The latest release from the Catalyst String Quartet features music by Johann Sebastian Bach, and Glenn Gould on Azica Records. Bach never composed a string quartet, and Glenn Gould is known primarily as a perfomer - so this new release, The Glenn Gould Project, certainly had the KMFA staff interested from the get-go!

"It all began on a car ride on tour through the rolling California hills," says the Catalyst Quartet."When we came across a recording of the Glenn Gould String Quartet, we were delighted to discover this work that was new to us at the time, not knowing that the artist who was so revered for his unabashed interpretations of Bach (and others), had also composed a monumental 40 minute soliloquy for string quartet."

So how did they go from Gould's music to the pianist's most celebrated recording, The Goldberg Variations? "How could we help celebrate Gould's contribution to the string quartet repertoire and also contribute to the repertoire in a way that continues his legacy of unbound creativity?" Over the course of about a year and half,  "we arranged, edited, worked, interpreted, RE-interpreted, and RE-edited the entire Bach Goldberg Variations!" They took to the manuscript and began arranging it in a way that highlights the string quartet and its capacity for dynamic interplay, with a focus on highlighting the inherent counterpoint that is true to the nature of Bach's music.

Recently KMFA's John Clare spoke with Catalyst Quartet members Violinist Karla Donehew-Perez, and Cellist Karlos Rodriguez. Hear their conversation by clicking the orange audio play button above.

KMFA audiences might remember hearing the Catalyst Quartet last October at the Sphinx Virtuosi concert at Bass Hall for Texas Performing Arts. Find out where they are playing this season here. Be sure to listen for "The Glenn Gould Project" on KMFA 89.5FM!