Jukebox: “Heavy Metal Strings,” ArtsRiot, Burlington, Friday, April 11
It’s been more than three weeks since the official start of spring, but I wasn’t convinced until I caught my first outdoor show of the year — kind of. I knew the Vermont Symphony Orchestra‘s Jukebox quartet had sold out both of its “Heavy Metal Strings” shows last Friday at ArtsRiot, and though I had a very busy night on the books, I hoped to sneak in and catch a few bangers. Jukebox is made up of four of the VSO’s top bow-wielding shredders: Brooke Quiggins-Saulnier and Joana Genova on violin, Stefanie Taylor on viola, and John Dunlop on cello. They perform previously unimagined classical takes on pop and rock hits — including Nirvana‘s “In Bloom.” That was one of two Kyle Saulnier arrangements for this season’s touring program, curated by VSO artistic adviser Matt LaRocca. With only a few minutes to spare, I never made it into the venue but found the perfect line of sight to enjoy the quartet from my own private outdoor viewing area — the otherwise empty Pine Street sidewalk. And I didn’t even buy a ticket. How metal is that?
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2025.
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