Abeo Quartet with violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt
Sunday, March 1, 2026
2:00 p.m.
Doors open at 1:15 p.m.
Duration ~ 1h40m, including intermission
The Ebenezer Theater
17 S Washington St
Easton, MD 21601
*PROMOTIONS!
- *Winter Interlude Package: $25 off when buying a two-concert package (February 21st Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra & March 1st Abeo Quartet w/ Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt)
- First-time Chesapeake Music concert-goers: 2-for-1 tickets with promo code new2for1
- Students, educators, Talbot County First Responders: FREE (Pay What You Can)
- Parent of a student: $10 ticket with promo code parent10 (max one ticket)
Experience the electric artistry of the Abeo Quartet as they return to The Ebenezer Theater! The name “Abeo” (ah–bey–oh) is an expression of joy in a Nigerian dialect, chosen by the ensemble as a reflection of their love of playing chamber music and sharing it with others. Formed at Juilliard in 2018, the group quickly established itself as a bold new voice in chamber music, and made their first appearance here in Easton at 10th Biennial Chesapeake Chamber Music Competition in 2022 where they took home the Silver Prize. They will be joined by the luminous violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt. She was the founding violist of the twice-Grammy-nominated Dover Quartet and is recognized as one of the most sought-after chamber musicians of her generation. Together, these musicians will bring depth, passion, precision, and profound musical dialogue to a thrilling program.
Adolphus Hailstork
(b. 1941)
Variations on “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (String Quartet No. 2) (~ 17min)
Dmitri Shostakovich
(1906–1975)
String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor (~ 18min)
- Introduction: Andantino
- Scherzo: Allegretto
- Recitative: Adagio
- Etude: Allegro
- Humoresque: Allegro
- Elegy: Adagio
- Finale: Moderato — Meno mosso — Moderato
Intermission
(~ 15min)
Johannes Brahms
(1833–1897)
String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111 (~ 32min)
- Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
- Adagio
- Un poco allegretto
- Vivace, ma non troppo presto
Abeo Quartet
The Abeo Quartet, formed at Juilliard in 2018, was the inaugural Graduate String Quartet in Residence at the University of Delaware under the mentorship of the Calidore String Quartet from 2021-2023. Abeo’s recent accomplishments include Third Prize at the 2023 Bad Tölz International String Quartet Competition, making the semi-finals at the 2023 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and being among ten quartets invited to participate in the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2022. The quartet was also a First Prize and Audience Favorite Prize winner in the Yellow Springs Chamber Music Competition for Emerging Professional Ensembles and Silver Medal winner of the Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition, both in 2022. Additionally, Abeo was a finalist in the 2021 Young Concert Artists International Competition and the silver medal winner of the 2019 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
The members of the quartet are violinists Njioma Grevious and Rebecca Benjamin, violist James Kang and newest member, cellist Macintyre Taback.
This past season included a return performance at the Kennedy Center; performances at the Princeton Festival, Emerald City Music in Seattle, Washington, and Sunday@Central in Columbus, Ohio. Abeo completed a residency at Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire, as well as an exciting year-long residency as the Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. The Quartet capped off the summer with appearances at Caroga Lake Chamber Music Collective and La Jolla SummerFest. Most recently the quartet performed in the Every Blue Moon Concert Series in Iverness, CA, and as part of the Carnegie Hill Concerts inaugural Sunset Series in New York City.
Past Abeo highlights include performances at Alice Tully Hall, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s masterclass series with the Danish String Quartet, and on WQXR’s Midday Masterpieces. Abeo was invited to perform in Norway’s 2019 Vertavo Festival, performing seven Haydn string quartets and was in residence at the Glenstone Museum, debuting “Moonshot” by Alistair Coleman. The quartet has studied and performed at Music@Menlo, with the Emerson Quartet at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and with the Brentano String Quartet at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. At the Montreal International String Quartet Academy, Abeo was coached by members of Quatuor Ébéne, Alban Berg, Takács, Artemis, Cecilia and Meta4 String Quartets. During their time at Juilliard, Abeo studied regularly in the Honors Chamber Music Program under the tutelage of The Juilliard String Quartet with Joseph Lin, Astrid Schween and Roger Tapping. The quartet chose the name Abeo / ah – bey – oh / — an expression of joy in a Nigerian dialect — to reflect their love for playing chamber music and sharing it with others.
This past season included a return performance at the Kennedy Center; performances at the Princeton Festival, Emerald City Music in Seattle, Washington, and Sunday@Central in Columbus, Ohio. Abeo completed a residency at Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire, as well as an exciting year-long residency as the Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. The Quartet capped off the summer with appearances at Caroga Lake Chamber Music Collective and La Jolla SummerFest. Most recently the quartet performed in the Every Blue Moon Concert Series in Iverness, CA, and as part of the Carnegie Hill Concerts inaugural Sunset Series in New York City.
Past Abeo highlights include performances at Alice Tully Hall, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s masterclass series with the Danish String Quartet, and on WQXR’s Midday Masterpieces. Abeo was invited to perform in Norway’s 2019 Vertavo Festival, performing seven Haydn string quartets and was in residence at the Glenstone Museum, debuting “Moonshot” by Alistair Coleman. The quartet has studied and performed at Music@Menlo, with the Emerson Quartet at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and with the Brentano String Quartet at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. At the Montreal International String Quartet Academy, Abeo was coached by members of Quatuor Ébéne, Alban Berg, Takács, Artemis, Cecilia and Meta4 String Quartets. During their time at Juilliard, Abeo studied regularly in the Honors Chamber Music Program under the tutelage of The Juilliard String Quartet with Joseph Lin, Astrid Schween and Roger Tapping. The quartet chose the name Abeo / ah – bey – oh / — an expression of joy in a Nigerian dialect — to reflect their love for playing chamber music and sharing it with others.
Founded in 2021 by violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass, the New York City based quartet was formed on the basis of over a decade of friendship at The Perlman Music Program and The Juilliard School.
The quartet feels a responsibility to command a diverse repertoire of classic, underrepresented, and new works, so they can contribute to the reclamation, redefinition, and continuation of a musical tradition that belongs to all of us. They represent and articulate an inclusive vision of the future of classical music, which sees a culture of music wherein all lives and histories are welcomed and celebrated.
In their 2023-24 season, the quartet made their UK and European debuts at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Muziekhaven in Amsterdam, and on the popular Dutch TV program, Podium Klassiek. They also led masterclasses and educational residencies at London’s Southbank Centre, Greenwood Music Camp, and the Perlman Music Program Suncoast.
Highlights of the 2024-25 season include a lecture-recital at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton, recitals at Marlboro Music Festival, Princeton’s McCarter Theatre, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, and an original collaboration with the Perlman Music Program Suncoast and the West Coast Black Theater Troupe in Sarasota, Florida. The quartet will also return to Kingston, Jamaica for the second installment of their “Beyond Boundaries” benefit recitals at the University of the West Indies.
As recipients of a 2024 career grant from Salon de Virtuosi, the quartet is featured on WQXR, New York City’s premier classical music radio station.
The members of the quartet collaborate on more than just chamber music. Daniel and Jameel often work together as a composer/librettist duo. Randall and Jameel presented a cross-disciplinary recital program of poetry and music, entitled “Intersections: Black Music and Words.” Randall and Jeremiah have competed together in various golf tournaments, impressively securing podium finishes.
Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt
Praised by Strad magazine as having “lyricism that stood out…a silky tone and beautiful, supple lines,” Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt has established herself as one of the most sought-after violists of her generation. In addition to appearances as soloist with the New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, the Tokyo Philharmonic, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra, and Symphony in C, she has performed in recitals and chamber music concerts throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia, including an acclaimed 2011 debut recital at London’s Wigmore Hall, which was described in Strad as being “fleet and energetic…powerful and focused.”
Ms. Pajaro-van de Stadt was the founding violist of the twice-Grammy-nominated Dover Quartet, and played in the group from 2008-2022. During her time in the group, the Dover Quartet was the First Prize-winner and recipient of every special award at the Banff International String Quartet Competition 2013, and winner of the Gold Medal and Grand Prize in the 2010 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Also during her tenure, the Dover Quartet received the Cleveland Quartet Award and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Her numerous awards also include First Prize at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and top prizes at the Sphinx Competition and the Tokyo International Viola Competition. While in the Dover Quartet, Ms. Pajaro-van de Stadt was on the faculty at The Curtis Institute of Music and Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, and a part of the Quartet in Residence of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She is now a member of the newly formed piano quartet “Espressivo!” along with acclaimed artists Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, and Anna Polonsky.
A violin student of Sergiu Schwartz and Melissa Pierson-Barrett for several years, she began studying viola with Michael Klotz at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in 2005. Ms. Pajaro-van de Stadt graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Roberto Diaz, Michael Tree, Misha Amory, and Joseph de Pasquale. She then received her Master’s Degree in String Quartet with the Dover Quartet at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, as a student of James Dunham.
- All programs, artists, and events may be subject to change.
- Cell phones and other electronic devices should be switched off prior to (and for the duration of) the performance.
- Photography and/or recording during the performance is strictly prohibited.
- Performances may be recorded and/or photographed by Chesapeake Music, and your attendance is considered consent to be photographed/recorded.
- Patrons who arrive after the start of the concert will be seated between movements or pieces at the discretion of the ushers.
- Outside food and drink is not permitted in the hall.
- Chesapeake Music will endeavor to make ice cold water available to all patrons prior to the concert and at intermission.
- Contact information for any questions and concerns: info@chesapeakemusic.org
What time should I arrive for the concert and how long is it?
Doors open at 1:15 p.m. and the concert is expected to last approximately 90 minutes, inclusive of a short intermission.
Do you offer any discounts or promotions?
Yes! Please refer to the list of promotions above, featuring a Winter Interlude Package (2-concert subscription), 2-for-1 tickets for new patrons, and free tickets for students, educators, and Talbot County First Responders. A parent of a student attending the concert is also eligible for a $10 ticket. Some discounts require inputting a promo code during checkout.
How will I receive my tickets? Will they be mailed to me? What if I lose them?
All purchases are completed digitally, with tickets also being sent digitally to your email. Please double-check your spam/junk folder for your tickets. We do not mail physical tickets. If you misplace your digital tickets by email, please contact info@chesapeakemusic.org and we can resend them to you. If you are unable to present a copy of your ticket for scanning when arriving at the venue, our ushers will be able to manually check you off our door list.
What is your refund and exchange policy?
Chesapeake Music is typically unable to offer refunds or cancellations, but we invite you to get in touch with us at info@chesapeakemusic.com if an emergency arises and you can no longer use your ticket(s).
How does seating work? Are there reserved seats? Is the venue accessible?
The Ebenezer Theater at Prager Family Center for the Arts seats approximately 160 visitors — around 120 on the main floor level with 40 in the balcony. Seats have unobstructed views. General admission is unreserved, though you may find a small handful of seats reserved for concert sponsors and musicians’ hosts.
There is elevator access from the street-level lobby up to the main seating area. The balcony is accessible by stairs only. The lobby does not have seating, so guests are encouraged to arrive no earlier than the “doors open” time noted on their tickets.
If there are further questions or concerns regarding mobility and accessibility at the venue, please do not hesitate to reach out to info@chesapeakemusic.org.