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Cinematic pop string quartet ATLYS to perform at Nazareth

Published January 11, 2024

Nazareth University's College of Visual, Performing Arts and Design's 2023/2024 Changemakers Series presents An Evening with ATLYS, a classically trained, all-female string quartet that pushes the boundaries of their genre to create an infinite world of crossover chamber music possibilities. The innovative musical group takes the Beston Hall stage in the Glazer Music Performance Center, 4245 East Ave., at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9. Reserved seated tickets to An Evening with ATLYS are $20-$40 and are available online at naz.edu/artscenter/tickets or through the box office at boxoffice@naz.edu. Nazareth students are admitted free of charge. 

The performance is presented in cooperation with Nazareth University's School of Music where the group will be in residence before the evening concert. ATLYS will lead a master class for School of Music students that is open to the public to watch (free) at 11 a.m. on Feb. 9, in the Wilmot Recital Hall. 

Hailed for being incredibly passionate and interactive, ATLYS creates a concert atmosphere that is absolutely mesmerizing. By using looping pedals and extending the traditional string instrument technique to include atmospheric and percussive textures, the inventive quartet creates captivating state-of-the-art symphonies from just their four instruments. Curating programs that are both diverse and intriguing, ATLYS has graced stages such as Red Rocks and the Gorge, and with over 1,000 performances under their belt, and over 10 million streams on Spotify, they have inspired listeners across the globe. ATLYS has revolutionized their paradigm, perfecting the art of remote recording, launching a YouTube channel, and publishing their singular arrangements. Crossing borders with incessant passion, ATLYS is always searching for new spaces, and distinctive methods, to captivate and inspire an ever-growing audience, live and virtual.

Using the string quartet as their blank canvas, the quartet's energetic and masterful musicians veer outside of the classical music box and the established acoustic soundscape to develop imaginative, unique covers of beloved pop and rock hits, striking original compositions, and a dose of classics. ATLYS maintains the precision and attention to detail for which they were trained and turns familiar tunes and melodies into something new and daring and different.

"They're taking the highly developed and tradition-steeped structure of the string quartet, and bringing it to the modern world," noted Nazareth's Arts Center Managing Director Kevin Schoonover. "They incorporate 21st century technology to continue evolving this art form and bring it to wider audiences."

Since their founding in 2016, ATLYS has had their music featured on several collaborative albums and music videos, in motion pictures, participated in the Human Rights Foundation's Oslo Freedom Forum, and were selected to represent New York's Lincoln Center in performances around the world, including a private performance for Oprah Winfrey.

Nazareth University's College of Visual, Performing Arts & Design's Changemakers Series spotlights artists and performers that have made significant and lasting contributions to their fields, redefining or reimagining their particular art form. This performance is the final offering in the 2023/2024 series.

More information about the Nazareth University Arts Center and its programs can be found at artscenter.naz.edu.

Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.

Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.