Quartetto Sorrento to perform at Carmel Valley Summer Serenades Concert July 21
The fourth concert in the Carmel Valley Summer Serenades Concert Series, this Sunday, July 21, brings back Quartetto Sorrento, a string quartet that will showcase several classical selections. They are a departure from the usual dance/entertainment-style band and in their first appearance in the Summer Serenades last summer were very well received. The group will be playing in the amphitheater at the Carmel Valley Recreation Center from 5-7 p.m. and everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the wonderful sounds of this amazing quartet.
The group was formed in 2008 by Paula Simmons, a violist, and concert conductor to perform in venues throughout Southern California.
“It’s extremely difficult,” says Simmons, “to find people that are compatible both musically and personality-wise,” but she was able to get cellist Gordon Grubbs and violinists Alyze Dreiling and Greg Lawrence, all of the San Diego Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra, to come together to form Quartetto Sorrento. Paula lives here in Carmel Valley and is co-owner of the Violin Shop in Sorrento Valley, which is where the inspiration for the name came from.
Quartetto Sorrento will be performing five program pieces Sunday evening for everyone’s enjoyment. The first half of the evening will include: La Oracion del Torero (The Bullfighters Prayer) by Joaquin Turina; Lullaby by George Gershwin; and, Danzas de Panama by William Grant Still. After a short intermission they will return to play Quartet No. 6 “The America” by Anton Dvorak and finish up the evening with an original piece called Juntos Orta Vez (Together Again) by Gordon Grubbs, the cellist in the group.
The Summer Serenades Concert Series is brought to you by the Carmel Valley Recreation Council along with sponsors Pardee Homes, Cymer and Kilroy Realty Corp. The concerts are free and open to the public. Bring your family and friends and come enjoy an evening of live music. Blankets, beach chairs, food and drinks are all part of the ambience that make these Sunday afternoon concerts fun for everyone. If you have any questions or need more information, call the Carmel Valley Rec Center at 858-552-1616 or visit
and look under Entertainment/Summer Park Concerts.
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