It should come as no surprise that music is an important part of child development. Many believe that exposing children to music during their early development years helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words, while also instilling a lifelong love of music. Taking a cue from the experts, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival annually presents the free Summer Youth Concert, featuring internationally renowned artists who play for and interact with kids. This year’s Summer Youth Concert brings the acclaimed Miami String Quartet to the St. Francis Auditorium, of New Mexico Museum of Art, Monday, July 24, 2023, at 10 a.m.
Designated as Family Day at the Festival, the event kicks off with a concert by the Miami String Quartet, followed by a meet-and-greet with the musicians, during which attendees can ask all the questions they want and, hopefully, learn something new along the way. These concerts have been proven to delight and inspire young audience members, by building their knowledge and curiosity about the world of music. The face-to-face interaction with the musicians also puts a friendly face on the proceedings and serves to demystify classical music. The fun continues with guided tours of the museum, and art activities in the courtyard immediately following the musical interlude.
About The Summer Youth Concert
Established in 1982, the Festival’s Youth Concerts have become a popular mainstay of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, by making classical music fun and accessible to kids from infancy through teen years. These concerts feature outgoing musicians engaging with young people through their music and storytelling about composers, instruments, music and musical styles. The music performed is drawn directly from the Festival’s regular programming. This year’s concert will feature the music of Dvorák, played by the world-renowned Miami String Quartet.
About the Miami String Quartet
Praised in The New York Times as having “everything one wants in a quartet: a rich, precisely balanced sound, a broad coloristic palette, real unity of interpretive purpose and seemingly unflagging energy,” the Miami String Quartet has established its place among the most widely respected quartets in America. For over twenty years, their diversity in programming, poise in performance, keen sense of ensemble and impeccable musicality has made the Miami String Quartet one of the most sought after quartets in chamber music today.
The Miami String Quartet has appeared extensively throughout the United States and Europe. Highlights of recent seasons include performances in New York at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as well as engagements in Boston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New Orleans, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Paul, and its own concert series in Palm Beach, Florida.
International highlights include appearances in Bern, Cologne, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Istanbul, Lausanne, Montreal, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Paris. The Quartet has recently toured with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and they perform frequently for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.
For more information about the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival’s Summer Youth Concert, or to reserve free bussing for school groups before July 10, visit the website.
This article was posted by Jesse Williams
