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Emily Chen, Megan Winters, Lydia Lis and Katie Papini |
Undergraduate Honors String Quartet to perform in France
The University’s Undergraduate Honors String Quartet has been invited to perform outside the country again. The quartet previously performed in Belize. This year, it will perform at the music festival, The Academie de Musique de Chambre rencontres Musicale de Forcalquier, in Forcalquier, France. The festival runs from July 18 to 29.
Members of the 2005 quartet are sophomore Emily Chen of Kingston, a violinist studying music education and performance, freshman Lydia Lis of Jamestown, a violinist studying music performance, senior Katie Papini of Warwick, a violist studying music education, and senior Megan Winters of East Greenwich, a cellist studying music education. John Dempsey, a URI music professor, coaches the group.
“The four musicians are all very talented and have performed advanced and difficult string quartet literature often performed only by professional string quartets,” said Dempsey. “They are dedicated students who are determined to give outstanding performances. They should make a strong showing at the festival.”
Associate Professor of Music Ann Danis made the audition connection for the quartet. “This is a very big honor for our students and for the University as they are the first American students to be accepted into this program,” said Danis, noting that other groups at the festival are from a conservatory in France.
“They will represent themselves and the Department of Music very well,” said Danis. “The quartet will be working with world class musicians and seeing the sights of a beautiful country with a tremendously rich history,” said Danis.
The quartet will perform Beethoven’s quartets at the festival.
The trip will cost $9,000, with some of the funds coming from the College of Arts and Sciences Richard E. Beaupre Hope and Heritage Fund, and from other private donors. During its two weeks in France, the quartet will receive coaching from world-renowned musicians and attend many concerts.
“I’m very excited to see the country,” said Chen, “and to be able to watch professional musicians perform in chamber ensembles.”
“The group has been here a long time. I remember seeing it perform growing up, and now I’m in it,” said Lis. “To prepare, I’m getting a French tape to listen to, eating French toast, everything.”
Music runs in the families of the quartet members. Winters’ entire family is involved in music and it has always been a huge part of her life. Chen’s brother plays the saxophone and violin, and her father, Guo-Ming Chen, a professor of communication studies at URI, used to play the guitar. “He always said that he wishes he had paid attention,” said Chen.
Papini’s sister played the viola and violin and her father plays the banjo in a Ceili band. Lis’ brothers sing and her father plays the guitar. “That was very influential to me as a little kid,” she said. “Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.”
By Jan Wenzel
