Midsummer’s Music Holds Quartet Concert at United Methodist Church

The Hunt Quartet. Submitted.

Midsummer’s Music Ltd. presents UW-Madison’s Hunt Quartet in concert May 12 at the United Methodist Church in Sturgeon Bay. The concert, which originally featured the Pro Arte Quartet, was changed due to an injury sustained by one of the musicians. The highly acclaimed Hunt Quartet is the elite graduate string quartet for the Mead Witter School of Music.

“It is unfortunate that the Pro Arte is unable to be with us as they normally are in May,” said Jim Berkenstock, artistic director of Midsummer’s Music, “and we wish their cellist, Parry Karp, a speedy recovery. In their place, we are delighted to present the exceptionally gifted Hunt Quartet and are indebted to them for making room for us in their busy schedule on such short notice. The members of the Hunt Quartet are extremely talented having won prizes individually all over the world. Collectively they are one of the outstanding young ensembles gaining a growing reputation by leaps and bounds. They’ve selected a particularly delicious program for us.”

The evening’s repertoire includes Joseph Haydn’s “String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 77, Nr. 1” (1799); Ludwig van Beethoven’s “String Quartet, Op. 95, ‘Serioso’” (1810); and Sergei Prokofiev’s “String Quartet No. 2, Op. 92” (1941).

Members include three doctoral candidates – Chang-En Lu, violin, Blakeley Menghini, viola, and Kyle Barret Price, cello – and one master’s degree fellow – Vinicius “Vinny” Sant’Ana, violin – who work closely with UW-Madison faculty, including the Pro Arte Quartet and cellist/Professor Uri Vardi as their principal coach.

The Hunt Quartet concert begins at 7 pm. Tickets are $29 for adults, $10 students, and free for children ages 12 and younger. A reception to meet and mingle with the musicians follows the program.

Earlier in the afternoon, the group will perform for an assembly at Sevastopol School.