Baumer String Quartet joins UNT faculty, students for recitals

Thursday, January 15, 2015 - 15:46
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Members of the Baumer String Quartet from left to right: John T. Posadas, viola; Aaron Requiro, violin; Nathan Olson, violin; and David Requiro, cello. Photo credit: Mark Kitaoka.
Members of the Baumer String Quartet from left to right: John T. Posadas, viola; Aaron Requiro, violin; Nathan Olson, violin; and David Requiro, cello. Photo credit: Mark Kitaoka.

What: The Baumer String Quartet performs at the University of North Texas in two recitals – one with faculty and one with students from the UNT College of Music.

When: 8 p.m. Feb. 6 (Friday) and 3:30 p.m. Feb. 8 (Sunday).

Where: Voertman Hall, located inside the Music Building at 415 Avenue C in Denton.

Admission: Free.

DENTON, Texas (UNT) – The Baumer String Quartet joins faculty and student musicians from the University of North Texas College of Music for a pair of performances and a weeklong residency in which the quartet will work closely with UNT students in a series of coachings, masterclasses and open rehearsals.

The first recital at 8 p.m. Feb. 6 (Friday) will feature College of Music faculty Susan Dubois, viola, and Eugene Osadchy, cello. The second recital takes place at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 8 (Sunday). It will feature guest artist Stephen Ahearn, Dallas Symphony Orchestra clarinetist, along with UNT student performers Yalira Machado Montejo and Usman Peguero, violins; Kyung Seu Na, cello; Mathew Croft, horn; and Ryan Hardcastle, viola.

The free concerts will feature chamber works of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Brahms. Both performances take place in Voertman Hall, which is located inside the Music Building at 415 Avenue C in Denton.

For quartet member and concert organizer Nathan Olson, who serves as a co-concertmaster with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and an adjunct professor of violin at UNT, the opportunity for students to see a first-class performance and for the student musicians to play alongside professionals creates a new dynamic in their musicianship.

"All four of us in the quartet got to work with professionals when we were young musicians, so we know it's exciting," said Olson, adding that the students will be challenged. "Collaborating with professionals forces you to jump a level and really bring your 'A' game. As a student, you're used to spending months and weeks to put a piece together; on a professional schedule you don't get that amount of time."

Olson added that while the members of the quartet are located in four different states, they stay together through their shared passion for chamber music.

"We all have various orchestra and teaching positions, so we arrange these weeklong projects," said Olson. "That's how this idea got started. I've worked with several chamber groups at UNT, and I thought it would be a great collaboration."

About the Baumer String Quartet

The Baumer String Quartet brings together four accomplished artists: Nathan Olson, violin; Aaron Requiro, violin; John T. Posadas, viola; and David Requiro, cello. Acknowledged as one of the finest young quartets in the country, the Baumer String Quartet was founded in 2003 by a group of young musicians at the Cleveland Institute of Music. The members of the quartet pursue parallel careers as international soloists, leaders and principal players of world-class orchestras, as members of eminent chamber groups, and as tutors and professors of music. The Baumer String Quartet comes together for a limited touring schedule on a project-by-project basis inspired by the success of the East Coast Chamber Orchestra and the New Orford String Quartet. Rather than committing to a year-round schedule, the members of the quartet meet for short, musical residencies, providing a fresh perspective on interpretations of the traditional string quartet repertoire.

About the UNT College of Music

The UNT College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the country. More than 1,600 music students attend UNT each year, participating in more than 50 widely varied ensembles and pursuing specialized studies in performance, composition, music education or music scholarship. UNT faculty members and students have made appearances on the world's finest stages and have produced numerous recordings, many receiving Grammy awards and nominations. Distinguished UNT alumni can be found around the globe, in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities and schools.

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