Ciompi Quartet and Robert Sims, Baritone | Follow Me

The Ciompi Quartet, Duke University’s resident string quartet, has built an international reputation for performances that weave together music of the past and present. Praised by The New York Times for playing that sounded “intelligent and sure,” the ensemble’s fall program “Follow Me” is rooted in U.S. musical traditions.

The evening moves from Samuel Barber’s powerful String Quartet, Op. 11 to Ben Johnston’s inventive quartet built around the hymn Amazing Grace. Music by Florence Price and Charles Ives reflects the evolving voice of American composition. The quartet is joined by acclaimed baritone Robert Sims for a set of spirituals, connecting classical repertoire with some of the deepest currents in American musical life.