Harlem Quartet: Pushing Boundaries

Monday, August 10, 2026 at 5:30 PM
First Congregational Church of Chatham, 650 Main Street, Chatham

Harlem Quartet

• Ilmar Gavilán, violin
• Melissa White, violin
• Jaime Amador, viola
• Felix Umansky, cello

Returning to the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, the GRAMMY®-winning Harlem Quartet has earned acclaim for its dynamic performances and fresh approach to classical music. Originally founded in 2006 by the Sphinx Organization (and making its public debut that year at Carnegie Hall), the ensemble was conceived as an instrument to realize a much bigger goal: to diversify and create new audiences for classical music, as well as to commission and perform works written by contemporary composers.

Their cross-pollination of classical, contemporary, jazz, and Latin-infused repertoire makes Harlem Quartet concerts appealing to a wide audience. Their work in bringing classical music to schools in Harlem and around the world is in line with the cultural renaissance Harlem represents for African-Americans. Harlem Quartet won a GRAMMY for their performance on  Imani Wind’s album Jeff Scott’s Passion for Bach and Coltrane, and their most recent album, Havana Meets Harlem, was nominated for a Best Instrumental Album Latin GRAMMY.

Harlem Quartet will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5 and works by Guido López-Gavilán, William Bolcom, and Aldo López-Gavilán.

“[Harlem Quartet] brings a new attitude to classical music, one that is fresh, bracing, and intelligent.” – The Cincinnati Enquirer 

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN                            (1770 – 1827)
String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5

GUIDO LÓPEZ-GAVILÁN                                 (b. 1944)
Cuarteto en Guaguanco

WILLIAM BOLCOM                                         (b. 1938)
Three Rags for String Quartet

ALDO LÓPEZ-GAVILÁN                                   (b. 1979)
Frère Jacques