Vermeer Quartet calls it a career

For nearly 40 years, and through 11 members, three things have remained constant in the world of NIU’s Vermeer Quartet.

One is Shmuel Ashkenasi, who has played first violin since the start and will continue to fill that role at 8 p.m. tonight during the group’s final NIU concert.

The second, of course, is a passion about, and commitment to, chamber music.

The third, oddly, is a question: Where did that name come from? It’s a simple answer – Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter known for works such as “Girl with a Pearl Earring” – but one that has provided the quartet with plenty of good stories.

• Subsequent string quartets have chosen artists’ names, as the Vermeer’s original members did, rather than choosing the more traditional names of composers or cities.
• One NIU group spoofed the Vermeer with its name “Earl Scheib,” founder of the auto painting and body repair company famous for its slogan “I’ll paint any car, any color, for $99. No ups! No overs!”
• The Pella, Iowa-based Vermeer Manufacturing Co., which makes agricultural, construction, environmental and industrial equipment, brought the quartet to the 160-seat Pella Opera House for a concert.

But after four decades of circling the globe and playing an average of 70 concerts per year, cellist Marc Johnson believes “it’s probably the right time” for the final bows.

And after the last note fades into the upper reaches of the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, the quartet’s legacy will influence and impact NIU for many years to come.

“The contribution of the Vermeer Quartet to the School of Music, Northern Illinois University and the chamber music world is truly significant, through former students and graduate string quartets who continue the lineage of great artistry and teaching,” says Paul Bauer, director of the NIU School of Music.

“The Vermeer has attracted some of the most talented students in the world, enriching the learning and musical experience for all NIU music students and audiences. Through the decades, the quartet’s dedication to their students endures unmatched by many faculty in similar positions elsewhere, and their presence at NIU is the envy of many other institutions.”

“The Vermeer Quartet is one of the finest string quartets in the world,” adds Harold Kafer, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “They have also demonstrated the highest dedication as teachers of their students. That combination of artistry and commitment has made their contributions quite precious to us.”

Retirement planning became reality a few years ago.

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