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Last year’s quiet dissolution of LiveARTS may have given the impression that one of Franklin’s musical gems had vanished for good.
But not so fast.
A determined group of musicians and local arts supporters is bringing the LiveARTS String Quartet back to life — with a concert on Sunday, November 16, at 3 p.m. at the Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central Street. Admission is free, with voluntary donations warmly welcomed.
The goal, according to violinist Donald Krishnaswami who served for eight years on the LiveARTS board, is to launch a renewed string-quartet chamber music series centered in Franklin.
Founded in 2001 at the First Universalist Society (though independent from the church), LiveARTS became known for presenting world-class artists, often from well beyond the Boston orbit.: top-caliber performances nearby at a fraction of the cost, he noted.
The LiveARTS String Quartet itself emerged in 2009, when Krishnaswami invited colleagues from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to collaborate. Their first appearance featured the world premiere of his String Quartet No. 1; another concert followed the next year, and soon the group became LiveARTS’ beloved quartet-in-residence, performing annually.
But as with many volunteer-run arts organizations, LiveARTS eventually reached a point of burnout. When the board announced its closure, local composer and Franklin resident Jon Mitchell was dismayed. He emailed then-president David Burnham to ask whether the decision was final — a message Krishnaswami saw as well.
“I thought, what about the quartet?” he says. He reached out privately to Mitchell, and within days the two, along with Burnham, met at Birchwood Bakery. What Krishnaswami expected to be a tentative discussion turned quickly into a revelation: the wheels were already in motion. Two longtime LiveARTS patrons had spoken with the Franklin Historical Museum, partial funding was lined up, and a concert date was ready to lock in.
Mitchell downplays his role, saying he merely connected a few key people: Krishnaswami, retired music educator Randy LaRosa, Dean College choral conductor Timothy Ayers, and Historical Commission chair Alan Earls.
The November concert will feature a world-class ensemble, including violinist Gregory Vitale-Newton, concertmaster of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra and frequent soloist on the Charles River Esplanade, among others.
And, a performance of the lively Franklin Grand March, composed for the community by local composer Edwin Trowbridge (possibly for the town's upcoming Centennial) in the mid- 1870s.
The rest of the program will include string quartet masterworks by Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms.
You may donate via the LASQ's Gofundme campaign
