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May 9, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

1A Arts Lead

Chesapeake Music Seeks New Full-Time Executive Director

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Chesapeake Music on Maryland’s Eastern Shore has a mission to bring renowned classical and jazz musicians to delight, engage, and surprise today’s audiences and to educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s. Historically, the organization has operated with two part-time staff, several contractors, and a robust volunteer corps. Today, Chesapeake Music is seeking its first full-time Executive Director to build meaningful relationships with an array of stakeholders and be able to articulate the importance of its work in the cultural life of the community it serves.

Chesapeake Music was established in 1985 by a group of dedicated chamber music lovers committed to providing regional audiences with the opportunity to hear the world’s finest chamber music artists. It now offers year-round concerts, youth outreach and appreciation programming, the biennial Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition for Young Professionals, and its signature and founding event, the annual Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival – attracting renowned artists and devoted audiences to the historic town of Easton, Maryland.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Chesapeake Music to focus on ways to strengthen our unique concerts and events while working to broaden our vision, our scholastic outreach, and our visibility.  We look forward to meeting with candidates who will bring professional expertise and new perspectives,” comments Barry Koh, board president.

Over the last three-and-a-half decades Chesapeake Music has welcomed an impressive array of the most talented and renowned chamber musicians. It is considered to be a gem in the local community and has become one of the most respected small chamber music organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Candidates for the position of Executive Director will be goal-oriented, inclusive, and persistent in pursuing priorities focused on successful outcomes. The Executive Director will be required to demonstrate transparency, provide consistent leadership, and exhibit flexibility to navigate unexpected circumstances with thoughtful, strategic, and analytical decision-making. They also must have a passion for music and the ability to articulate the importance of music, education, and culture. Leading candidates will also have experience in finance, operations, development, relationship management, and strategic planning.

The application deadline for this position is February 18, 2024. Application instructions and a complete job description are available at ChesapeakeMusic.org/Careers

Based in Easton, Maryland, Chesapeake Music is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring renowned jazz and classical musicians to delight, engage and surprise today’s audiences, and educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s. They have been doing it for more than 35 years! To learn more about Chesapeake Music, visit their website at https://chesapeakemusic.org/.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Kaleidoscope String Quartet Visits Talbot County Elementary School Students

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Chesapeake Music’s YouthReach Program recently sponsored the return of the Kaleidoscope String Quartet of New York City to provide classroom visits at Chapel District Elementary School in Cordova and White Marsh Elementary School in Trappe. Students in the second, third, fourth, and fifth grades were able to hear the group perform in assemblies and provide small classroom instruction on its orchestral string instruments.

The YouthReach Program aligns with Chesapeake Music’s mission statement to “bring renowned musicians to delight, engage and surprise today’s audiences and educate, inspire and develop tomorrow’s.”

Kaleidoscope String Quartet has been coming to Talbot County twice a year. Last December, when the group visited it also offered a free community concert for the public at the Ebenezer Theatre and there are hopes it will do the same when it returns to Talbot County in February.

“At this time, the arts are having a difficult time continuing to attract young people at the level they have in the past. The pandemic contributed to that. In addition, audiences who appreciate chamber music are aging, so Chesapeake Music needs to invest in bringing younger people to experience and appreciate this type of music. This program is a way to build these audiences,” states Ed Smith, Chesapeake Music Board Member and YouthReach Committee Chair.

The performing members of the Kaleidoscope String Quartet were Caeli Smith on viola; Suliman Tekalli on violin; Erica Tursi on violin; and Laura Andrade on cello.

“The Quartet members shared with students how they can communicate with each other without words, and how they pick tempos and convey that tempo when they start a piece. They also talked about the role of a conductor in a larger organization and had a couple of the students volunteer to come up and conduct the Quartet and change the tempos. That was a lot of fun,” Smith adds.

Another thing the Quartet did was to talk with the students about how composers include elements of their personal history and culture in their music. Students talked about what’s special about Talbot County and their culture, including the environment, the cornfields, and the crabs. Quartet members created a musical theme for the elements the students suggested creating an improvised piece of music that sounded very contemporary.

“The students were very interested in the music even though it may not be as melodious or familiar as a Mozart or Beethoven piece. Part of what Chesapeake Music is trying to do is bring the classics and keep up with what’s going on in contemporary music as well,” Smith explains.

Chesapeake Music Board member Nancy Larson adds, “I will say that those of us who were observing were just so impressed with how the Quartet so easily engaged the students, drawing them in and encouraging their participation which they did very enthusiastically! It was such a joy to watch.”

“The remarkable people behind Chesapeake Music helped to bring the incredibly talented Caeli Smith and the Kaleidoscope String Quartet to two of our elementary schools. The classroom visits, along with the grade level concerts, have been invaluable in helping to shape our students’ love of music, and in particular, the string family. Most other musical experiences that our students participate in often do not feature the strings in any prominent way. Chesapeake Music has been instrumental in working to elevate chamber music in our schools. I hope to continue this partnership for many years to come,” adds James Redman, Title I Coordinator, Curriculum Supervisor, Talbot County Public Schools.

Friends of Chesapeake Music who lived in Oxford housed the quartet which gave them a local Eastern Shore experience.

Based in Easton, Maryland, Chesapeake Music is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring renowned jazz and classical musicians to delight, engage and surprise today’s audiences, and educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s. They have been doing it for more than 35 years! To learn more about Chesapeake Music, visit its website at https://chesapeakemusic.org/.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Margaret Enloe-North Becomes Interim Executive Director of Chesapeake Music.

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In early September, career nonprofit professional and consultant Margaret Enloe-North assumed the leadership at one of Talbot County’s premiere organizations for bringing amazing artists and performances to the Mid-Shore.

“We are very pleased to welcome Margaret as part of the Chesapeake Music team!” says Board President Barry Koh. “I know that her nonprofit experience will prove to be invaluable as we move forward and ultimately search for a new, permanent Executive Director in the spring.”

Enloe-North has spent her 30-year career entirely in the nonprofit sector.  Having launched her new business, the Firebird Coaching & Consulting in 2021, she now serves as a coach for individual clients and small businesses and provides nonprofit clients with expert support in the areas of leadership, master planning, strategic communications, programming and fundraising.

“I really love serving as an Interim ED for organizations that are doing great work! My role allows a Board of Directors the opportunity to deeply reflect on the organization’s future while also knowing that daily operations will continue to work smoothly,” explains Enloe-North. “And I am really looking forward to working alongside the Board as we envision and lead Chesapeake Music into a new era. I have always appreciated both jazz and classical music and am delighted to help them bring renowned and up-and-coming musicians to the Mid-Shore that delight and surprise our audiences.”

Based in Easton, Maryland, Chesapeake Music is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring renowned jazz and classical musicians to delight, engage and surprise today’s audiences, and educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s. They have been doing it for more than 35 years! To learn more about Chesapeake Music or to purchase tickets to this concert, visit their website at https://chesapeakemusic.org/.

 

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Don Buxton Retires as Executive Director of Chesapeake Music

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In 1985, a dedicated group of chamber music lovers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore was approached by the late Ralph Bloom to establish what was initially called the Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival. Assisted that year by clarinetist J. Lawrie Bloom and later by cellist Marcie Rosen, Artistic Directors, Donald Buxton of Royal Oak became the organization’s founding Executive Director. The festival continued to blossom over the next 38 years under their leadership. In August, Buxton retired from Chesapeake Music, the Festival’s parent organization, leaving a musical legacy he hadn’t dreamed could happen.

Buxton, a Juilliard graduate, first helped found the Talbot Chamber Orchestra, which did concerts at the Talbot County Historical Society Auditorium. He served as Associate Conductor of the orchestra and he and his wife Merideth played with the orchestra. Over the years, he was also conductor of the Dover Symphony and along with others founded the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and served as its conductor.

“The personal journey to make the arts important in Talbot County was a journey of love and necessity. When Meredith and I moved here in 1982, there was not a lot happening in the arts. I felt there needed to be a robust arts community in Easton and the surrounding area. Building that legacy has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” stated Buxton.

Over the years, the Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival grew into a two-week event in early June, including concerts, recitals, and open rehearsals in venues ranging from concert halls to churches, museums, and waterfront estates across the Mid-Shore. The organization was one of the first organizations to do concerts in the renovated Avalon space and Buxton helped Ellen General become the Avalon’s first executive director while also serving on its board.

In 2002, the organization expanded its operation to include the Chesapeake Chamber Music Competition, a competition for young emerging chamber music ensembles. In 2004, the first biennial Competition became international in scope, drawing from international conservatories. Concerts between the annual Festivals joined the programming mix in 2004. In 2006, the organization was approached by musician Merideth Buxton, Don’s wife, who made a presentation about an outreach program that became the First Strings Program. The program helped elementary school students in third or fourth grade to improve listening, gain self-confidence in performing, use teamwork to exhibit cooperation and self-control, and have fun while learning the skills needed to play the violin. In 2006, Chesapeake Music’s YouthReach program was developed as a response to an ongoing nationwide decline of funding and lack of prioritization for music education, bringing musicians into the schools for live and virtual work with students.

In July 2008, Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival became Chesapeake Chamber Music, Inc., to better reflect the organization’s geographic location and scope near the Chesapeake Bay. In 2009, Chesapeake Chamber Music offered a single concert featuring the renowned jazz pianist Monty Alexander, creating the Monty Alexander Jazz Festival over Labor Day weekend. Chesapeake Music soon added its Interlude concerts which feature chamber music stars of the next generation and jazz greats. The organization’s move in 2021 to the Ebenezer Theater enabled Chesapeake Music to acquire its own 9-foot Steinway Concert Grand piano something the festival musicians wanted for many years. At the Ebenezer Theater, Chesapeake Music now had an opportunity for year-round programming.

Running such an ambitious music program over the years with only a part-time staff has had its challenges. According to Buxton, “It took a village to run an organization this large – in particular a volunteer cadre of 150 people. In addition, I relied on a dedicated board of 19 members with diverse professional backgrounds, who brought energy, talent, and treasure to the organization.”

Don added, “Chesapeake Chamber Music is a much broader organization today because it has continued to grow and evolve strategically while bringing renowned musicians to delight, engage, and surprise today’s audiences and educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s.”

Barry Koh, President of Chesapeake Music, reflected on Don’s impact and said, “Chesapeake Music will continue to grow in its offerings of fine music and musicians thanks in large measure to Don having built a robust arts appreciation in our mid-shore community.”

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Terra String Quartet Returns to Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival

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On June 15, 16, and 17, Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival audiences will discover the Terra String Quartet, fresh from winning the Bronze Medal at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. They will perform Beethoven’s F-major Quartet, with its second movement inspired by Romeo and Juliet’s tomb scene; they will delight in the “symphonic” sound of César Franck’s Piano Quintet in F minor, a work that expresses Franck’s unfulfilled love for his young composition student, Augusta Holmès; and on Closing Night, they will experience Britten’s second String Quartet, a work considered one of the most important string quartets of the 20th century.

The Terra String Quartet is a vibrant young international ensemble based in New York City. Chamber music audiences will remember them as one of the finalists of the 2022 Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition at the Ebenezer Theater, in Easton, MD. They went on to win the Gold Medal and the Grand Prize of the 2022 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition at the University of Notre Dame.

They are composed of graduates of The Juilliard School’s prestigious Honors Chamber Music Program, The New England Conservatory, Harvard University, and the Manhattan School of Music. Their name is a nod to their multicultural origins – together, this foursome represents five continents and speaks six languages.

Terra String Quartet: (L-R) Ramón Carrero-Martínez, viola; Harriet Langley, violin; Audrey Chen, cello; and Amelia Dietrich, violin. (Photo by Ishan Thakore)

Praised for their “remarkable maturity and musicality” and “superb ensemble playing” (Hyde Park Herald, Chicago), these four musicians, through their unique individuality as artists, are committed to infusing the string quartet repertoire with equal parts passion, vitality, and humor. They craft programs to tell a unique tale about the people, places, and ideas behind great works of the past and masterpieces of the present.

Commenting on their performances at the Festival, the Quartet stated, ”We are excited to share works by Beethoven, Britten, and Franck with everyone! Beethoven’s quartet is a joy to explore. The Britten quartet looks back in time, both far, with elements borrowed from Baroque and Neoclassical structures, and near, having been written in the shadow of WWII. It is a privilege to explore the unique language of each composer paying tribute to their artistic forefathers and making sense of their surroundings.”

TSQ has performed at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, at Alice Tully Hall as part of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ “Wednesdays at One” series. They also participated in the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival’s Winter Workshop in North Carolina, where they performed with renowned pianist Robert McDonald, also featured during Week 1 of the Festival, June 9-11. Their mentors and coaches include Ara Gregorian and Hye-Jin Kim, also featured in the Festival, as well as Catherine Cho, the Festival co-Artistic Director.

TSQ is a member of Le Dimore del Quartetto in Italy, a creative cultural enterprise that supports international young chamber music ensembles at the beginning of their career, and is the first quartet to have been chosen to participate in the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival’s Professional Fellowship Program at East Carolina University. They will compete in the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition in July and perform at the Emilia Romagna Festival (Italy) in August.

When these accomplished musicians are not making music, they engage in hobbies as varied as power walking and tea appreciation (Harriet Langley, violin), cooking and interior design (Amelia Dietrich, violin), chess, and salsa dancing (Ramón Carrero-Martínez, viola) and drawing and making greeting cards (Audrey Chen, cello). They will touch your heart, as many found out at their Competition performance.

Details on the 2023 Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival can be found at chesapeakemusic.org/festival.

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Chesapeake Music Brings Jazz Artist Mary Halvorson to the Eastern Shore

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Chesapeake Music is thrilled to present international performing guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson, winner of multiple DownBeat magazine critics poll awards and MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” fellow. Halvorson will be appearing with her Amaryllis sextet on Friday, July 7, 2023, at the Ebenezer Theatre in downtown Easton, Maryland. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are available at ChesapeakeMusic.org.

Halvorson has released over a dozen albums as a bandleader, and 60 plus as a collaborator or sidewoman. She has worked with such diverse musicians as Tim Berne, Anthony Braxton, Taylor Ho Bynum, John Dieterich, Trevor Dunn, Bill Frisell, Ingrid Laubrock, Jason Moran, Joe Morris, Tom Rainey, Jessica Pavone, Tomeka Reid, Marc Ribot, and John Zorn.

“We are fortunate to be able to bring one of New York City’s most in-demand guitarists, Mary Halvorson, and her sextet to Easton,” says Don Buxton, Executive Director of Chesapeake Music.

“This is truly a unique opportunity.”

Mary Halvorson’s Amaryllis Sextet to Perform at Ebenezer Theater. (photo credit – Ernest Stuart)

Halvorson’s most recent albums, released in May 2022, showcase her string quartet writing, interpreted by The Mivos Quartet (Belladonna), alongside her new sextet (Amaryllis), which she is bringing to Easton. The sextet features Adam O’Farrill, described by the New York Times as “among the leading trumpeters in jazz;” Jacob Garchik on trombone who, among other things, has contributed over 115 arrangements and transcriptions for the Kronos Quartet; Patricia Brennan on vibraphone, described by The New York City Jazz Record as “one of the instrument’s newer leaders:” Nick Dunston on bass, described by the New York Times as an “indispensable player on the New York avant-garde [scene];” and last but not least Tomas Fujiwara on drums. Fujiwara has been described by Nate Chinen of the New York Times as having “a way of spreading out the center of a pulse while setting up a rigorous scaffolding of restraint…A conception of the drum set as a full-canvas instrument, almost orchestral in its scope.”

Come listen to whom Steve Dollar of the Wall Street Journal called “one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz—or otherwise,” and whom Francis Davis of the Village Voice described as “one of today’s most formidable bandleaders.”

Based in Easton, Maryland, Chesapeake Music is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring renowned jazz and classical musicians to delight, engage and surprise today’s audiences, and educate, inspire and develop tomorrow’s. They’ve been doing it for more than 35 years! To learn more about Chesapeake Music, visit their website at https://chesapeakemusic.org/.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

The Orion String Quartet Returns to the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival in Easton

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A treat awaits Chesapeake Music’s 2023 Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival goers on June 9, 10 and 11 at the Ebenezer Theater. The internationally-acclaimed Orion String Quartet will perform Haydn’s energetic, at times mysterious C-major Quartet, “The Bird,” Beethoven’s brilliant Quartet in B-flat Major and Bartók’s sixth String Quartet, as well as Brahms’ second String Sextet, with the Festival Artistic Directors violinist Catherine Cho and cellist Marcy Rosen.  Sadly, this will be one of the last opportunities for Eastern Shore chamber music patrons to see the Orion perform. The Quartet will retire at the end of the 2023-24 season, concluding an illustrious 36-year partnership. The members intend to continue their individual teaching and performing careers.

“Having had the privilege for so many years to explore and perform some of the greatest music ever written, we have come to feel that many of these works have actually become a part of our physical and spiritual being,” the Quartet said. “We have chosen to leave our audiences with some final presentations that still fully articulate what we have experienced in this wondrous journey. We look forward to continuing to reach out to inspire people with our recordings, individual performances, and our love of teaching.”

The members of the Quartet, violinists Daniel and Todd Phillips, violist Steven Tenenbom and cellist Timothy Eddy, are Artist Members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.  They are especially drawn to Beethoven and recorded his complete string quartets over a five-year period.  During 2017-18, their 30th anniversary season as a quartet, they performed all these quartets over six evenings at the Mannes School of Music where they held the position of quartet-in-residence for 27 years.

Orion String Quartet, back row, from left to right are Timothy Eddy, cello; Steven Tenenbom, viola; and Daniel Phillips, violin; and in the front row, Todd Phillips, violin. (Photo by Andreas Hafenscher)

Daniels Phillips notes, “We are completely exhausted when we play Beethoven.  His music is very demanding, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  At the same time, he uses very simple notes, which everyone can understand to the greatest effect on the listener. It is brilliant. Beethoven famously said to musicians who complained how difficult his music was, that he gave them ‘music from the Gods.’ This is how we feel!”

Admired for their diverse programming that juxtaposes masterworks of the quartet literature with key works of the 20th and 21st centuries, the Orion is on the cutting edge of programming through commissions from composers ranging from Chick Corea to Wynton Marsalis and a creative partnership with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.

The Orion Quartet is named after the Constellation Orion as a metaphor for the personality each musician brings to the group in its collective pursuit of the highest musical ideals.

“We each want to play the way we want to play,” Phillips muses.  “To achieve a great sound requires good chemistry, and good ensemble skills; one must learn how to listen, know how much to lead and how much to follow.  If you always follow, you will be late.  If you always lead, the others don’t have a chance to make their voice heard.  It is an ongoing interesting challenge to get the balance right.  Ultimately, it is a very democratic process,” he concludes.

Festival 2023 is thrilled to have the Orion String Quartet join us to celebrate our 38th Anniversary year. Sponsors of this year’s Festival include Talbot Arts, the Maryland State Arts Council, Paul and Joanne Prager, and our donors. Please go to chesapeakemusic.org to order tickets for the in-theater or video-recorded performances.

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Chesapeake Music Brings Jazz to the Eastern Shore this Spring

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Chesapeake Music is thrilled to present the exuberant jazz sounds of composer, arranger, and saxophonist Stephen Philip Harvey and his octet, SPH8, on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at the Ebenezer Theatre in downtown Easton, Maryland.

Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (photo credit: A Weil)

Harvey and his octet, many of whom are leaders in their own right, will be performing Elemental, a new suite of compositions inspired by the classical elements: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Harvey will also be entertaining the audience with octet reductions of his big band music and original arrangements.

“We are fortunate to bring Stephen and his exuberant and joyful jazz to Easton,” says Don Buxton, Executive Director of Chesapeake Music. “You won’t want to miss this one.”

As a musician and bandleader, Harvey has performed extensively in the Mid-Atlantic region and the surrounding area. Several projects under his belt include his electric quintet, Sphinx, his mid-sized jazz combo, SPH8, and his large ensemble, the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra.

As a composer and arranger, Stephen has worked with a diverse array of musicians and instrumentations; composing for solo instrument to wind ensemble, jazz combo to large ensembles. It is his practice to funnel his eclectic musical background into his compositions, fusing Jazz and Classical with Popular, Funk, Hip-Hop, Rock, and Gospel. SPH was selected for the Jazz Education Network’s 2022 Young Composer Showcase. His piece, Projectile Dysfunction, was played during the 2022 Conference.

His compositions have been performed by ensembles at the Eastman School of Music, New York University, the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, Youngstown State University, Kent State University, Seton Hill University, and Westminster College. Stephen has also collaborated with avant-garde jazz artist Roscoe Mitchell, with his project Conversation for Orchestra, which has been performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the SEM Ensemble of Brooklyn, New York.

Tickets are available at Chesapeake Music | Let the Music Play

Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (photo credit: Mollie Crowe)

About Chesapeake Music

Based in Easton, Maryland, Chesapeake Music is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring renowned jazz and classical musicians to delight, engage and surprise today’s audiences, and educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s. They’ve been doing it for more than 35 years! To learn more about Chesapeake Music, visit their website at https://chesapeakemusic.org/.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

The Aero Saxophone Quartet Returns!

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Aero Saxophone Quartet

Chesapeake Music’s Interlude Concert Series will present the Aero Saxophone Quartet in concert at the Ebenezer Theater in Easton, Maryland on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. The group will be performing new and traditional music for the saxophone from their upcoming album release including the music of Carlos Simon, Paquito D’Rivera, Alexander Glazunov, Arturo Marquez, and more.

The Aero Quartet is recognized for its versatility and contrast, with original works and arrangements spanning centuries of musical tradition. They have been praised by Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Grammy-winning composer Augusta Read Thomas for their “nuanced, colorful, and artfully sculpted interpretations.”

This will be a return appearance by the group as they were selected to be one of the five finalist ensembles to compete in Chesapeake Music’s 10th International Chamber Music Competition which was held at the Ebenezer Theater on April 2, 2022. Marcy Rosen, Co-Artistic Director of the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival and a judge at the 2022 Competition shared these comments, “The Aero Quartet impressed the judges with their artistry and sensitivity.  Had we been able to offer another prize they would definitely have been the recipients!  I am thrilled, as are my colleagues, that Chesapeake Music has invited the ensemble back to perform in the Interlude Series.”

Formed in 2020 at the University of Michigan, the group is comprised of Salvador Flores (soprano saxophone), Walt Puyear (alto saxophone), Matthew Koester (tenor saxophone), and Brian Kachur (baritone saxophone). All of the quartet have pursued advanced musical degrees at Michigan and have continued to concertize extensively throughout the United States both as active chamber musicians and as soloists. This has led to numerous awards. Most notably, Aero won the Gold Medal in the Senior Wind Division of the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2021.

Throughout their careers as a quartet, Aero has dedicated much of their time to educational outreach and student engagement by offering music clinics for hundreds of middle and high school students in the cities where they have performed. This has become a core part of their musical mission as they feel that by spreading their knowledge of the saxophone and love of chamber music, they can provide a lasting impact on youth in communities around the country.

In keeping with this tradition, the Aero Quartet will be conducting clinics for the students at both Easton Middle School and Easton High School on Monday, April 24, 2023.

For more information and to purchase tickets for what promises to be an enjoyable concert, please visit the Chesapeake Music website at https://chesapeakemusic.org.

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Chesapeake Music YouthReach Program Connects Local Students to Orchestral Music Through Carnegie Hall Ensemble Connect

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Chesapeake Music’s YouthReach Program recently sponsored the Kaleidoscope String Quartet of New York City to provide classroom visits at Chapel District Elementary School in Cordova and White Marsh Elementary School in Trappe. Students in the second, third, fourth, and fifth grades were able to hear the Carnegie Hall Ensemble Connect group perform and provide instruction on its orchestral instruments. This is the ensemble’s first visit to the Eastern Shore.

“This program has been in the schools virtually for two years and it’s good to be in person this year for the first time. The students were enthralled and focused as they listened to the music. There were great questions and participation,” comments Don Buxton, Executive Director of Chesapeake Music.

Kaleidoscope String Quartet of New York City to provide classroom visits at Chapel District Elementary School in Cordova and White Marsh Elementary School in Trappe. Pictured left to right are quartet members Brian Hong (violin), Ruben Rengel (violin), Arlen Hlusko (cello), and Caeli Smith (viola) performing at White Marsh Elementary School.

The four members of the Kaleidoscope String Quartet, Brian Hong (violin), Arlen Hlusko (cello), Ruben Rengel (violin), and Caeli Smith (viola) have been performing for a few years together as part of a two-year fellowship through Carnegie Hall Ensemble Connect, a Post Graduate Leadership Program. They all share a love of music education and community engagement. The ensemble performs in public schools and health care facilities, as well as performs chamber music concerts.

“We are showing the public what a classical musician can be in the 21st century. There is very little music for applied instruments in schools today, so we try and be accessible and friendly to get students excited about orchestral instruments. Anyone can talk about music but finding entry points for kids to connect to how music works is what we do,” comments Caeli Smith of Kaleidoscope String Quartet.

“What’s rewarding for us is the students seeing what we do together as a collaboration and that this can be a profession too.”

One of the activities the musicians did with the students was to connect the sounds of their music to activities that the children did to show the connections and emotions that can be felt from the music.

“It is so significant bringing live music back this year because it’s so difficult for students to get somewhere where they can experience this. By bringing it here to the students, it especially makes it easier for families,” comments Amanda Leffler, Music Teacher, at Chapel District Elementary School.

“The performances were phenomenal. Our second, third, fourth, and fifth-grade students absolutely loved them. I think it’s so important for music education for students to actually see and hear the music. Many students don’t get those opportunities outside of school, so I think it was so fortunate that Chesapeake Music could bring Kaleidoscope String Quartet to Chapel Elementary. We appreciate it so much,” concludes Kari Clow, Principal of Chapel District Elementary School.

Chesapeake Music held a free Family Concert featuring The Kaleidoscope Quartet at the Ebenezer Theater in Easton. The interactive concert featured the music of American women composers Florence Price, Reena Esmail, and Gabriela Lena Frank. Pictured left to right are quartet members Ruben Rengel (violin), Brian Hong (violin), Arlen Hlusko (cello), and Caeli Smith (viola).

The performances were supported by donors Robert and Ceci Nobel. Chesapeake Music has an extended history of educational outreach to the Mid-Shore community, including its prior Youth Reach and First Strings programs, Chamber Music Festival Family Concerts, discounted tickets to its chamber music, jazz and competition concerts, free open rehearsals for its annual two-week Chamber Music Festival and special video-recorded musical programs for students. Upcoming events in Chesapeake Music’s educational outreach program include local school visits in April 2023 by the Aero Saxophone Quartet, in connection with the quartet’s April 22, 2023 concert at the Ebenezer Theater. For more information about the concert and Chesapeake Music’s programs, you may visit the Chesapeake Music website at Chesapeakemusic.org.

About Chesapeake Music

Based in Easton, Maryland, Chesapeake Music is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring renowned jazz and classical musicians to delight, engage and surprise today’s audiences, and educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s. They have been doing it for 37 years! To learn more about Chesapeake Music, visit their website at https://chesapeakemusic.org/.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.