Sadie Groner

Staff Writer

This post was originally published on October 29.

Last Thursday, the Music at Noon Series hosted the innovative and eccentric performers the Beo String Quartet. Featuring violinists Jason Neukom and Andrew ‘Gio’ Giordano, violist Sean Neukom, and cellist Ryan Ash, the performance lasted roughly an hour and presented seven compositions. 

Before attending the concert, I was aware of the group’s diverse repertoire, but I was thoroughly unprepared for the journey their music would take me on. Experts in versatility, Beo defies classification. Their classical performances were grandiose, their contemporary pieces shocking, and their experimentation with sound awe-inspiring. It didn’t feel so much like I was sitting through a presentation of their finely honed talent, though that was enough to make the hour more than worth it, rather it felt like a window into the intimate human experience. Just as often as the compositions were romantic and extravagant, they were also bleak and vicious.

With every piece so mercilessly inspiring, it was nearly a relief to watch the musicians’ bows rise and listen to the introductions of the following works. Listening to these prefaces, I got to understand the music and the musicians performing much better. Expertly familiar with their craft, Beo didn’t present themselves and their work as something unattainable and indecipherable to the laymen; they spoke clearly and colloquially. Regardless of the member announcing the next piece, they all spoke with a similar sort of passion and earnestness. Jokes were cracked as often as shocking plots were revealed. The quartet seemed to make every effort to include the audience in the magnificence of the art form.

The show concluded with Sean Neukom’s original composition, El Balcón. Based on the near-death experience of Sean and Jason’s mother, Maricarmen, the piece is a breathtaking blend of classical technique and modern innovation. At the end of an hour of primarily traditional classical music, seeing Beo begin to pluck their strings by hand and chant in both English and Spanish was genuinely mesmerizing. The crescendo of the piece was chaotic and slightly terrifying in its intensity, but already I’ve found myself replaying it half a dozen times since my first viewing. By far, it was my favorite performance of the day.  

The inclusion of the Beo String Quartet to our Music at Noon lineup has made the series all the more trustworthy as a source of diverse and innovative musical talent. The next performance in the series will be held Nov 10, and while I thoroughly look forward to it, the Beo String Quartet has indisputably raised the bar.