On April 15, Addison Trail and Willowbrook students were treated to a performance by Quartet San Francisco at Willowbrook.
The group was founded in 2001 by Jeremy Cohen and has received three Grammy nominations in the Classical Crossover division. The quartet performs throughout the world and is comprised of Cohen and Matthew Szemela on violin, Andrés Vera on cello and Willowbrook alumnus Chad Kaltinger (class of 1991) on viola.
“In a sense, high school students are our most important audience,” Cohen said. “They are the future of string playing. It’s important string music is viewed as contemporary and string players are seen as living, breathing musicians.”
During their visit to Willowbrook, members of the quartet shared with students tips to improve technique with regard to playing a string instrument. They also discussed how each musical arrangement has a unique feel, and technique is the key to achieve those various styles.
As crossover specialists, Quartet San Francisco excels in multiple styles, including jazz, tango, pop, funk, blues, bluegrass, gypsy swing, big band and more. For more information about the group, go to www.quartetsanfrancisco.com.