Having served as the inaugural Young Artist Residents with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) in 2010, the Enso String Quartet gave Madeline Island Music Camp Music Director and SPCO Violist Evelina Chao a first hand glimpse at the type of talent, personalities and teaching experience she seeks in hiring faculty each year. “What impressed me most about the Enso, is their vast experience in community outreach performances and education working with young people” said Chao.

With a 2010 Grammy nomination for “Best Chamber Music Performance,” the NYC-based Enso String Quartet has quickly become one of the country’s most exciting young ensembles. Shortly after the group’s inception at Yale University in 1999, Enso had success at the Banff International String Quartet Competition and won the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, and has consistently received high praise for performances ever since. The quartet has held residencies with Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music as Lecturers in String Quartet, Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute, and Connecticut’s Music For Youth. And in 2010 they received the prestigious Guarneri String Quartet Award from Chamber Music America.

After nine seasons with the Music Camp, the Arianna String Quartet returns again to open the season on June 10th. Over the years the Arianna has developed a curriculum that gets the students started on the right foot with workshops that teach fundamentals such as how to practice and rehearse, teamwork, score study and stage presence. Comments from last year’s student evaluation were uniformly praiseworthy:

“They (Arianna SQ) are amazing players and were very inspirational” “I loved their seriousness and maturity. This group really set a high standard for the whole Camp” “Great way to start off the first week” “Set great examples, impeccable playing/ensemble, very prepared, thought out seminars”
Another youthful ensemble returning next summer and well received by last year’s students is the Jupiter String Quartet. “They (Jupiter SQ) were a good example of a young, fresh quartet with impeccable ensemble. Amazing.” “Technically stunning, insightful comments, prepared ensemble and identifiable to students.”

The Music Camp is extremely fortunate to have one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles-the Shanghai String Quartet--to teach and perform during the fourth week devoted to the Fellowship and Advanced String Quartet Program participants. Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, the Shanghai Quartet has worked with the world’s most distinguished artists and regularly tours the major music centers of Europe, North America and Asia. The quartet taught at Madeline during the 2007 season and delighted audiences and students alike. Perhaps best known for their exquisite arrangements of Chinese folk songs, the Shanghai performs on July 6 in Washburn, Wisconsin at Stage North as part of the Music Camp’s Mainland Concert Series.

Returning distinguished string faculty include violinists Felicia Moye, University of Wisconsin, Madison and Jorja Fleezanis, Indiana University; violists Julia Bullard, University of Northern Iowa, Ivo Van der Werff, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Vicky Chiang, Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore and Evelina Chao, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; cellists Anthony Arnone, University of Iowa, Yeonjin Kim, University of Michigan, and Alison Wells, Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore.

Pianist Zeyda Ruga Suzuki, will collaborate with the Enso String Quartet for the Camp’s Festival Concert on June 30 and with the Fellowship and Advanced Students.

The Music Camp is pleased to announce the addition of two new violin faculty, Ara Gregorian, violin faculty at East Carolina University and Jonathan Swartz, head of the string faculty at Arizona State University, Tempe. The Music Camp is sad to say goodbye to Ken Goldsmith, Professor of Violin at Rice Unversity who is retiring from teaching at summer festivals but had this to say about Swartz, “… he is a brilliant teacher, a wonderful person, and a very fine violinist. We taught together 6 hours each day for a week last summer and I believe that he is one of the finest teachers I have ever experienced. I recommend him highly ... he is a pied piper and high school and college students adore him and his manner and expertise.”