we’ll be playing is amazing, humorous and dramatic. And the Beethoven we’re doing is such a major romantic piece, almost symphonic in scope and structure.”
The quartet’s 50th anniversary season includes a concert at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest where Fejér, Gabor Takács-Nagy, Károly Schranz and Gabor Ormai formed the original Takács lineup 50 years ago.
“The history of the group is extremely meaningful, especially when we go back to Budapest,” Rhodes said. “We talk about Boulder being our musical home, which it very much is. But the Liszt Academy is also home, in a philosophical way.”
As for the group’s future goals, Fejér has no airs.
“We’ll continue improving things in a steady, fun and collective way,” he said,” and keep our morale high and our work ethic unchanged.”
La Jolla Music Society presents Takács Quartet
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla.
Tickets: $60-$90
Phone: 858-459-3728
Online: theconrad.org
A prelude lecture by San Diego State University Associate Professor of Music Michael Gerdes begins at 6:30 p.m.
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