Alexander Borodin (1833–87) was a famous Russian chemist who today is better known as one of the greatest Romantic composers of the 19th century. In the 1860s, he joined a group of composers, called "The Five," who were dedicated to promoting a national music that was distinctly Russian, in contrast to the traditions that prevailed in Germany and Italy. The Five did not compose many symphonies or works of chamber music, which they regarded as alien art forms, but Borodin nevertheless wrote two string quartets of great beauty and charm. The San Joaquin Quartet will perform his String Quartet No. 2 in D, which includes as its third movement the famous Nocturne. (In 1954, Borodin was posthumously honored with a Tony Award for the Nocturne and other music that comprised the score for the Broadway musical "Kismet.") The program will conclude with the famous Andante Cantabile from Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 1.