Chamber Music
Performing in a chamber ensemble is one of the most rewarding experiences for any musician. Participants enjoy the challenge of playing or singing an independent part, the richness of the repertoire, and the close personal contact among colleagues.
The chamber music program at Hartt is open to string, piano, woodwind, and brass students as well as high school and adult vocalists. Ensembles are organized by interest, age, and ability and are coached by Community Division faculty.
High school vocalists may participate in the High School Chamber Choir, which offers a challenging choral music experience in a small group setting.
Instrumental ensembles meet for at least 24 coachings throughout the year and perform in recitals in the winter and spring. The instrumental chamber music program is coordinated by Susan Robison and Melinda Daetsch for strings and piano, Susan Spaulding for brass, and Alan Francis for woodwinds. Placement auditions occur in June and September according to demand.
West End String Quartet
The Hartt School Community Division is pleased to announce that the West End String Quartet is now the Quartet-In-Residence for the Hartt School Community Division.
The West End String Quartet came together in the fall of 2005 because of their shared passion for chamber music. Since then, WESQ has been entertaining audiences across New England with an exciting and varied repertoire of chamber music. Current members are Jessica Meyer and Sarah Washburn, violins, John Biatowas, viola, and Carlynn Savot, cello.
WESQ strives to bring new and uncommon repertoire to their concerts, pairing them with traditional works. Highlights of recent years include the culmination of the Ives Vocal Marathon Project and the premieres of James T. Lindsay's Second String Quartet and Dan Román’s Sonora Complexidad. This spring, WESQ goes on tour with the modern opera company Rhymes With Opera.
Strong advocates of contemporary music, the quartet collaborated with Ruby Fulton in 2006 for the premiere of The Slow Revolution. Repeat performances of this work were sponsored by an Encore grant from the American Composers Forum. In the summer of 2007, the quartet performed at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival in Colorado as the festival's Young Artists Ensemble-in-Residence. This past summer, the quartet participated in the Professional Studies program at the Soundfest Chamber Music Festival, where they spent two weeks performing and coaching chamber music.
In past seasons, the quartet has performed at St. James's Episcopal Church in West Hartford, The Universalist Church of West Hartford, on the River Crossings Concert Series, and with the Arts Institute of Western Maine.
As part of their residency at the Community Division, the quartet will give a series of chamber music masterclasses:
- Friday, October 14, 2011, 7:30 pm, Berkman Recital Hall
- Friday, February 3, 2012, 7:30 pm, Berkman Recital Hall
- Friday,March 30, 2012, 7:30 pm, Berkman Recital Hall (specifically designated for adult chamber music ensembles)
- Friday, May 4, 2012, 7:30 pm, Berkman Recital Hall
Chamber Music Honors Program
Each year, up to 3 high school level chamber ensembles are selected as the Hartt Community Division Honors Ensembles. These groups are usually one of each of the following: woodwind quintet, brass, quintet, and string quartet, but may also include other ensemble variations such as piano trio, sextet, and others. Those ensembles selected will demonstrate a high-level of musicality and dedication in their Chamber Ensemble work. If selected, students will receive tuition reimbursement at the end of the year upon successfully completing the requirements stated in the Chamber Music Handbook.
Eligibility: Any current high school chamber ensemble that is performing high-level literature will be eligible to seek Honors Status.
Audition Requirements: Each ensemble must perform two-contrasting movements of current repertoire not exceeding 15 minutes of performance time.
Auditions for the 2011-2012 year have passed. Next year’s dates will be posted during the Fall of 2012.
Congratulations to this year’s Honors Chamber Music Ensembles: the String Sextet, coached by Jessica Meyer; the CYS Brass Quintet, coached by Dan D’Addio; and the deNova Quintet, coached by Steve Larson.
2011-2012 Tuition
Small Chamber Ensemble: Trio, Quartet, Quintet
$492/year for Community Division private lesson students
$648/year for students who do not study privately at the Community Division
Large Chamber Ensemble: 6-15 members
$264/year for Community Division private lesson students
$324/year for students who do not study privately at the Community Division
Please see the registration or billing pages for more information on Community Division policies.
For more information, contact the Hartt Community Division office at (860) 768-4451 or at harttcomm@hartford.edu.