Music for a Great Space launches Chamber Ensemble Residency, chooses Mint String Quartet as 2023 Resident Ensemble.

Music for a Great Space launches Chamber Ensemble Residency, chooses Mint String Quartet as 2023 Resident Ensemble.

Music for a Great Space (MGS) has reimagined their previous resident ensemble program this season.  The residency provides supported research time and mentorship for an up-and-coming ensemble interested in exploring chamber music as it was, is, and can be.  The ensemble will contribute to Greensboro’s cultural offerings in both education and performance settings.  Through an application and interview process, MGS has selected the Mint String Quartet for the 2023 residency.  Mint Quartet members live in Greensboro and the quartet is comprised of Gracie Zielinski and Andrew Ralston on violin, Erin Higgins on viola, and Hanna Fishastion on cello.

MGS has chosen to partner with Thalea String Quartet as the mentor ensemble for the residency.  Thalea recently performed on the MGS series in November 2022.  With Thalea’s guidance, Mint Quartet will develop and rehearse dynamic musical programs and accompanying informational content for education and community performances.  

After the planning period, now underway, Mint Quartet will be in classrooms at Jones Elementary, Swann Middle, and Penn-Griffin School for the Arts to work with students, sharing their own experience and vision as well as their work with the Thalea Quartet.  Mint Quartet will also offer performances throughout the community in free and open-to-the-public events at libraries, breweries, and other community gathering spaces.   

The Mint Quartet members shared, “As an ensemble that deeply values community connection, our participation in the Chamber Ensemble Residency will prepare and provide us with the guidance and resources needed to fulfill our performance and community engagement efforts in a meaningful way.  We are so grateful to partner with an organization such as Music For a Great Space, an organization that directly aligns with our personal and organizational values to promote music accessibility through community collaboration and advancing the evolution of chamber music.”

Mint String Quartet:

The Mint String Quartet seeks to promote and strengthen community bonds that celebrate cultural richness through music. Founded in 2020, what started as four music students longing for a rekindling of musical connection grew into a vision that became a forward-thinking passion project.  The musicians of the Mint String Quartet are thrilled to continue their commitment to the cultivation of a diverse and inclusive environment for all community members. As a collective of musical backgrounds ranging from East African traditions, to the Blues, to Irish folk tunes, Mint is dedicated to expanding the audiences and boundaries of what chamber music can be.

Thalea String Quartet:

The Thalea String Quartet brings their signature vibrancy and emotional commitment to dynamic performances that reflect the past, present, and the future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. Fueled by the belief that chamber music is a powerful force for building community and human connection, the Thalea String Quartet has performed across North America, Europe, and China, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center, Massey Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall.  Winners of the 2021 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the members of the Thalea String Quartet have been celebrated for their innovative approach to education and community engagement.

All programming will be available at www.musicforagreatspace.org.

Music for a Great Space (MGS) annually presents a culturally diverse series of inspiring small ensemble and solo concerts. Founded in 1990, MGS features world-class artists in significant venues in Greensboro for audiences from across the Piedmont Triad. MGS accompanies each concert with related educational experiences for children and adults.

Season support comes from ArtsGreensboro, the North Carolina Arts Council, and Creative Greensboro.