The Quartet Project

The Northland is fortunate in being able to provide high quality musical education for our young people. We have many fine school music programs supplemented by private instruction and youth orchestras, providing varied musical experiences for budding musicians. The Quartet Project, begun in 1997 at the inspiration of LSCO conductor Warren Friesen, has greatly enriched the musical opportunities for its participants.

      In a typical orchestra experience, the young players are members of a section. Their violin, viola, cello or bass is one of many. Their job is to blend in and support their fellows. By contrast, as a member of a quartet the musician is now the only person playing his or her instrument. The player can build a sense of confidence in his/her musical ability and play delightful music designed for a small chamber group. The Quartet Project, jointly sponsored by the LSCO and the University of Wisconsin-Superior, showcases individual quartets and provides participants with an opportunity to play on stage side by side with the LSCO in an expanded chamber orchestra piece.

      This year’s Sunday-through-Friday Quartet Project workshop will be held at UWS from June 24 through 29, 2007. Students are assigned to quartets and are sent their music ahead of time so they may arrive ready to start working together under the direction of an expert musician/coach, one for each quartet. Instructors include Erin Aldridge, DSSO concertmaster and UWS faculty member; Rebecca Peterson, principal cellist with the LSCO, cellist for the DSSO and member of the Gabriel String Quartet; Kevin Hoeschen and Laurie Bastian, both violinists with the LSCO and DSSO; and several other talented musicians. Erin Aldridge and Rebecca Peterson jointly run the Quartet Project, with Erin selecting the music and Rebecca being the organizer. The Quartet Project has attracted 5-7 quartets each year, with students from throughout the Twin Ports and Iron Range areas.

      Mornings and early afternoons are spent working on quartet music with the coaches and in solo practice. In the late afternoons, all the quartets come together under the direction of Erin Aldridge to rehearse the piece they will be performing with the LSCO. In addition, they have a full dress rehearsal with the LSCO on Tuesday evening. Before the Wednesday, June 27, evening concert, several of the quartets may be heard performing in the reception areas outside the Weber auditorium. On Thursday evening, the young musicians will take a break to enjoy pizza at their "No Talent Show." Friday, it’s back to business with a dress rehearsal for the Friday evening performance of their quartets.

      We are indeed lucky to enjoy the fruits of the Quartet Project in the Twin Ports. For more information about this year’s Quartet Project, call Rebecca Peterson at 218-724-8502.