TicketsSome of the very best chamber musicians from the Michigan State University College of Music will take the stage for the sixth annual Barbara Wagner Chamber Music Competition Showcase, Sunday, April 12 at 1:00 p.m. in Cook Recital Hall.
The annual showcase offers audiences a unique opportunity to hear talented student performers in a variety of chamber music groups. Six groups will compete, representing a range of instrumentations including a saxophone quartet, brass quintet, piano trio, string quartet, clarinet trio, and brass quartet.
Altimara, a percussion quartet, earned first-place honors at the fifth annual Barbara Wagner Chamber Music Competition Showcase. Members include Angel Hernandez, Isaac Hinshaw, Cadence Miller, and Margaret Parker.
Each group has meticulously rehearsed a program chosen to highlight their unique strengths. Groups will have 20 minutes to perform from the stage, with judges selecting works from their prepared repertoire—creating an element of anticipation for both the performers and the audience. Short breaks between groups allow judges to refine their scoring, followed by final deliberations and an intermission before the concert concludes with an awards presentation recognizing top finishers with cash prizes.
“This event really shows what chamber music is all about,” said Yvonne Lam, assistant professor of violin and coordinator of chamber music at MSU. “These groups spend months working together to shape their sound and interpretation as a team. It’s inspiring to see the level of artistry they bring to the stage, and audiences get to experience the energy and creativity that comes from musicians performing at such a high level together.”
This year’s guest judges include Benjamin Hoffman, assistant professor of violin at Bowling Green State University; Ralph Skiano, principal clarinet of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; and Robert White, professor of trumpet at Western Michigan University.
The six competing groups include both graduate and undergraduate musicians from the College of Music:
• Astra Quartet – saxophone quartet
• Brown Squirrel – brass quintet
• Leonidas – brass quartet
• Lumiére Trio – piano trio (violin, cello, piano)
• Red Cedar Quartet – string quartet
• Tayovan Trio – clarinet trio (violin, clarinet, piano)
For more details about each competing group and their prepared scores, visit the Wagner Chamber Music Competition event page posted online. The chamber music competition program and concert are generously sponsored by Barbara E. Wagner.
General admission tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors (60+), and free for students with ID and anyone under 18 (ticket still required). Tickets are available at the door, online at music.msu.edu/events, or by calling (517) 353-5340; tickets purchased online or by phone include a $1.50 processing fee.
