2022 Festival Highlights

Guest Ensemble: The Arianna String Quartet

Our first concert of the 2022 season will feature the St. Louis based Arianna String Quartet. Hailed for their outstanding musicianship, the Arianna String Quartet has firmly established itself as one of America’s finest chamber ensembles. Their performances have been praised for “tonal warmth, fastidious balance…expressive vitality” (Chicago Tribune) and “emotional commitment and fluent virtuosity,” (Pretoria News, South Africa). Formed in 1992, the ASQ garnered national attention by winning the Grand Prize in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, First Prize in both the Coleman and Carmel Chamber Music Competitions, and were Laureates in the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition. The Arianna Quartet has appeared throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia, with frequent visits to Brazil and South Africa. They have collaborated with many of the world’s finest musicians, including members of the Vermeer, Tokyo, Cleveland and Juilliard Quartets, and their live performances have been heard on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” and “Live from Music Mountain”, which broadcasts to 125 stations in the U.S. and to 35 countries. The ASQ has recorded for Albany Records and Urtext Digital Classics, and has a long-term contract with Centaur Records. In addition to their critically acclaimed recording of the two string quartets of Janácek, the ASQ has also recently released recordings of Beethoven’s Early and Middle Quartets.

World Premiere by Michael Gilbertson

After a small delay created by a global pandemic, we are excited that this summer includes our first world-premiere performance. Commissioned by a consortium of CVCM supporters, Dubuque-native Michael Gilbertson was recent awarded the Goddard Lieberson Fellowship in Music by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an award given to mid-career composers of exceptional gifts. His 2022 work, “Gather” will be performed at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on July 20.

Diversity and Inclusion

The 2022 season theme “American Voices” takes part in the vibrant and ongoing re-evaluation of American music. All fields in classical music are expanding their offerings by recognizing the outstanding contributions of BIPOC and women composers of yesterday and today. This season continues this energy by offering chamber music by several black, women, and LGBTGQ+ composers who represent our diverse and beautiful country.