Quick Center for the Arts' audiences will enjoy a very special acoustic duo performance by Richard Marx and Matt Scannell featuring the Pacifica Quartet on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. at Fairfield University's premiere venue. The event is part of the Arts & Minds season.

Marx, the Grammy® Award winning artist who has sold over 30 million records worldwide, and Scannell, who with his multi platinum band, Vertical Horizon, ruled the airwaves in the late 90s, have been mutual fans of each other's work since the late 1990s.  Their friendship turned into collaboration and it has become an important part of both artists' lives as they find time in their busy schedules to tour.

Joining the singer-songwriter-producers onstage for the first time will be the Pacifica Quartet, an ensemble that has achieved international stature as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today and is recognized for its virtuosity and exuberant performance style.  With Simin Ganatra and Sibbi Bernardsson playing violin, Masumi Per Rostad on viola and Brandon Vamos on cello, the Quartet will join Marx and Scannell for much of the concert and lend a new dimension to these talented performers' sound.

"We became like brothers," says Marx. "But because Matt lives in L.A. and I live in Chicago, we don't get to hang out as much as we'd like. So we thought about using an acoustic duo show as an excuse to go to fun places, catch up with each other, and play music, which is our favorite thing to do."

Scannell confirms that their duo appearances "actually began as a pretty selfish exercise for us. But then the audiences not only showed up in strong numbers, but they were totally into what we were doing. These shows are nothing but a blast."

Marx describes the shows by saying, "We take turns but Matt plays and sings backup on my songs and vice-versa, and there are a couple of proper duets. I like to think, however, that as proud as we are of the live musical performances, it's what happens between the songs that's the real show." And Scannell adds, "We have the exact same twisted sense of humor and the atmosphere of our shows really lends itself to us talking to the audience and being completely in the moment."

And with the Pacifica Quartet on stage, anything can happen.

Tickets are $45, 40, 35 and are available online at fairfield.edu/quick or by calling the Box Office at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. Special offers and discounts are available through the Quick Center's e-mail list. Join, by contacting boxoffice@quickcenter.com . And become a fan of the Quick Center for the Arts on Facebook! Keep up-to-date with the latest performance news, plus special offers and discounts! Find the Quick Center at www.facebook.com/FairfieldQuickCenter.

Directions: Fairfield University is located off I-95, exit 22 at 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. Access to the Quick Center for the Arts is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road

Posted On: 09-17-2010 10:09 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 46