Clarice Assad’s NEXUS was commissioned for the Takács Quartet by primary commissioner Justus Schlichting for the Segerstrom Center, Costa Mesa 
in partnership with co-commissioners, Carnegie Hall, University of Maryland, Middlebury College, BroadStage, Chamber Music in Napa Valley, Portland Friends of Chamber Music, 
Cal Performances Berkeley and the University Musical Society at the University of Michigan.

PROGRAM NOTES

NEXUS was inspired by watching the Takács Quartet’s visceral, whole-body approach to musical expression. NEXUS amplifies the natural physicality of chamber music performance into choreographed symbolism.

NEXUS explores the magnetic forces that draw us together and apart in our modern physical and virtual worlds—the invisible threads of influence, the seductive pull of belonging, and the courage required to maintain an authentic and diverse voice within a collective. It achieves this by theatrically incorporating metaphorical scenes of systems that demand uniformity, mining the essence of those who want to exist authentically. It concludes with a message about being fully oneself while contributing to collective harmony, requiring both individual courage and collective wisdom.

The journey of NEXUS begins with Movement I, “(Dis)connection,” where four musicians enter a sonic landscape where individual voices seem to find each other organically. Slowly, people begin to recognize each other and form groups, until a grounded, gravitational force, portrayed by the cello, emerges, drawing everyone into its hypnotic orbit. In Movement II “Connection,” the controlling force orchestrates traditional togetherness, uniting in quartet formation, creating music through subtle nods and careful invitations. It is structured and feels familiar, but the harmony is soon dispersed by an individual’s need for control and rigidity. In the final movement, “Synchronization,” the exchange gradually transforms into rigid conformity and trend-following; individual gestures become collective commands, portrayed by choreographed head movements and bodies that mirror each other and fall into lockstep. As synchronization intensifies, it becomes mechanical and routine. For a while, there seems to be a flow in this new setting, and all players seem to go along. But at some point, towards the end, in a somewhat unusual move, some choose withdrawal, stopping the pattern and fading into the background. Others choose transformation, remaining to reclaim the space for authentic expression. Both are acts of liberation with costs and gifts. A final gesture from the shadows offers support across the divide between those who leave and those who stay.