April 11 – Beethoven 200: Music in Motion – The Dolphins Quartet and Marina Iwao

Concert sponsored by BrandTech Scientific, Inc.

Where and When:

VALLEY REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
256 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River, CT
Click here to view in Google maps.

Sunday, April 11, 2027

Concert begins at 3:00 pm; outer doors and auditorium doors open at 2:30 pm.

Accessible parking, entry and seating are available.

Concert Program:

The Dolphins Quartet:
Luke Henderson, violin
Isaac Park, violin
James Preucil, viola
Ian Maloney, cello

with

Marina Iwao, piano

Beethoven 200: Music in Motion

String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op 74 (Harp) – Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Three Preludes for Piano – George Gershwin (1898-1937)
College (1927 Buster Keaton film) with live film score – Stephen Prutsman (b. 1960)

Artist Biographies:

The Dolphins Quartet

The Dolphins Quartet is a string quartet and composer collective dedicated to uniting spirits through musical interpretation, innovation, and improvisation. Based in New York City and formed at The Juilliard School, the Dolphins strive to make chamber music vibrant, relevant, personal, and reflective of our time. Their programs regularly feature works from the classical canon alongside underappreciated gems and original compositions.

The Dolphins have performed, taught, and collaborated across the United States. In Spring 2024, they were recognized as finalists in the Concert Artists Guild competition and have given masterclasses at major institutions including Duke and Shenandoah Universities. They are proud recipients of recent grants, including a Project Grant from the Marks Center at Juilliard and the 2025 Salon de Virtuosi Career Advancement Grant.

At Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the quartet presented the Juilliard premieres of Mieczysław Weinberg’s String Quartet No. 4 and Heitor Villa-Lobos’ String Quartet No. 5. They work closely with living composers, with recent collaborations including John Corigliano, Andy Akiho, and Jessie Montgomery. Their journey as composers began in 2023 with The Dolphin Miniatures, followed by The Angel Fire Quartet in 2024. That same year, they made their orchestral solo debut performing John Adams’ Absolute Jest at David Geffen Hall, conducted by the composer with the Juilliard Orchestra.

Festival appearances include Music from Angel Fire, the St. Lawrence Seminar, Kneisel Hall, and the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, where they premiered their original work Tales from the Great Lakes in June 2025. The following month, they traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, teaching in the Ghetto Classics program in partnership with Project: Music Heals Us.

The Dolphins currently serve as the Arts Leadership Ensemble for Project: Music Heals Us, where they help lead Music for the Future, an initiative bringing Juilliard’s composition curriculum to correctional facilities nationwide. In Spring 2025, they launched the inaugural edition of their own Young Composers Program, culminating in eleven world premieres by middle and highschool-aged student composers from the NYC-area.

The quartet has been mentored by many of the field’s most revered artists, including Joel Krosnick, Laurie Smukler, Fred Sherry, Molly Carr, Joseph Lin, Nina Lee, Natasha Brofsky, and Catherine Cho.

This fall, The Dolphins will release their debut album, Dolphins at Play, featuring their three original compositions. Upcoming highlights include performances in the Schneider Concerts and Salon de Virtuosi series, as well as a December album release Dolph-celebration.

In their free time, The Dolphins enjoy playing frisbee together and exploring nature wherever they travel. Additionally, Ian is a savvy rock-climber, James is a pie-baking connoisseur, Isaac is a master of various video games, and Luke actively maximizes his spice tolerance. And yes, they can swim.

Marina Iwao

Marina Iwao is a Japanese-born pianist acclaimed for her nuanced artistry, expressive range, and deep commitment to ensemble playing. Praised for her sensitivity, clarity, and versatility, she has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Frank Morelli, David Shifrin, Quatuor Debussy, Tara O’Connor, and Daniel Phillips, among many others.

An avid chamber musician, she performs regularly in recitals and at festivals across the U.S. Recent highlights include performances at Music from Angel Fire in New Mexico and a fall 2025 tour with clarinetist David Shifrin. She also gave the world premiere of Margaret Brouwer’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano with clarinetist Thomas Piercy at the 2023 International ClarinetFest in Denver.

A passionate advocate for contemporary music, Marina is a member of Random Access Music, a New York City-based collective of composers and performers. She brings the same depth of interpretation and artistic commitment to both classical and contemporary repertoire, building meaningful connections with music of all eras.

Marina’s dedication to ensemble playing began early. In high school, long before encountering the term “collaborative piano,” she discovered a deep joy in accompanying her friends—a passion that would shape her artistic identity. She went on to earn her Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Jonathan Feldman and Dr. Lydia Brown. Her summer festival experience includes the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and a two-year fellowship at the Yale School of Music from 2022 to 2024.

In addition to her active performing career, Marina is a devoted educator. She has served on the faculty of the New England Music Camp and the Philadelphia International Music Festival. She currently holds positions as a staff pianist at The Juilliard School and Kaufman Music Center, and teaches chamber music at the School for Strings in New York City.