The Boulder-based Takács Quartet announced Thursday that founding member and second violinist Károly Schranz will retire from the Grammy-winning ensemble — in residence at the University of Colorado College of Music since 1986 — effective May 1.
CU assistant professor of violin Harumi Rhodes has been appointed the new second violinist.
With the departure of Schranz, cellist András Fejér will be the only remaining Takács founding member. Other members include first violinist Edward Dusinberre and violist Geraldine Walther.
The quartet expressed appreciation for Schranz and his contributions.
“Károly brought extraordinary abilities to the group,” members said jointly in a press release. “We were all inspired by his lively, characterful playing and imaginative approach to music.”
“Individually, I have learned a huge amount from Károly and will always be profoundly grateful for the support he gave me after I joined the quartet,” said Dusinberre.
Schranz plans to continue as an active chamber musician and teacher. Members of his family are also familiar to Boulder classical music audiences. His wife, Annamária Karácson, serves as assistant concertmaster for the Boulder Philharmonic and concertmaster for the Boulder Chamber Orchestra. Daughter Szilvia Schranz is a prominent soprano in the area and a frequent guest of Boulder organizations.
Unlike the last vacancy in 2005 — when Walther replaced violist Roger Tapping — the Takács has turned to its own CU family this time. Rhodes has had previous opportunities to play with the group and appeared with them in the summer of 2016 at the Ravinia Festival and for Austin Chamber Music.
“We are thrilled that Harumi has accepted are invitation to join the quartet,” the members said in the press release. “She is a wonderfully versatile violinist and chamber musician, and we greatly look forward to working with her.”
“Immersing myself in a life of string quartet playing is a dream come true,” Rhodes said. “I have been a fan of the Takács Quartet for as long as I can remember.”
CU College of Music dean Robert Shay said that it was a “significant testament to the strength of our faculty that the quartet looked to one of our own in seeking Károly’s replacement.” Rhodes has been at the College of Music since 2015.
Schranz will play on the two remaining Takács programs of the current season, at CU’s Grusin Music Hall, making his final appearance in Boulder as an official member on the concerts of April 29 and 30. Rhodes will also appear on the second half of those concerts, performing in Tchaikovsky’s string sextet “Souvenir de Florence.”
Dusinberre, Rhodes, Walther and Fejér will be joined by CU colleagues Erika Eckert and David Requiro in the Tchaikovsky work, which had previously been announced as the closing piece on the season finale concerts. The first half with Schranz includes quartets by Haydn and Webern. The Beethoven quartet in C-sharp minor which had been planned for this program is now on the concerts of March 11-12, replacing the G-minor quartet by Grieg.
