Midsummer’s Music resident Griffon String Quartet with Acclaimed Pianist Nariaki Sugiura to Perform Four Concerts in Door and Brown Counties March 13-16
Sister Bay, Wis. – March 4, 2020 – Midsummer’s Music’s resident string quartet, the Griffon String Quartet, continues their second season of concerts and community and educational events with a series of performances throughout Northeast Wisconsin. Hailed for their “superb playing, palpable chemistry, spirit, and emotional connection,” their program will feature Jessie Montgomery’s “Strum,” Paul Hindemith’s String Quartet No. 1 in C Major, Op. 2, and Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 with acclaimed pianist Nariaki Sugiura.
Following are the details:
Date: Time: Venue: Tickets:
Fri. Mar 13 7:30pm St. Norbert College, De Pere www.snc.edu/tickets
Sat. Mar 14 7:00pm First Presbyterian Church, Green Bay donations accepted
Sun. Mar 15 3:00pm Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim www.midsummersmusic.com
Sun. Oct 13 1:00pm SWY (next to Third Ave. Playhouse), Sturgeon Bay donations accepted
One of the most vibrant and engaging quartets of their generation, the Griffon String Quartet was formed in the fall of 2018 as a collaboration between Midsummer’s Music, the Fine Arts Institute at East High in Green Bay, and St. Norbert College in De Pere. The quartet is a groundbreaking project to enrich the lives of children and adults throughout Northeast Wisconsin through concerts, workshops, and music education outreach. Members of the Quartet include violinists Roy Meyer and Vinicius Sant’Ana, violist Blakeley Menghini, and cellist Ryan Louie. Extraordinary musicians who have performed with orchestras and ensembles around the globe in the finest halls from Carnegie Hall and Brazil’s Teatro Municipal de São Paulo to Japan’s Suntory Hall, and won prestigious music competitions and awards, they are equally dedicated to music education and inspiring the next generation of music lovers. Each member of the Griffon String Quartet has advanced degrees and significant professional experience, both as educators and performers, and have been recognized for “their youthful vigor, which is absolutely infectious!”
Critics have praised pianist Nariaki Sugiura’s performances as having “the most sensitive touch on the piano,” and “possessing the rigueur, passion, and discipline of an old Samurai.” Sugiura has performed solo recitals and concerto engagements in the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia at some of the most prestigious concert halls including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall at Shenzhen Concert Hall (China), Ferenc Liszt Music Academy Recital Hall (Hungary), Daejeon Arts and Cultural Center Hall (South Korea), Manoel Theater (Malta), Kioi Hall (Japan), and Museo de Arte (Puerto Rico). Sugiura’s discography includes eight albums for such labels as Klavier Records and Eroica Classical Recordings, and his performances have been broadcast nationally and internationally.