U of R String Chamber Music Ensemble Performs

"Seeing the potential of all these talented students and then seeing them reach it is amazing," said Jeanne Skrocki, Music Director of the String Chamber Music Ensembles at the University of Riverside, of her string chamber music students. On Friday, Nov. 22, the string chamber music ensemble gathered together at the Frederick Loewe Performance Hall at the University of Redlands to share their love for music with the public at the ensemble's winter concert. Under the direction of the talented Jeanne Skrocki, string chamber ensemble students performed what was the first concert of the year. The string chamber ensemble group at the University of Redlands School of Music puts on a concert twice a year, once every semester. This was the first University of Redlands string chamber ensemble performance for many freshmen and the last winter concert for many University of Redlands seniors. "Through the small group atmosphere that the chamber group creates, students gain the listening and technical skills that are crucial in music," Skrocki said. Colin Barstad is a freshman at the University of Redlands, and this was his first string chamber ensemble winter concert. "This has been a great experience. I've always been a fan of small ensemble music. I enjoy individual sound more than a mass of sound. The teachers I get to work with at the School of Music are amazing," said Barstad. Seana Thompson is one of the many talented musicians in the string chamber ensemble group. She will be graduating in spring of 2014 as a music major, and aspires to work in the field of film scoring. She is a devoted cello player with a passion for music. Thompson added to Barstad's enthusiasm concerning the group. "The best part about it is that we focus on making one sound together, but at the same time, portray our individual strengths as well. It's fun figuring out the balance with all of our different [musicians] because we're all so [diverse] with different strengths," said Thompson. The String Chamber Ensemble of the University of Redlands brought life to the Fredereick Loewe Performance Hall as they played. The students performed in string quartets, trios and duos pieces, including Joseph Haydn’s “Sunrise” quartet, Antonin Dvorak’s “American” quartet, Mendelssohn’s second piano trio, and duos by Maurice Moszkowski, Charles De Beriot and the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia. Concertgoers shared their thoughts on the performances. "It was just amazing," Ward Thompson, father of musician Seana Thompson, said. "Every piece they played was lovely, and I especially enjoyed the last piece." At the concert's conclusion, the parents of the musicians joined their families to chat and take pictures to capture the moments.