The Morningside College Music Department will hold its fourth annual Intensive Chamber Music Seminar Thursday through Sunday, March 15-18, at Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Avenue.
High school students and quartets from a three state area will join Morningside College students and faculty for intensive rehearsals, coaching sessions, master classes, and other activities.
The seminar will feature two concerts, both open free of charge to the public. The seminar faculty recital will be held on Friday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Eppley Auditorium. The Euclid Quartet, Morningside’s resident string quartet, will be the featured ensemble. The program includes Beethoven’s Op. 59, no. 3, Janacek’s String Quartet #1, and Asto Piazzolla’s “Four, for Tango.”
Students participating in the seminar will perform in concert on Sunday, March 18, at 1:30 p.m., also in Eppley Auditorium. The concert will feature a number of selections in the classical chamber music tradition.
Joe Shufro, associate professor of music; Dr. James March, professor of music; Martha Councell, adjunct instructor of music; and members of the Euclid Quartet will serve as faculty for the seminar.
Shufro has been at Morningside since 1977, serving as orchestra conductor and cello instructor. He is music director and conductor of the Siouxland Youth Symphony and principal cellist of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. Shufro holds a bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio and a master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
March, who has been at Morningside since 1986, has appeared as a soloist with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minneapolis Civic Orchestra, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, and others. Since 1982 he has performed extensively as part of the March Duo piano team with his wife Kathryn. The duo recently released a highly acclaimed recording of the Brahms Hungarian Dances. March holds a master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Iowa.
Councell is an active solo, chamber, and orchestral musician, having performed across the United States and in Central America. In addition to her responsibities at Morningside, she serves on the faculty of the Leo Kucinski Academy of Music. She has a a bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a master’s degree from Rice University in Houston, Texas.
Members of the Euclid Quartet include Jameson Cooper, violin; Jacob Murphy, violin; Luis Vargas, viola; and Amy Joseph, cello. The group has appeared at many prestigious venues including Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Aspen Music Festival. This season's performances include an engagement at the Library of Congress. The group took third prize at the 2005 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan and have earned top prizes at the Carmel, Yellow Springs, and Hugo Kauder competitions. Their compact disc of Kauder Quartets is scheduled for release in 2007.
