Midsummer Music’s affiliate, the Griffon String Quartet, was selected by the Green Bay Packers Foundation to receive a generous grant supporting its work with residents in Green Bay through its Einstein Series programs, B Double Sharp programs, and Community-Embedded programs.
In expressing her gratitude, Midsummer’s Music Executive Director Allyson Fleck said, “The Griffon String Quartet residency is for our community. Thanks to the generous support of the Green Bay Packers Foundation, we can continue to educate, enrich, and excite all generations with free Green Bay area presentations. The Packers Foundation’s support puts instruments directly into the hands of young students, produces enlightening conversation to our seniors, and provides music for everyone.”
The Griffon String Quartet works with youth via the Einstein Series, a highly interactive program for school-age children. Quartet members give private and group strings lessons, and they visit schools and classrooms to perform and discuss string quartet music, relating it specifically to relevant topics in their studies and their lives.
The Quartet’s B Double Sharp program is designed for the aging or disabled, as well as their caregivers. Targeting people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, the quartet creates a welcoming atmosphere where people can share their observations and feelings about the journey of aging or memory loss. Free Gather with the Griffon miniconcerts for seniors are held at First Presbyterian Church in Green Bay and locations in Door County, and the quartet performs for Brown County Memory Cafés.
Additional Community-Embedded programs are all-inclusive for families. These community performances strengthen the musical infrastructure by demystifying chamber music and creating an experiential bridge from short presentations to full classical concerts.
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 led by Midsummer’s Music. 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 Alex Norris, violist Oryann Tsaig, and cellist Jesse Nummelin. Extraordinary professionals who have performed with orchestras and ensembles in the finest halls around the globe 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 experience as educators and performers, and the ensemble has been recognized for “their youthful vigor, which is absolutely infectious!”
Midsummer’s Music was co-founded in 1990 by Jim and Jean Berkenstock, long-time Door County summer residents and principal orchestral players with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. What began as two concerts among friends has become one of the Midwest’s most anticipated chamber music series, bringing thousands of chamber music enthusiasts from around the globe to the magical Door County Peninsula.
For more information visit www.midsummersmusic.com.
High-resolution photos can be downloaded at https://www.midsummersmusic.com/photos/.
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For Calendar Listings:
Griffon String Quartet Holiday Concerts
A selection of holiday favorites and a sing-along
String Quartet in C Minor • Ralph Vaughan-Williams
String Quartet Op. 131, No. 14 in C-sharp Minor • Ludwig van Beethoven
Enjoy light seasonal refreshments at the post-concert reception.
Roy Meyer & Alex Norris, violins, Oryann Tsaig, viola, Jesse Nummelin, cello
December 12, 6:30pm: Belgian Heritage Center, Brussels
December 13: 5:00pm: Hope United Church of Christ, Sturgeon Bay
December 14: 3:00pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Green Bay
December 15: 3:00pm: Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor