(Simon Iachemet | Photo courtesy of High Desert Chamber Music)
On Friday, November 7, High Desert Chamber Music continues our 18th season with a performance by Quatuor Agate, making their Central Oregon debut. I had the opportunity to speak with Simon Iachemet, cellist of the quartet, about growing up with music, the formation of Quatuor Agate and some of his musical influences.
Simon grew up in Toulouse, in the south of France. When he was four and a half, his father took him to a concert featuring the Bach Cello Suites. “My dad was convinced I’d be restless and that we’d have to leave halfway through,” Simon said. However, he was completely enamored with the musician and the sound of the instrument. Shortly after, he told his father he wanted to play this “big violin” and enrolled in the conservatory at age six. Around age 15, Simon knew he wanted to be a professional musician. Being in the conservatory, he was surrounded by others who shared the same dream, which made the path feel natural. “Around that time, I told my cello teacher I wanted to pursue music professionally. He didn’t sugarcoat it and warned me it would be a tough path. But he also told me I had the qualities to succeed if I gave it 100% and never lost my passion for music.”
Quatuor Agate was formed in 2016 in Berlin while its members were studying at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler. Before attending school, Simon often played quartets in the summer with Thomas and Raphaël (violinist and violist, respectively). In Germany, the three met Adrien (violinist), and they instantly connected. “We often snuck into the main hall at the Berlin radio building, where Thomas and Adrien were working with the orchestra,” Simon told me. “The hall was huge, and we’d pretend we were preparing for big concerts, experimenting with sound, trying to fill the space with nicely blended chords.” Soon after, they were selected for a major string quartet competition in Australia, which changed everything and led them to prepare seriously as a quartet.
Around the same time, the CorsiClassic Festival was also founded. Raphaël, who has Corsican roots, had the idea to start something in Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica. Simon joked, “Honestly, how could we resist the idea of spending summers on an island paradise in the Mediterranean, with incredible food, sunshine and crystal-clear water?” From the beginning, the main goal was to connect musicians with the local community, even when they were only performing for 15 people. Now celebrating its tenth season, the festival is still going strong.
When asked about music that holds special meaning for him, Simon gave a definitive answer – Schubert’s String Quartet. “It’s an absolute masterpiece. Anyone who hears it live can’t miss its beauty. But what struck me most was the very particular emotion it stirred in me: that bittersweet mix of melancholy and tenderness that is so uniquely Schubert.”
Please join us on Friday, November 7 at 7:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship for a riveting program of Mozart, Haydn and Ravel. There will be a concert preview at 6:45pm. This concert is brought to you by the Pine Tavern Restaurant. Tickets are available now through High Desert Chamber Music by phone or online. Come hear the music!