“These magical moments with the Zelter Quartet defy the virtual world. Be here now, for these particular wavelengths of sound that will never happen again.”
That’s how critic John Stodder described the Zelter String Quartet’s performance last year at Mount Wilson Observatory, where the Los Angeles ensemble returns Sunday for what Mount Wilson bills as a homecoming: “The Zelter String Quartet, back by popular demand!”
The August 3 concerts—at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.—will debut Todd Mason’s “The City of Angels,” a three-movement love letter to Los Angeles with movements titled “Restless City,” “Dream City,” and “Irrepressible City.” The world premiere shares the program with works by Beethoven.
The venue itself is extraordinary. Mount Wilson’s 100-inch telescope dome, designed by Chicago architect D.H. Burnham, provides acoustics that rival the great cathedrals of Europe. But concertgoers must earn their seats: accessing the dome requires climbing 53 steps, and at a mile high in elevation, the air is noticeably thinner.
The quartet—violinists Kyle Gilner and Gallia Kastner, violist Carson Rick, and cellist Allan Hon—formed in Los Angeles in 2018 and won gold in the 2021 Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition.
Composer Todd Mason brings local credentials to his world premiere. The Los Angeles native earned his master’s at Juilliard and received the ASCAP Young Composers Award, presented by Aaron Copland.
A reception with light refreshments will be held outside the dome at 4 p.m. between performances.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome: Zelter String Quartet will run on Sunday, August 3 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Mount Wilson Observatory, 100 Mount Wilson Circle Road, Mount Wilson. For more call (626) 214-8030 or visit https://www.mtwilson.edu/events/concert080325/. Tickets: $60.
