At first glance, the Balkan Quartet presents itself to be a stereotypical group of string instrument virtuosos. However, its latest performance in the Arts NOW Series dispelled this impression with an eclectic and energetic performance that would leave any music lover wanting more.

The Balkan Quartet is a string group from Atlanta, Ga. that plays music from contemporary composers and merge it with classical string quartet repertoire. The group is made up of four members: violinists Sinisa Ciric, Mirna Ogrizovic and Danijela Zezelj-Gualdi and cellist Martin Gueorgiuev. 

From the very beginning of the show, the performers played a chaotic, yet intricate song full of energy and life. The tune, Aleksandar Gajic’s Souvenir from Marinko’s Pond, was at times difficult to follow, but the skill of the performers kept pulling the audience back in with repeating hooks typical of more modern music you wouldn’t normally find at a string quartet concert. 

The first song was followed by the world premiere of  String Quartet No. 3, a composition written by N.C. State professor and Arts NOW Series Director, Rodney Waschka II, which was composed during his travels in the Balkan region and is dedicated to the Balkan Quartet. This piece continued the modern feel, and set the tone for the rest of the group’s performance.

The concert also featured a few tracks played off a CD player from electronic music composers Larry Austin and Allen Strange partway through the show. During these tracks, the performers stepped off stage and the music was all there was to set the mood.

Though many students are familiar with current popular electronic music, the music played at the concert was composed in the style of the early days of the genre – from the days when music was composed by splicing tape together and modifying every element of the sound manually.

The music ranged from sequences of synthesized bells to an odd mixture of cybernetic jungle animals, velociraptor attacks and a randomly interjected clowder of clamoring cats. The pieces were much more narrative in structure than the music of the live performers, which made for a surreal experience for those in a conducive mindset.

Following the culmination of these tracks, the Balkan Quartet once again took the stage. It continued on its previous trends of odd time signatures, heavy eastern European influence and contemporary composition. The rest of the set list showcased the group’s diversity and influences, and it was a very engaging performance throughout. 

I left the venue quite enthralled with the show, even through the wide variety of pieces the quartet played. I did feel that the addition of the computer music into the set list alienated a lot of the audience, and believe that in the future, these two kinds of music should be kept to separate performances. However, the combination of the Balkan Quartet’s energy and eclectic style with the story-like qualities of the electronic pieces created two arts experiences that were worth attending at least once, even for those who don’t possess a propensity for listening to either genre.