Fry Street Quartet Concludes 'Nature's Resonance' at USU

LOGAN, Utah — The Fry Street Quartet will present the culminating performance of its Nature’s Resonance series at Utah State University with a program exploring the relationship between music and nature. The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall.

This season-long journey through themes of nature, resilience and humanity will conclude with two iconic masterpieces and the world premiere of a thought-provoking new work.

“This concert is a season-long exploration of the deep connection between music and the natural world,” said Rebecca McFaul, USU professor and founding member of Fry Street Quartet.

The program will feature Haydn’s String Quartet in D Major, Op. 20, No. 4 and Beethoven’s String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130 with its powerful original finale, the Grosse Fuge, Op. 133.

“Complementing these works is the world premiere of ‘Landing Steps, Grounded Landings’ by composer Hitomi Oba, a thought-provoking piece inspired by themes of land, sustainability, and resilience,” McFaul said.

The selected works offer unique reflections on nature’s forces.

“Haydn’s quartet, written during the Sturm und Drang movement, captures a raw emotional energy reminiscent of natural turbulence and order,” McFaul said. “Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge is a force of nature in itself — complex, untamed and unrelenting in its intensity.”

The Fry Street Quartet’s collaboration with Hitomi Oba is an extension of their partnership with the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music through its Composing Earth project, which supports works engaging with environmental themes.

“Hitomi Oba’s work is a natural continuation of this collaboration, bringing her unique voice and perspective to the intersection of music and sustainability and making it a profound contemporary counterpoint to these classical masterworks,” McFaul said.

As part of the Fry Street Quartet’s mission to foster deeper connections between audiences and music, an open workshop on “Landing Steps, Grounded Landings” will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 11 in the Daryl Chase Fine Art Center’s Daines Concert Hall.

“This concert exemplifies the artistic vibrancy of Utah State University and its community by featuring a rare asset — a resident professional string quartet,” McFaul said. “The combination of new work, cultivated and premiered at USU, alongside canonical masterpieces, reflects a commitment to both innovation and tradition. It provides an invaluable experience for students while delivering world-class music to the broader audience.”

Purchase tickets online or at the CCA box office located in the Chase Fine Arts Center. For more information, visit the online calendar.