Kent State's Verve Chamber Players To Perform The Music Of Mozart And Mendelssohn March 3

On Sun., March 3 at 5 p.m. Kent State's outstanding string and piano faculty Ensemble-in-Residence, the Verve Chamber Players, present an early evening performance in Ludwig Recital Hall. They will be joined by the School of Music's exceptional graduate student quartet, the Efferus String Quartet. Ludwig Recital Hall is at 1325 Theatre Drive in the Center for the Performing Arts. Ample free and handicap accessible parking is available.

The program will open with Mozart's "Adagio and Fugue" in C Minor, K. 546. Commonly performed as a string quartet, the work begins with a haunting and violent adagio leading into a finely crafted fugue. They will continue the program with Mozart's exquisite Quartet in G Minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, K. 478. Closing the concert will be the timeless and beautiful Octet for Strings in Eb Major, Op. 20 by Felix Mendelssohn. Efferus String Quartet will join their mentors to perform this work.

Formed in 2013, the Verve Chamber Players is an Ensemble-in-Residence in the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music. Comprised of five distinguished faculty members of Kent State University, players include Jung-Min Amy Lee, Associate Concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra, Assistant Professor of Violin and Artist-in-Residence at Kent State University; Cathy Meng Robinson and Keith Robinson, founding members of the distinguished Miami String Quartet, Assistant Professors of Violin and Cello, respectively; Joanna Patterson Zakany, member of The Cleveland Orchestra's viola section and Assistant Professor of Viola; and Donna Lee, Professor, Steinway Artist and Coordinator of the Piano Division. Known for their distinctive performances with artistic vitality and vigor, the Verve Chamber Players have been praised for their "virtuosity and commitment" (The Plain Dealer). They continue to deliver spirited chamber music performances throughout northeast Ohio every concert season.

Founded in early 2014, the Efferus String Quartet brings together four young professional musicians who share a deep passion for chamber music. Shortly after its founding, the Efferus Quartet was selected by the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra and the Teatro Libre of Bogota to participate in the 2nd Chamber Music Festival of the Teatro Libre. In 2014 they premiered the work "Dynamics of a Meteorite" by the young Colombian composer James Diaz, later recorded, edited and published by the National University of Colombia. In 2014 and 2016 they attended Festiqartetos Festival where they were coached by the Miami String Quartet and the Avalon String Quartet. In 2015 and 2016 they were selected by audition to study with the Arianna String Quartet at FEMUSC in Brazil. Recently, they won a scholarship of the Master Class program of the XI International Music Festival of Cartagena to work with the Latinoamericano Quartet. Efferus is currently in their second year of graduate study at Kent State University working with Miami String Quartet founding members Keith Robinson and Cathy Meng-Robinson.

The Kent State University Performing Arts Box Office is located in the Center for the Performing Arts at 1325 Theatre Drive, Kent Campus and is open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Patrons can purchase tickets in advance three ways: in-person, by calling 330-672-2787 (ARTS), or online at www.kent.edu/music/buy-tickets. Tickets are $15, adults; $13, seniors and Kent State University faculty and staff; $10, groups of 10 or more; $8, non-Kent State students and Kent State students ineligible for the Fee for Free; and FREE for full-time Kent State undergraduate students and those 18 and under. Tickets will also be available at the door one hour prior to the performance.

About the School of Music

The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University, nestled in beautiful and vibrant Kent, Ohio, is one of the most distinguished schools of music in the Midwest. For over 100 years, the School of Music has nurtured the next generation of music educators, performing artists and scholars. We offer some of the most comprehensive and innovative degree programs in the country, with an emphasis on experiential learning, quality scholarship and immersive technical training. Students enrolled in our programs can expect a warm and supportive environment where fostering professional growth and personal development is a priority. Our graduates have gone on to have successful careers in music education, music performance, scholarly research, higher education and administration.

During the summer, the School of Music hosts the Kent Blossom Music Festival in cooperation with The Cleveland Orchestra and Blossom Music Center. The festival is regarded as one of the premier centers for professional music training for young artists in the United States. Now entering its 51st season in 2019, festival alumni hold positions of prominence in many of the world's finest orchestras, chamber ensembles and educational institutions.