The Harlem Quartet
Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet, featuring Ilmar Gavilán, Melissa White, Jaime Amador, and Felix Umansky, has earned acclaim for its dynamic performances and fresh approach to classical music. Grammy-winning virtuoso Ted Nash of the Jazz at Lincoln Center has been quoted saying, "Harlem Quartet is one of the greatest string quartets I have ever heard. They can play anything.”
The ensemble has been featured on television spots such as the Today Show and performed for first lady Michelle Obama at the White House. They are most well-known for their innovative programming, through their own work and collaborations, which mixes classical repertoire with jazz, Latin and contemporary works by underrepresented composers, championing diversity in music. Equally dedicated to education, Harlem Quartet engages communities through residencies and outreach programs - their commitment recognized through grants like the Cultural Connections Artist-In Residence and Guarneri String Quartet grant. They have also served as quartet-in-residence at the Royal College of Music in London.
In collaboration with renowned artists like pianists Michael Brown and Awadagin Pratt, clarinetists Paquito D’Rivera and Anthony McGill, and jazz legends Stanley Clarke and John Patitucci, the quartet continues to push musical boundaries. Harlem Quartet's ongoing partnership with Imani Winds has resulted in acclaimed performances and a 2024 GRAMMY Award for their recording Passion for BACH & COLTRANE.
Highlights of Harlem Quartet's 2026-2027 season include performing half of the Beethoven cycle on the historic Slee Series at SUNY Buffalo, appearances with series including New York's Five Boroughs Music Festival, Music at Kohl Mansion, Chamber Music Raleigh, Richmond's Belvedere Series, and Puerto Rico's Pro Arte Musicale, collaborating once again with jazz pianist/composer Aldo López-Gavilán at New York's Music Mondays and Phoenix Chamber Music Society, and a feature with the Des Moines Symphony. Harlem Quartet also regularly participates in leading music festivals including Tanglewood, Ravinia, and Newport Classical.
These concerts mark the Harlem Quartet’s first appearance with the Des Moines Symphony.
The Harlem Quartet will join the Des Moines Symphony for Unity - American Mosaic & West Side Story, bringing Michael Abel's Urban Legends to life before the concert closes with Bernstein's electrifying Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.
Join us Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 PM & Sunday, September 27 at 2:30 PM at the Des Moines Civic Center!
